At Riverside Primary School, we have adopted a Mastery approach to Maths. Mathematics teaching for mastery assumes everyone can learn and enjoy mathematics and learning behaviours are developed such that pupils focus and engage fully as learners who reason and seek to make connections.
Teachers continually develop their knowledge for teaching mathematics, working collaboratively to refine and improve their teaching and an ambitious curriculum design ensures a coherent and detailed sequence of essential content to support sustained progression over time. At Riverside we use the NCETM Curriculum Prioritisation, for more information see below:
Understanding the NCETM Curriculum Prioritisation
What is NCETM?
The NCETM stands for the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics. It supports schools and teachers across England to help children develop a deep, secure understanding of maths — not just quick tricks or memorised methods.
What is Curriculum Prioritisation?
The Curriculum Prioritisation is a structured version of the maths curriculum, designed by the NCETM to help teachers teach maths in small, connected steps.
It’s based on the idea that understanding builds over time — pupils should master key ideas before moving on to more complex ones.
In simple terms, it helps schools decide:
-
What to teach first
-
Which ideas are most important
-
How to make sure children really understand maths concepts deeply
How It Works
The NCETM breaks the maths curriculum into carefully sequenced “spines” — each one focusing on a major area of maths:
-
Number, Addition and Subtraction
-
Multiplication and Division
-
Fractions
-
Geometry and Measure
-
Statistics
Each “spine” is split into small teaching steps called Prioritised Teaching Points.
These points ensure that:
-
Teachers spend longer on the most important ideas (like place value, number bonds, and times tables)
-
Children have time to practise and reason about maths, not just get answers
-
Gaps in learning can be filled before new content is introduced
Why It’s Helpful for Children
The Curriculum Prioritisation helps children:
-
Build confidence — because lessons move in logical, manageable steps
-
Develop real understanding — not just memorisation
-
Connect ideas — for example, understanding that multiplication and division are linked, or that fractions connect to division and decimals
-
Keep up, not catch up — all children learn together at a steady pace, with extra support if needed
How Teachers Use It
Teachers use NCETM’s guidance to:
-
Plan lessons and units of work
-
Focus on key knowledge and skills
-
Revisit essential content regularly
-
Use high-quality tasks and discussions to check understanding
The materials are designed to fit alongside Mastering Number programme.
How Parents Can Support at Home
You can support your child’s maths learning by:
-
Encouraging them to explain their thinking (“How did you work that out?”)
-
Practising number facts and times tables regularly
-
Making maths part of everyday life — counting change, measuring ingredients, or spotting shapes
-
Focusing on understanding, not just speed
Please see our calculation policy below: