TFM Primary

The Primary Teaching for Mastery Programme is a professional development opportunity designed to support teachers develop best practice in maths in your school. It is suitable for schools interested in implementing a teaching for mastery approach to maths. 

School can choose whether to begin their journey at the Readiness or the Development stage. The subsequent stages can only be accessed once the Development stage has been completed with the Maths Hub. 

There are four stages of Primary Teaching for Mastery:

Readiness stage 

Lots of schools are ready to start their mastery journey at the Development stage, and some would benefit from initial support before becoming part of the full programme. Our diagram shows a school’s journey towards mastery. Some barriers to starting at the Development stage include – Ofsted grading, poor pupil progress in maths, serving an area of low social mobility, or other issues that have meant that implementation of sustained change has been difficult – such as change of leadership, change of maths lead, inexperienced maths lead, staff turnover etc. 

Across the year the two lead participants will attend five face-to-face work groups facilitated by accredited NCETM PD Leads. These sessions focus on the catalysts for change. Vision & shared culture and subject expertise is considered across all of the sessions. The remaining catalysts are explored separately and deeply to ensure schools have the right foundations for implementing Teaching for Mastery. In NW1 Maths Hub, we guide you with how to use Action Classroom Research to support the implementation cycle and facilitate the use of evidence and research for manageable and impactful school development.

Watch this video to find out if Readiness is the best phase for your school to begin the Teaching for Mastery journey.

In addition to the face-to-face sessions, there are bespoke school visits from the Mastery Readiness lead to help to support and guide participants throughout the year. Meetings with head teachers are imperative at these visits to ensure a system-led approach.  

Please go to the application page to find out about funding and how to apply.

Development Stage 

Teaching for Mastery is a pedagogical approach to teaching mathematics effectively. The approach to Professional Development underpinning Teaching for Mastery is a long-term and sustainable approach to PD which should have school-wide impact. The following key ingredients are central to this approach: developing a cohesive curriculum; considering small manageable steps in lessons; selecting effective representations that expose important underlying mathematical structures; understanding the importance of variation practice; developing pupils mathematical thinking and securing mathematical fluency. Schools may be eligible to begin their Teaching for Mastery journey here. Watch this video to find out the best phase for your school to begin the Teaching for Mastery journey.

These all link to the ‘Five Big Ideas’ developed by the NCETM: 

In the Development stage your school will carefully consider the ways to further develop the curriculum, pedagogies and approaches to the teaching of mathematics. The lead participants will consider how to develop teacher subject knowledge, teaching practices, whole school system-led development and most importantly have a positive impact on pupils which enables all learners to be successful mathematicians. 

Across the year, the two lead participants, will attend six face-to-face TRGs (Teacher research groups) led by an accredited Primary Teaching for Mastery Specialist. These session focus on the Five-Big-Ideas of Teaching for Mastery and ways to implement and develop aspects of this in their own schools in a purposeful, impactful and manageable way. During these sessions there will opportunities to observe ‘live’ lessons alongside further PD facilitated by the specialist. 

Watch this video to find out if Development is the best phase for your school to begin the Teaching for Mastery journey.

Teaching for Mastery Five Big Ideas

In addition to the TRGs, each school receives 3 bespoke school visits from the specialist to support implementation in your school and to meet with the head teacher to ensure a system-led approach. 

Schools do not need to use a specific scheme of work to develop the approach in their setting. Our specialists have experience of a number of schemes and can support schools to make adaptations to meet the needs of pupils. 

Please go to the application page to find out about funding and how to apply.

Embedding Stage

The Embedding stage is only open to those schools that have fully engaged with the Development Stage and continues to support the two lead participants to further develop the approach to teaching for mastery through continuous professional development, where the five big ideas continue to underpin sessions. Lead participants should by this stage be implementing school-wide changes to support the teaching of mathematics. 

The lead participants will continue to attend 6 TRGs across the year which will focus further on the 5 Big Ideas of Teaching for Mastery. Again, there will be opportunities to observe ‘live’ lessons. Some participant schools may also be asked to host some of the lessons. 

During this year, there is one bespoke school visit to continue to support successful school-wide implementation. 

Please go to the application page to find out about funding and how to apply.

Sustaining Phase 

School are only eligible for this stage is they have completed the Development and Embedding stages. 

Being part of the Sustaining Phase supports schools to continue to focus on whole-school impact and further refining of teaching practice. This stage is a little different to the other stages as the support for maths leads reduces to a minimum of 3 TRGs across the year. However, in addition to the TRGs, NW1 Maths Hub offers professional development to support school-wide practices. This wide-ranging PD is open to head teachers, maths leads, and class teachers to further develop the Teaching for Mastery Approach. Sessions include, lesson observations, adaptive planning, head teacher sessions, further support with Mastering Number etc. As new research, initiatives and practices develop nationally we try to include these in this offer where possible. 

Schools fully engaged in the Sustaining Phase are also eligible for further Maths Hub opportunities, such as Mastering Number at KS2. 

Please go to the application page to find out about funding and how to apply.