Teaching for Mastery – Primary
WHAT IS TEACHING FOR MASTERY?
Mastering maths means pupils of all ages acquiring a deep, long-term, secure and adaptable understanding of the subject. The phrase ‘teaching for mastery’ describes the elements of classroom practice and school organisation that combine to give pupils the best chances of mastering maths. Achieving mastery means acquiring a solid enough understanding of the maths that’s been taught to enable pupils to move on to more advanced material.
The National Centre for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics (NCETM) have identified The Five Big Ideas for teaching a mastery approach:
- Coherence
- Variation
- Fluency
- Mathematical thinking
- Representation and structure
THE SCHOOL TEACHING FOR MASTERY JOURNEY
Teaching for Mastery Introductory
Teaching for Mastery Introductory
Support for schools beginning their journey implementing teaching for mastery with fidelity
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Teaching for Mastery
Teaching for Mastery
Collaborative professional development for schools to ensure that a teaching for mastery approach is implemented with fidelity.
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BECOMING A MASTERY SPECIALIST
Primary Teachers who train as Mastery Specialists are given a year’s intensive training in the principles of teaching for mastery, underpinned by its Five Big Ideas, and in professional development leadership. In the following year, they further develop teaching for mastery in their own schools. And they share the approach with neighbouring schools by leading Teaching for Mastery Work Groups.
Each year we seek to recruit expert primary school teachers to develop and work as Primary Mastery Specialists. There is also the opportunity to apply for Professional Development Lead (PD Lead) training through the NCETM with a view to working with the hub in the future.
If you would like to apply to be a Primary Mastery Specialist in 2026/27, please click here.
WHAT DOES A TEACHING FOR MASTERY SCHOOL LOOK LIKE?
Take a look at these Case Studies that highlight the practice of one teacher or one school in England, or focuses on one aspect of teaching for mastery, with associated examples from several teachers or schools. In most cases, the case study reflects a time in the school’s or teacher’s life where teaching for mastery is still in a developmental phase.