What instigated your school's initial involvement with the Maths Hub?

The school signed up in 2018, however engagement levels varied, meaning impact wasn't always clear. In 2021, I applied for and was appointed as Maths Lead for both KS1 and KS2 in my school. From that point, our school continued engaging with the programme's collaborative professional development model and embedding its approaches within our setting. I have ensured a strong relationship with the Hub as I know the power of professional development on staff and pupils.

What impact have you seen as a result of your engagement with the Hub?

Before 2020, our school was introduced to Teaching for Mastery, but this was implemented in a way that did not engage staff effectively, and as a result, there was considerable resistance. Since my involvement as Maths Lead, I have worked hard to build staff understanding and buy-in, providing support, guidance, and practical strategies for embedding the approach. Over time, this has led to a noticeable shift in both attitudes and practice. Staff are now following the key principles of Teaching for Mastery, such as encouraging deep conceptual understanding, using structured variation in practice, and fostering collaborative problem-solving. As a result, we have seen increased confidence among pupils in approaching mathematical problems, a greater willingness to engage with challenging concepts, and a more consistent approach to teaching across year groups.

The end-of-Key-Stage statutory assessments reflect how well our school prioritises maths for all children, as demonstrated by our school data:

2022	EXS+	GDS
Year 2	70%	9%
Year 6 (national)	73% (71%)	17%

 

2023	EXS+	GDS
Year 2	75%	9%
Year 6 (national)	76% (73%)	20% (24%)

 

2024	EXS+	GDS
Year 6 (national)	76% (73%)	24% (24%)

 

2025	EXS+	GDS
Year 6 (national)	77% (74%)	33% (26%)

Over the past few years, you have maintained a sustained relationship with the Hub. Why is this important to you?

Maintaining a sustained relationship with the Maths Hub is important to me because it provides ongoing opportunities for professional development that go beyond the immediate demands of school improvement plans. Engagement with the Hub is not limited to me as a Maths Lead – members of our SLT, teachers and teaching assistants have also benefited from training and collaborative development. This ensures that best practice, particularly around Teaching for Mastery, is consistently shared across the whole school. Sustained involvement allows us to bring fresh ideas, strategies, and evidence-informed approaches back to our classrooms, supporting a culture of continual professional growth. It lasso helps embed a collaborative, reflective approach to teaching, reinforcing high-quality mathematics education for all pupils.

Since my initial involvement, I applied to become a Primary Mastery Specialist, which has further deepened my engagement with the Maths Hub. In this role, I have been able to contribute more directly to the Hub's programmes, support other schools in implementing Teaching for Mastery, and develop my own leadership skills. This progression has allowed me to bring even greater insight and practical strategies back to my school, strengthening both staff development and pupil outcomes, and reinforcing the collaborative, whole-school approach to mathematics teaching.

How do you maximise the impact of working with the Hub? How is the knowledge shared?

We maximise the impact of working with the Maths Hub by ensuring that knowledge and skills gained through training are shared across the whole school. Teachers have dedicated time in staff meetings to disseminate what they have learned, allowing colleagues to benefit from new strategies and approaches. For example, in 2024-25, two members of staff participated in the "Using Manipulatives to Develop Conceptual Understanding: Supporting the Effective Use of the Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract Approach" course. They led part of the staff training, using engaging and practical activities to demonstrate the approaches in action. This not only strengthened colleagues' understanding but also promoted shared leadership within the school, demonstrating that professional development does not rely solely on me as Maths Lead.

What advice would you give to a leader who is considering engaging with the Hub for the first time?

My advice to a leader considering engaging with the Maths Hub for the first time would be: just do it! The opportunities for professional development, collaboration, and the sharing of best practice are invaluable. Getting involved allows your school to access high-quality support, develop staff confidence, and embed effective approaches, such as Teaching for Mastery, across all year groups. My experience has shown that even small steps (attending a course, joining a network, or sharing learning with colleagues) can have a significant positive impact on teaching and learning. The key is to embrace the programme wholeheartedly and involve the whole school, as the benefits are multiplied when everyone is engaged.