FSMQ – what can you expect from the teacher network webinar?
26 March 2025
Steven Walker, Maths Subject Advisor
Thank you to everyone that made it to our online teacher network for FSMQ in March. Here’s a summary of our discussions for anyone that missed the event, with details of the action plan I have taken away from the insight gained.
Role of the subject advisor
The session started with a brief outline of the role of the maths subject advisors which is primarily to answer teacher queries about OCR’s qualifications. You can email the subject advisor team on maths@ocr.org.uk and we can respond in writing or, if you prefer, you can set up a Teams video call to discuss an issue in depth.
A big part of our role is getting out and about speaking to teachers at events. For example, we had stands at recent regional Maths Hub conferences and at MathsConf37 in Sheffield, and attended a number of MAT inset days to talk about exam analysis. We have plenty more events upcoming, such as presenting sessions at the Joint Conference of Mathematics Subject Associations at Easter and at the MEI Conference 25 in July.
We provide a teachers’ perspective in discussions with regulators and other stakeholders, whilst sharing the outcomes of these discussions with teachers.
The feedback that we receive from teachers is instrumental at informing our future support package and help improve the qualification.
As we continue to look forward to the future of maths education, it’s more important than ever to make your voice heard. You can sign up to be part of our Maths Advisory Panel to contribute to our ongoing discussions.
You can read more about our work on improving GCSE Maths in this article.
Looking ahead to the summer’s exams
The FSMQ exam is 17 June 2025 this year, the week after the 3rd GCSE (9-1) paper. The provisional timetable for 2026 has a similar format for FSMQ and GCSE.
It is important to remember that this year students will have two formulae sheets in the exam again. The standard FSMQ formulae sheet will be on page 2 of the question paper (see this sample paper for an example) but there will be an additional formulae sheet as an insert, which is the same as the formulae sheet for the Higher Tier GCSE (9-1) Maths.
Our network discussion considered whether in future all the formulae should be consolidated on to a single article. The general mood of the attendees was that students would benefit from this material being printed on a separate sheet to reduce page turning during the exam.
What do you think? Email maths@ocr.org.uk with your opinion.
Revision activities
We recently published a series of blogs that cover each topic section. There are notes on the rationale for the inclusion of the topic along with links to suggested activities. All OCR resources are available on Teach Cambridge, including:
- Past papers, mark schemes and examiners’ reports
- Practice papers (x2)
- Check in tests (each topic section plus two focused on using formulae)
- Delivery guides (each topic section)
The FSMQ has recently been added to ExamBuilder, OCR’s question bank platform, for teachers to create topic and progress tests, or even full paper formative assessments. A draft paper, constructed by a teacher using ExamBuilder, was shared at the network event.
Email maths@ocr.org.uk for a copy of this draft paper.
Feedback on the current provision appeared to be positive, although some of the attendees were unaware of these platforms.
In addition, OCR sponsorship provides free teacher and student accounts to FSMQ resources on Integral. See the MEI website for more details and to subscribe.
Future events
Sign up for the next FSMQ Teacher Network scheduled for 18 June, 4-4:45pm. The programme of professional development events for next academic year are under development at the moment. The provisional schedule is:
- October – Exam review (1 hour webinar)
- November – Starting to teach (1 hour webinar)
We will also plan to run termly network webinars again, but we are also interested in running face to face sessions if there is demand for them. Email us at maths@ocr.org.uk if you would be interested in hosting an event.
Stay connected
If you have any questions, or would like a copy of the spring network presentation, you can email us at maths@ocr.org.uk, call us on 01223 553998 or message us on X @OCR_Maths.
Sign up for subject updates to receive the latest maths news, updates and resources.
If you are considering teaching any of our qualifications, use our online form to let us know, so that we can help you with more information.
About the author
Steven originally studied engineering before completing a PGCE in secondary mathematics. He has taught secondary maths in England and overseas. Steven joined OCR in 2014 and worked on the redevelopment of OCR’s FSMQ and the A Level Mathematics suite of qualifications. Away from the office he enjoys cooking and to travel.
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