It all adds up to a winner

Damian Griffith

A SHAW maths teacher has figured out a better way of teaching his subject — and is getting top level recognition in the process.

Damian Griffith (35) perfected his technique at Failsworth School and is now spreading the word in a new job as an advanced skills teacher at Salford City Academy.

Damian came up with a way of teaching maths that involved co-operative learning where pupils talk about the subject and work in teams.

And the concept works well with a 10 per cent improvement in exam results among year seven pupils.

Recognition of the success of these methods has been swift with maths tsar Celia Hoyles, the country’s leading maths educator, choosing Damian, among only a handful of teachers, to study taking the concept further. He was awarded £6,000 funding to help it along.

But Damian was not always earmarked as a maths high-flier. Like many teachers he did not hold a degree in the subject he was teaching at Failsworth — maths.

He did not get beyond a grade C in maths at GCSE. But he does have a business studies degree, plus a masters degree in international banking, economics and finance.

He also had a successful marketing career before he started a graduate teacher programme four years ago.