Mixed-age Curriculum

Teaching for mastery in mixed-age settings

This guidance, developed with teachers and the Maths Hubs Network, helps schools navigate the challenge of structuring a coherent and equitable curriculum within mixed-age classrooms, ensuring all pupils develop deep mathematical understanding while making the best use of teacher time and resources.

Through Research and Innovation Work Groups (RIWGs), teachers in mixed-age classrooms have shaped this guidance to keep The Essence of Mathematics Teaching for Mastery and the Five Big Ideas in Teaching for Mastery at its core.

This guidance helps schools to:

  • make informed decisions about structuring mixed-age classes.
  • adopt clear, sequential learning pathways to support mathematical progression.
  • access high-quality resources tailored for mixed-age teaching.
  • explore practical strategies, case studies, and expert guidance to implement teaching for mastery in mixed-age settings.

Terminology

In mixed-age settings, schools adopt different teaching approaches. Throughout this guidance the following terms are used: 

  • whole-class teaching, where all pupils are taught together
  • split-class teaching, where year groups are taught separately at different times
  • mixed approach, which combines both methods with a clear rationale to best support learning.

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Find out more and get involved

To explore support options for developing teaching for mastery in a mixed-age setting, and how your school can access the two-year rolling programme for mixed-age classes, get in touch with your local Maths Hub. They can offer advice and access to a range of professional development opportunities, expert guidance and access to materials to help develop a mixed-age curriculum for your school.