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.

The Five Big Ideas underpin teaching for mastery in primary schools. 

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.

Teaching for Mastery has completely transformed the way we teach maths, and has made a real difference in our pupils. Over the years, our pupils have made great progress, but have also developed a genuine love of maths and their mathematical understanding has significantly improved. For schools just starting out on their Teaching for Mastery journey, consistency is key. It won't be long until the 5 Big Ideas of Mastery help your pupils make connections and gain a deeper understanding of mathematics year-on-year."

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