School leaders
Information for school leaders about free professional development
The NCETM and Maths Hubs provide free maths-specific professional development for teachers and teaching assistants in all phases from Early Years to post-16. There are 40 Maths Hubs across England, serving all state-funded primary and secondary schools. If you are not yet working with your local Maths Hub, find out which hub it is. A Maths Hub’s work takes place across the whole of the region it serves; local Work Groups and other CPD opportunities are available in a wide variety of settings and locations, not simply at the Lead School.
Why engage with your local Maths Hub?
If a teacher or TA in your school takes part in professional development through your local Maths Hub in the form of a network collaborative project, they will benefit from:
- Ongoing CPD which they can implement in the classroom; not just a ‘one-off’ course
- Expert input and guidance
- Peer-to-peer support and learning
- Access to a wide range of high-quality online resources
- Being part of a national programme exploring a current issue in maths teaching
Teaching for Mastery – What do you need to know?
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.
Teaching for mastery is currently more widespread in primary schools across England, with around 9,000 primary schools engaging with their local Maths Hub, and over 850 primary teachers training as Mastery Specialists.
The Five Big Ideas underpin teaching for mastery in both primary and secondary schools.
What is the Teaching for Mastery Programme?
The NCETM and Maths Hubs have been running the national Primary Teaching for Mastery Programme since 2015, and more recently secondary schools have also become involved with teaching for mastery as the Secondary Teaching for Mastery Programme expands. The programme is open to all state-funded schools in England.
This video explaining the programme was made in 2018, but all the principles still apply now.
Mastery Specialists spearhead the Teaching for Mastery Programme across the country. 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.
All of the 40 Maths Hubs across England offer professional development to help teachers develop a mastery approach in their own classroom, department and school. Any teacher or school wishing to take part in a Teaching for Mastery Work Group should get in touch with their local Maths Hub. The hub will then be able to give more details about which Work Group is most suitable for the school, and when recruitment for the next Work Group is open.
Our diagram shows a school's journey towards mastery. Use it to determine where your school's journey starts (click/tap diagram to show a larger version with more detail of the journey).
What else do I need to know about teaching for mastery?
If you are interested in the research behind teaching for mastery, there are a number of research papers available in the NCETM’s website page of Supporting Research, Evidence and Argument.
For primary school maths teachers and leaders, our webpage on the essence of mastery outlines some of the key principles of teaching for mastery. This progress report also reflects the positive impact of the programme in its first years.
The NCETM provides a wide range of mastery resources including assessment materials, professional development materials, calculation guidance and marking guidance for both primary and secondary teachers.
Can I find out more about schools that have been involved in teaching for mastery at primary?
Read these case studies to learn about how primary schools tackle pupils’ mindsets, and how involvement in the Teaching for Mastery Programme drives pupil outcomes in maths.
Mastery in action – including whole-class teaching, a step-by-step approach, and teachers having high expectations of pupils using mathematical language – is available to see in these lesson videos.
What is teaching for mastery?
Mastering maths means students 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 students the best chances of mastering maths. Achieving mastery means acquiring a solid enough understanding of the maths that’s been taught to enable students to move on to more advanced material.
Every year hundreds of secondary teachers and schools are taking part in professional development to enable them to use teaching for mastery approaches with their students. Secondary schools are also increasingly finding that Year 6s are coming up from primary school having experienced teaching for mastery in maths.
The Five Big Ideas underpin teaching for mastery in both primary and secondary schools.
What is the Teaching for Mastery Programme?
The NCETM and Maths Hubs have been running the national Primary Teaching for Mastery Programme since 2015, and more recently secondary schools have also become involved with teaching for mastery as the Secondary Teaching for Mastery Programme expands. The programme is open to all state-funded schools in England.
This video explaining the programme was made in 2018, but all the principles still apply now.
Mastery Specialists spearhead the Teaching for Mastery Programme across the country. 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.
Hundreds of secondary schools are starting to develop teaching for mastery approaches, especially at KS3, supported by these Mastery Specialists. ‘Mastery Advocates’, secondary maths teachers learning about and developing mastery in their own maths departments, are continuing to ensure that mastery is being embedded in schools across the country.
All of the 40 Maths Hubs across England offer professional development to help teachers develop a mastery approach in their own classroom, department and school. Any teacher or school wishing to take part in a Teaching for Mastery Work Group should get in touch with their local Maths Hub. The hub will then be able to give more details about which Work Group is most suitable for the school, and when recruitment for the next Work Group is open.
Our diagram shows a school's journey towards mastery. Use it to determine where your school's journey starts (click/tap diagram to show a larger version with more detail of the journey).
What else do I need to know about teaching for mastery?
If you are interested in the research behind teaching for mastery, there are a number of research papers available in the NCETM’s website page of Supporting Research, Evidence and Argument.
For secondary school maths teachers and leaders, our webpage on the essence of mastery outlines some of the key principles of teaching for mastery. This