The Mastering Number Programme will develop solid number sense, including fluency and flexibility with number facts, which will have a lasting impact on future learning for all children. The programme will involve high quality professional development for teachers, planning and resources..
Cambridge Maths Hub is now recruiting schools to join this programme, to start in September 2024.
Since 2014, the NCETM and Maths Hubs have been working together to develop approaches to teaching for mastery within primary maths. Thousands of schools have benefited. The Mastering Number Programme has been running since 2021 and is wholly consistent with teaching for mastery. The programme is recommended in the recent Ofsted subject report.
For schools in the Mastering Number Programme, children in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 will have a daily teacher-led session of 10 to15 minutes, designed to ensure that pupils develop fluency with, and understanding of, number that is crucial to future success in
maths and academic progress more generally.
A school’s participation involves teachers from each of Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 (in one-form entry schools), the maths subject lead, and the headteacher. In small schools, there may be just one or two participating class teachers. In larger, multi-form schools, it is expected that lead teachers support colleagues in Reception and KS1 to adopt the same approach in their classes, to ensure consistency across the school.
The central programme
The core professional development programme will be delivered by an experienced team from the NCETM,
led by the NCETM’s Director of Primary Mathematics, Debbie Morgan. It will
involve the lead teachers, maths subject lead and headteacher engaging in a
range of synchronous and asynchronous online professional development,
including three live sessions, across the academic year. Headteachers and maths
leads will also be invited to attend two sessions – one at the beginning of the
year and one in the summer term – to support them to implement and embed the
programme to ensure maximum impact.
In Reception, teachers will be expected to use the Mastering Number materials for their main maths lessons for all number work, and ensure that children are offered additional experiences to embed their learning in the wider provision. (Ideas for this are included in
the materials.) In Key Stage 1, teachers will be expected to deliver a daily
session of 10 to15 minutes in addition to their daily maths lesson, which may
be a little shorter as a result. Resources, including lesson plans and visual
materials, will be provided.
Local Work Groups
Each Work Group will consist of
up to 50 schools and be led by a professional experienced in early maths and in
leading professional development in their Maths Hub area. During the year,
teachers in the Work Group will work together to share experiences and reflect
on the impact of the programme on their pupils and on themselves as teachers.
The Work Group Lead will facilitate and steer regular discussion among participants
in a dedicated online community. This ongoing cross-fertilisation of
experiences, ideas and successes will create a vibrant and sustained
professional learning experience for all those taking part. It will also
significantly benefit pupils in the participating schools.
Participation in the Work Group will provide the following benefits to participant schools:
High quality support for teacher professional development for the lead teachers, directed by the NCETM and facilitated by the local Maths Hub
Supportive and collaborative online community facilitated by the Work Group Lead
Resources provided, including coherent plans for the Mastering Number daily sessions in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2
This programme is free of charge for state-funded schools.
