How might the use of Schemes of Work impact on teacher autonomy?

Annu Pabla and Jack Bryne Stothard, Institute of Education, University of Derby, UK Introduction This article considers and critiques the pedagogical and curricular implications of relying heavily upon schemes of work/schemes of learning (SoW/L) for the profession of teaching, as well as for the learners in our mathematics classrooms. We consider our own experiences and perspectives as well as those of experienced school colleagues and student teachers who are currently exploring tensions, issues and limitations within the mathematics curriculum and possible future implications for teacher training, mathematics pedagogy and outcomes for learners. The experiences of student teachers A recent conversation with a student teacher when discussing adapting pedagogy and curriculum in the classroom elicited the alarming comment, ‘Oh, I didn’t realise you were allowed to teach maths without...’, and then naming a particular SoW/L. This simple remark resonated with a classroom full of