Inspiring Success Through Teaching for Mastery: Join a Journey of Transformation in Maths Education
The school
St Edburg’s Church of England (VA) School, located in the rapidly growing town of Bicester, Oxfordshire, is a primary school that caters to pupils aged 3 to 11. As a voluntary aided school with a strong Christian ethos, St Edburg’s prides itself on its values of inclusivity, aspiration and belonging, fostering a nurturing and inclusive learning environment rooted in its core values of respect, perseverance, and compassion. The school relocated to a site in a new housing development in 2016, and the design of the school looks like an angel facing out onto the community. St Edburg’s say that they like to think that the school is embracing the community that it serves and is announcing that here is a place where children are valued and loved, and where learning is tangible!
St Edburg’s vision for learning is deeply embedded throughout its culture and community. It champions high expectations, inclusivity, and a strong sense of belonging for all pupils. The alignment between its educational values and the principles of teaching for mastery in mathematics is both deliberate and strategic, with active involvement in developing the approach from leaders, staff and with support from governors.
The journey
Eight years ago, mathematics teaching practice was largely differentiated by ability and focused on coverage over depth. At that time, the school faced challenges in developing deep subject knowledge among teachers, building confidence in mathematical teaching outcomes at St Edburg’s lagged behind other curriculum areas and pupil outcomes lagged behind other curriculum areas. The school recognised the need for cultural and pedagogical change and chose to address this through partnership with their local Maths Hub and the implementation of a mastery approach.
The Maths Lead – now Deputy Headteacher – took steps to join a Maths Hub Teaching for Mastery work group, beginning a long-standing partnership between the school and the Maths Hub. She has played a pivotal role—training as a Primary Teaching for Mastery Specialist, leading professional development, modelling teaching strategies through live lessons, and supporting teachers through observation and team teaching.
Professional learning
Professional learning has been key to the success of the Teaching for Mastery approach at St Edburg’s and is structured and responsive. Initial whole-school training on the Five Big Ideas evolved into tailored, ongoing coaching and support. Teachers are encouraged to reflect,
collaborate, and think deeply about both mathematics content and pedagogy.
Teachers new to the school are inducted in a supportive way to understand the principles of Teaching for Mastery. A culture of professional growth is now embedded, impacting on all areas of the curriculum. As the staff’s pedagogical understanding grew, the school began applying mastery principles across the curriculum – exploring depth in geography, historical reasoning, and designing lessons in incremental, conceptually linked steps.
The impact
The shift in culture has been significant. Data shows sustained improvement in mathematical attainment and progress, but more significantly there has been a transformation in teacher and
pupil confidence, engagement, and language around mathematics.
Pupils now explain their thinking with precision, use representations such as bar models confidently, and engage in high-level mathematical discussions. In classrooms, teachers guide learning using rich representations, carefully crafted examples, and well-sequenced small steps. Teacher’s have the agency to use close assessment for learning to decide when to move on to new ideas with lessons focusing on understanding, rather than speed of coverage. There is a focus on Oracy linked to mathematical thinking. Pupils benefit from targeted same-day interventions, which are particularly effective for those with English as an additional language.
Leadership
The impact of the maths lead’s leadership has been far-reaching. Staff describe her as inspirational, and her live lessons are not only a powerful tool for internal development but also for external collaboration through the Teaching for Mastery work groups and targeted support for schools that she leads for the Maths Hub.
The headteacher was appointed during the school’s engagement with the Maths Hub and Teaching for Mastery. He came with a background of experience of this approach to teaching maths and already recognised its potential. However, he took time to understand exactly how it is enacted at the school and was open to developing his own subject and pedagogical understanding. He provides active, ongoing and full support for the Deputy Head Teacher. Both the Head and the governors recognise the need for long term and on-going development of teaching for mastery and the continued partnership with the Maths Hub.
Focusing of the future
St Edburg’s continues to grow, opening a second site in 2024-26. The school continues to benefit from external training with the Hub, while also contributing to the system by supporting other schools. This two- way collaboration has amplified the impact of Teaching for Mastery far beyond its own classrooms. The presence of a mastery specialist teacher on staff has elevated the school’s capability and profile. Her expertise not only strengthens internal provision but enables the school to contribute to wider system improvement. Her support has helped other schools navigate their own mastery journeys, aligning with St Edburg’s belief in moral responsibility and outward-facing collaboration.
The school always has one eye on the future, considering the continued development of teachers, and the model of always including a second teacher in Work Groups has built leadership capacity and ensured resilience. As the school continues to evolve, the Deputy Head Teacher is now ready to hand the baton over to a new Maths Lead and she too has recently completed training as a Primary Teaching for Mastery Specialist. There is a solid plan for succession to ensure that the success of this long-term strategy is continued.