This project supports schools to continue to embed and sustain teaching for mastery approaches with fidelity and consistency, making effective use of high-quality resources. Thus it contributes towards achieving the Primary Strategic Goal.

Teaching for mastery requires significant change to teaching practices, culture, school systems and structures, and culture within a school. Time and effort are required to refine and sustain change. This Work Group provides the opportunity for schools to continue working towards their vision for maths. It brings together groups of schools who have been through Development and Embedding and are now working collaboratively on sustaining mastery in their schools, which they will also continue to do beyond 2024/25.

The core Sustaining activities during workshops are designed to give participants the time and opportunity to develop specialist subject knowledge through planning, using key documents and observing learning. In addition, leaders will also get the opportunity to further their understanding of the change process to support them in back in school, and reflect upon effective forms of professional development to support their colleagues with their development. There may be a specific focus of the Sustaining Work Group, based on the needs of the schools within it.

There may also be additional opportunities to access other programmes to complement the development of teaching for mastery. For example, schools who have committed to Mastering Number at Reception and Key Stage 1 and who are in Sustaining can benefit from some guidance and materials in the ‘Parent Project’.



Participant schools will be encouraged to review school systems and cultures, refining them to ensure that there is fidelity to teaching for mastery and that the impact on pupils is maximised. There is opportunity for schools to work beyond their own setting – schools will network, exchange practice, and collaborate to support each other to sustain teaching for mastery with support of the Work Group Lead.

Schools who are in Sustaining may have been working with the hub for several years, or may have re-engaged after a pause, but are still committed to a teaching for mastery approach to benefit all pupils. Work Groups may be organised geographically or around a particular focus or need of a school, making up groups of around 12 schools. The schools will have previously participated in a Teaching for Mastery Work Group.



Each school will have a lead participant in the Work Group, normally the maths lead, responsible for leading and sustaining developments in maths. They are likely to have played a lead role in previous years. At different points in the year, other teachers will participate in aspects of the Work Group workshops, either when hosting a workshop to observe learning or participating in a collaborative planning session. The key resources that will be explored to aid consistency and depth across school include the NCETM Primary Mastery Professional Development Materials, Curriculum Prioritisation Materials and the 2020 DfE primary mathematics guidance. There is specific focus on leadership in schools, so regular involvement of the participant headteachers is expected.