Guidance

Leading primary mathematics national professional qualification

A course to help teachers learn how to use mastery approaches and teach maths effectively.

From:
Department for Education
Published
20 September 2023
Last updated
2 October 2023 — See all updates

Applies to England

Who this course is for

This course is for:

  • teachers and leaders with responsibility for leading maths across a primary key-stage or school, or those who want to have this responsibility
  • teachers familiar with mastery approaches to teaching primary maths, who want to improve leadership skills in this area
  • subject leaders in a school already engaged in the primary Teaching for Mastery programme or similar programme example

Overview

This one-year course will help you to:

  • embed mastery approaches to teaching maths in your school
  • lead your school to teach maths effectively, working collaboratively with senior leaders and teachers

This course will:

  • take 12 months to complete
  • involve an average of 1 to 2 hours of study each week
  • be a mix of self-study and group sessions
  • have a written assessment
  • start February 2024

Funding

Funding to cover the course fees is available for most teachers and school leaders in state funded settings in England.

Learn about funding.

Eligibility

Before applying for this NPQ, you should have a secure understanding of mastery approaches to teaching maths from the Teaching for Mastery programme, or an equivalent programme.

Course content

Develop a school culture with a positive attitude to maths

You’ll learn about how pupils learn, so you can develop systems which help children:

  • overcome maths anxiety
  • build resilience
  • develop problem-solving strategies

You’ll learn how to create a culture of high expectations where teachers:

  • challenge and motivate pupils
  • give pupils high quality feedback

Design and introduce maths curriculums

You’ll learn how to design maths curriculums and develop leadership skills to help you introduce them, including how to:

  • identify the maths knowledge that pupils need
  • help pupils make connections between maths facts and concepts
  • identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and make changes accordingly
  • plan curriculum changes so that teachers are supported

Support maths teachers in your school

You’ll learn techniques to help you support maths teachers, including techniques to help them:

  • plan lessons, for example sequencing lessons so that pupils can build their knowledge
  • support inclusion of pupils, for example ensuring that the starting point is accessible to all
  • manage their workload, for example by sharing approaches to marking work
  • understand and use consistent maths vocabulary

Course structure

The course includes 10 topics, outlined in the course framework. Providers use this framework to design their course.

The course includes:

  • independent study
  • group coaching
  • face-to-face sessions with other participants

You’ll need to spend 1 to 2 hours a week working on this NPQ.

If you can, you should do this during work hours in career development time.

Providers

You can train with one of the following providers:

They work with delivery partners, such as teaching school hubs, to provide training.

Assessment

To get your NPQ accreditation you’ll need to complete the course and pass a written assessment (1,500 words).

Apply

Before you apply to your chosen training provider, you need to register with the Department for Education.

Learn how to apply for an NPQ.

Published 20 September 2023
Last updated 2 October 2023 + show all updates

  1. Updated information in the 'Apply' section as the application window is now open. Applicants can register and learn how to apply for an NPQ.

  2. First published.

Contents

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