What is Teaching for Mastery?
The Yorkshire and the Humber Maths Hub team believe that all children can become fluent, reasoning and problem-solving mathematicians. We want children to engage in mathematical thinking that will allow them to develop a connected conceptual understanding of the subject. The teachers we work with are developing their practice in a range of ways including:
Making use of concrete manipulatives and pictorial representations that help learners to uncover and articulate mathematical structure.
Crafting lessons so that mathematical talk is encouraged.
Using the principles of intelligent practice when choosing or writing questions.
Promoting a positive can-do mindset that expects to learn from mistakes.
Providing enjoyable and engaging tasks that build skills and allow misconceptions to be diagnosed.
The journey to mastery in the Yorkshire and the Humber:
Please click on the relevant buttons below to find out more information:
Mastery Explained
Evidence, exemplification and illustration to explain the mastery approach. Click on the links for more information…
The Essence of Mathematics Teaching for Mastery
Underpinning principles, lesson design, and how mastery works in the classroom
The role of oracy in the context of teaching for mastery.
How teaching for mastery supports learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
How schools can secure foundational mathematical knowledge in KS1 and KS2 to support pupils’ deep understanding and reduce barriers to future learning.
Read more research and evidence about mastery on our mastery research page.
Five Big Ideas in Teaching for Mastery
Effective teaching for mastery is underpinned by five big ideas. This webpage provides a diagram and an overview of them.
Progress report on teaching for mastery in primary schools
This 16-page document reflects the widespread positive impact of the programme, but also identifies areas where challenges still exist.
What is mastery? A summary for school leaders
Discover what teaching for mastery means, and the professional development available so your school can begin its mastery journey.
The relationship between teaching for mastery and ‘ability grouping’
We published our comments on how secondary schools organise their maths classes in this paper.