Leading the change: a headteacher’s journey with teaching for mastery

As the Maths Hubs Programme turns ten years old, we talk to the headteacher of a primary school that was one of the very first to engage with its local Maths Hub, and discover the impact on staff and pupils.

When Louise George, headteacher of Walford Nursery & Primary School in Ross-on-Wye, made the decision to engage with the Teaching for Mastery Programme through SHaW Maths Hub in 2016, she had little idea of the profound impact it would have on her staff and pupils. However, when her Year 2 and Year 5 teachers returned from their first Work Group session, the excitement and enthusiasm they brought back was infectious.

Maths Lead and Year 5 teacher, Emma Hanham, was particularly excited about the new approaches she had discovered as a Work Group participant. So much so, that Louise encouraged her to train as a Mastery Specialist the following year. Emma soon found herself leading her own Work Group for SHaW Maths Hub, supporting local schools to implement a teaching for mastery pedagogy.

Louise explains: ‘I’m very keen to develop my staff, and my maths lead is so passionate about maths. We were totally committed to the programme, so it made perfect sense for her to train as a Mastery Specialist. We're constantly evolving our approach to maths and having an LLME [local leader of mathematics education] in school, plugged into the hub, keeps our involvement fresh. It has only enhanced everything we are doing and continue to do.’

When asked about the impact of teaching for mastery on children’s learning, Louise shares that the most significant change has been ensuring that all children have access to the maths being taught. 

‘Our previous approach was very much focused on teaching in ability groups and differentiating. In doing so, we were putting a ceiling on the children’s potential. When we implemented the new approach, I remember staff getting quite emotional about the fact that children were now saying, “I can do that work,” rather than being told, “This task is for you.”’

The teaching for mastery pedagogy — breaking learning into small, carefully sequenced steps, using representations to expose the structure of the mathematics, and developing children’s ability to reason through mathematical talk — has enabled staff to deliver whole-class teaching, in which all children are active learners.

In 2021/22, Maths Hubs introduced the programme, Mastering Number at Reception and Key Stage 1, aimed at addressing the impact of the COVID-19 lockdowns on young pupils. Louise quickly recognised how establishing strong number sense and fluency would provide a firm foundation for future maths learning, and her school was one of the first to engage with the programme.

Around this time, Louise also became a Headteacher Advocate for SHaW Maths Hub. Headteacher Advocates are leaders with a strong commitment to improving maths education in their own schools and beyond. Having witnessed the positive impact on her own staff and pupils, Louise was eager to promote Maths Hub professional development opportunities and help foster a culture of continuous improvement in maths teaching and learning across local schools.

Louise’s school also embraced the Specialist Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics programmes (SKTMs), which aim to develop practitioner subject knowledge and pedagogical approaches. Every member of Louise’s team, including early career teachers (ECTs) and teaching assistants (TAs), has participated in a relevant SKTM programme designed for their phase or role. 

In addition, Walford’s Year 5 and Year 6 teachers took part in a Years 5-8 Continuity Work Group with their local secondary school, aimed at strengthening the transition from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3. The school also continues to participate annually in the Sustaining phase of the Teaching for Mastery Programme. 

The impact of this sustained engagement has been profound:

‘We’ve seen a dramatic improvement in our end of KS2 data, but more importantly, we're confident that every child is well-equipped for their transition to secondary school. Every child, including those with unique learning difficulties, is engaged with maths. We feel they are armed with the knowledge and understanding they need, which has been really powerful.’

Louise smiles as she reflects on the various CPD opportunities her school has engaged with over the years, including the most recent, Mastering Number at KS2 — a programme designed to support the development of multiplicative reasoning in Years 4 and 5.

‘There is so much on offer! The biggest barrier for headteachers is the challenge of releasing staff, but we’ve seen the impact it has had. The value to your school is enormous. Nothing compares to the CPD on offer at the Maths Hub. It’s such high-quality, high-impact training, and there are opportunities for every staff member in your school, at every level.’

For Graham Charles, Maths Hub Lead at SHaW, Louise is an inspirational example of what can be achieved when a senior leader fully engages with Maths Hub professional development.

‘Louise ensures that CPD for individual teachers combines effectively to transform whole-school development. She has recognised the long-term value for children at Walford Nursery & Primary School of continuous professional development for her staff. All teachers participate actively with Maths Hub opportunities, fostering a supportive culture of collaboration.’

Most recently, Louise’s leadership was recognised with a glowing Ofsted inspection in July 2024. The report praised the ‘regular and effective training for staff’ and highlighted the ‘impressive level of consistency’ and ‘excellent subject knowledge’ that this had established across the school, to support pupils' learning. Louise credits her relationship with the Maths Hub for the school’s success in the Ofsted inspection.

‘We are acutely aware that this achievement would not have been possible without the high-quality support and training we have received from SHaW Maths Hub and the NCETM over many years. The CPD provided has been truly transformative. It has equipped our staff, at all levels, with the confidence, knowledge and skills to deliver high-quality, impactful teaching in mathematics.’

If you’ve been inspired to connect with your local Maths Hub, get in touch with your local Maths Hub. You can also explore over 40 fully-funded CPD opportunities by going to What Maths Hubs are doing.