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Starting the school year with confidence

A summary of our September 2025 Week in Focus across social media

22/09/2025

Starting the school year with confidence

Time is precious for teachers and school leaders, especially at the start of a new school year. That's why we created the Week in Focus: a week-long social media campaign, at key junctures in the school calendar, that delivers bite-sized insights on key topics that we believe will be useful for you, your classroom and your school.

Last week, our channels on X, Bluesky, Facebook and LinkedIn focused on helping you navigate the NCETM website with confidence. Whether you’re a returning visitor or completely new to us, our aim was simple: to help you start the year feeling supported, equipped and ready to teach maths.

If you missed it, here’s a round-up of the week’s themes and how you can make the most of what we offer.

Teaching for mastery: what it is and where to find it

We kicked off the week with a refresher on teaching for mastery – the research-informed approach at the heart of everything we do. It’s not a scheme or programme, but a way of teaching that ensures every pupil has the best possible chance of success in maths. On our website, you’ll find clear explanations, classroom guidance and leadership insights to help embed teaching for mastery in your school.

The Five Big Ideas in Teaching for Mastery

On Tuesday we spotlighted the Five Big Ideas – coherence, representation and structure, fluency, variation and mathematical thinking. These underpin the teaching for mastery approach and shape every lesson. Our short explainer videos and supporting materials help you understand how to bring these ideas to life in your classroom this year.

Primary teachers: your hub of support

Wednesday was for primary teachers and maths leads. From lesson materials and assessment tasks to subject knowledge audits and marking guidance, our website has everything you need in one place. All materials are mapped to the national curriculum, saving you time and giving you confidence that you’re on the right track.

Secondary teachers: strengthen practice with mastery materials

On Thursday we shared how we support secondary maths teachers and leaders. Our teaching for mastery materials include KS3 assessment tasks, subject knowledge audits, Checkpoints, and CPD grouped by theme. These are all are designed to support both classroom teaching and departmental leadership.

You’re not alone: explore our growing library of case studies

We closed the week by launching our new Mastery Impact section. This brings together real-school case studies showing how teaching for mastery is making a difference in classrooms and trusts nationwide. Explore what’s working in other schools like yours and find videos to inspire your journey.