Teaching mathematics in primary schools

Guidance for teaching mathematics at key stages 1 and 2 to help pupils progress through the national curriculum.

This guidance is for:

• school leaders
• teachers and other school staff
• governing bodies

You can use this guidance to help plan teaching the statutory mathematics curriculum in primary schools in England. This guidance:

• identifies the core concepts that are needed for pupils to progress in their study of mathematics
• demonstrates how pupils can build their understanding of these concepts from year 1 to year 6

The guidance links to non-statutory guidance on teaching mathematics at key stage 3.

Short videos that introduce and summarise this guidance are also available.

Teachers may find this guidance helpful in planning and prioritising the curriculum following the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This guidance is intended to support teaching. It can be used alongside other high-quality plans and resources, including textbooks.

The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics has produced a range of resources to support teachers using this guidance. This includes:

• ready-to-use training materials
• a suite of 79 PowerPoints focusing on the ready-to-progress criteria
• additional training materials addressing the transition between year 6 and year 7

Further support for maths teachers is available through our maths hubs programme.

Find more info here.