Building consistency and equity in maths provision across a trust

With an ambitious school improvement agenda across its diverse primary schools, Sycamore Trust set out to strengthen consistency, equity and quality in mathematics. Senior School Improvement Lead, Dianne Ellithorn, explains how sustained, trust-wide partnership with North West One Maths Hub has supported coherent improvement, leadership development and stronger outcomes for pupils.

The Sycamore Church of England Trust is a multi-academy trust of primary schools based in Bury, Greater Manchester (historically part of Lancashire). Its schools serve a wide range of communities, including neighbourhoods of high disadvantage, complex needs and high proportions of pupils with English as an additional language. When Dianne Ellithorn joined the trust four years ago, schools were at very different stages in their engagement with North West One Maths Hub.

‘Some of the schools in the trust had worked with the Maths Hub for a long time,’ she explains. ‘Another school had dipped in and out of Maths Hub work, and another joined more recently. When I joined the trust, the schools were all at slightly different stages.’

Those early differences were visible in classroom practice. Schools with sustained engagement had a strong grasp of teaching for mastery and coherent mathematics provision. In other settings, an effective mastery curriculum had not yet been established.

‘There were inconsistencies in children’s mathematical development, with problem-solving and mathematical fluency particular areas for improvement.’ 

Driving improvement through Maths Hub engagement

Dianne first worked in one of the trust’s schools as deputy head, later as acting headteacher, before moving into a central trust role as Senior School Improvement Lead. With extensive experience leading maths, and through her role as an Assistant Maths Hub Lead with North West One Maths Hub, she prioritised engagement with the Maths Hub as a core part of school improvement planning from the outset. 

‘We signed up for Mastering Number straight away and engaged with the Mastery Readiness Programme [now Primary Teaching for Mastery (Introductory)] to make sure strong foundations were in place for longer-term change,’ she says. ‘Staff took part with other teachers and schools, which helped build momentum and confidence.’

This approach became a trust-wide focus. Sycamore Trust began to use opportunities offered through North West One Maths Hub to develop consistency in practice and quality of teaching across all its schools.

‘We have worked deliberately to move forward and to become a trust of excellence for mathematics,’ Dianne explains. ‘We have focused on making the most of the opportunities the Maths Hub offers and securing consistency of quality across all our schools.’

All trust schools now engage with the Maths Hub, with every school participating in Mastering Number. From September 2026, all will be working together as a trust in a Teaching for Mastery Work Group.

Equity, language and access to mathematics

The communities served by Sycamore Trust are diverse. Two schools are in central Bury, with very high proportions of pupils with English as an additional language. Others serve areas of economic disadvantage or have high numbers of pupils with complex needs. Despite these differences, engagement with Mastering Number and the Teaching for Mastery Programme has supported pupils across the trust.

A strong example is the emphasis on mathematical talk and language. Dianne notes that the use of structured language such as stem sentences has helped pupils articulate their thinking, which has strengthened oracy across the school. In a school with such high numbers of EAL pupils, as well as children who often do not enter Reception school ready, this focus on language has been transformative.

The trust has expanded its development of oracy approaches into wider professional development, including work with Voice 21, further reinforcing communication as part of learning.

Developing leadership through the Maths Hub

Dianne’s own journey illustrates the potential for career development through Maths Hub involvement. She became engaged with North West One Maths Hub in the first cohort of Primary Mastery Specialists over a decade ago, at a point when she was ready for new challenges.

‘I had been in my school for 19 years and was on the senior leadership team,’ she says. ‘I wanted something more, but for a teacher who wanted to remain in the classroom there were no progression opportunities at that time.’

Becoming a Primary Mastery Specialist for North West One Maths Hub opened new doors for her.

‘That opened up opportunities to work with other schools across Bury, build relationships and develop my leadership,’ she explains. ‘The Maths Hub has been absolutely instrumental in my career. I would not be doing the job I do now without it.’

The professional development she received has influenced her wider approach to school improvement. ‘It is not just about mathematics,’ she says. ‘The strategic thinking, identifying advocates, and planning for short and long-term change apply across the whole school.’

This experience has informed leadership planning within the trust. One teacher is now training with the Maths Hub as a Primary Mastery Specialist, and another is already a specialist. An accredited NCETM PD Lead within the trust also supports Mastering Number, helping ensure continuity and sustainability.

Impact at school and trust level

At St John’s, another of the trust’s schools, consistent use of the NCETM Primary Mastery Professional Development materials and Curriculum Prioritisation resource over two to three years has coincided with improvement in outcomes and classroom practice.

‘The results are rising, and the quality of discussion in mathematics lessons is strong,’ says Dianne. ‘Children articulate their thinking clearly and confidently.’

St John’s has moved from 55 per cent of pupils achieving the expected standard in maths at the end of KS2 in 2021/22 to around the national average, and now acts as a reference point for other schools within the trust. For Dianne, this steady improvement shows what is possible.

‘If it can work in a school with such a challenging context, it can work anywhere,’ she says.

From a trust leadership perspective, Ian Young, Trust Leader at The Sycamore CofE Trust is clear about the impact:

‘Our partnership with the Maths Hub and engagement in the Teaching for Mastery Programme has transformed mathematics teaching across our trust. Teachers have developed deep subject knowledge and confidence in using precise mathematical vocabulary, enabling pupils to reason, problem-solve, and demonstrate fluency with number and calculation. Collaborative professional development has strengthened networks across our Sycamore family of schools, fostering shared expertise and consistent approaches. This has created a culture where children approach challenges with resilience and curiosity, engaging positively with mathematics and demonstrating secure conceptual understanding. The impact is especially evident in classrooms where mathematical thinking is valued and celebrated.’

A shared direction for trust-wide improvement

For Sycamore CofE Trust, partnership with North West One Maths Hub has provided clarity and coherence across schools serving very different communities in Bury.

‘The Maths Hub has given us a shared language, a shared approach and a clear direction,’ says Dianne. ‘It has improved the quality of teaching, strengthened leadership capacity and, most importantly, improved outcomes for children.’

She also values how the partnership keeps the trust connected to broader professional networks and current practice. ‘It keeps us current and connected,’ she reflects. ‘I feel incredibly grateful that my work with the Maths Hub and my role in the trust are so closely aligned.’