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The government’s Giving Every Child the Best Start in Life (2025) report makes clear that improving early education is essential to tackling disadvantage and raising standards, with a national ambition for 75% of children to reach a good level of development by the end of Reception by 2028. At the heart of this is the quality of teaching and the interactions children experience every day.
As part of the Cheshire and Wirral Maths Hub Programme, our Early Years work is focused on supporting this ambition – strengthening the knowledge and practice of those working with our youngest children so that all children develop the language, understanding and confidence in mathematics they need for a strong start in life.
Now Recruiting - Mastering Number at Reception and KS1 2026/27
Who can take part?
Three teachers – one each from Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. Support will also be given to subject leaders and headteachers.
This programme and its Work Groups are open to all schools that have not yet engaged with the Mastering Number Programme. Places will be limited.
The offer in 2026/27 is expanding to cover all of the reception curriculum and also to provide extra resources for year 1 and 2.
What is involved?
3 local and 3 national sessions for lead teachers
2 national Headteacher/Subject Lead sessions
Online Community for lead teachers to share practice and engage in critical reflection.
Places on this programme are limited and therefore we ask that schools only sign up if they are committed to implementing the programme with fidelity. This involves making sure that there is time in the school timetable in Reception, Y1 and Y2 for four 10/15 minute Mastering Number sessions each week.
How to Apply
Please complete the Google Form – Mastering Number at Rec/KS1 2026/27
Now Recruiting - Specialist Knowledge for Teaching Mathematics - Reception Teachers 2025/26
This programme supports Reception staff to develop specialist knowledge for teaching maths.
Who can take part?
It would be valuable for a Reception teacher and a teaching assistant colleague to attend the programme together.
What is involved?
Workshops – equivalent of 4 days
Online Community – school-based tasks and share observations through discussions with peers.
What will you learn?
- Your pupils will be able to communicate their maths and mathematical thinking
- You will explore and increase your use of a range of pedagogic approaches that will support pupils in engaging with and developing their maths
- You will understand how maths opportunities can be developed across all areas and in everyday routines
How to Apply
Please complete the Google Form – NCP26-25 SKTM (Reception) Programme – Google Forms
Targeted Support - Enhanced 2026/27
Enhanced support is for schools participating in standard Teaching for Mastery Programmes. The support is tailored to address specific barriers to implementation that school leaders identify.
Enhanced support is targeted at schools identified by Maths Hubs as needing the extra support in order for the existing offer to have greater impact. These schools would be highlighted as not being able to meet the intended outcomes without support. Maths Hubs would use on average three LLME days per school. However, the amount for each school could vary, based on a judgement of relative need. This support can start and finish at any point in the year.
Who can take part?
Enhanced support may only be accessed if you are part of the following Work Groups; Primary and Secondary TfM Work Groups, Secondary Mastery Specialists and Secondary Maths Subject Leaders Community.
Intended outcomes
These will be linked to the relevant NCP outcomes. The LLME will work with the subject leadership and school leadership to achieve these.
Expression of Interest
Please complete this google form to express your school’s interest in taking part.
Targeted Support - Intensive 2026/27
Intensive support involves sustained, bespoke collaboration with leaders to develop a school’s capacity and climate for implementation. In the long term, this aims to build the foundations for accessing the standard Teaching for Mastery Programmes.
This is bespoke support for schools in need of additional capacity to enable them to benefit from standard or enhanced provision at a later stage. The focus is on providing intensive sustained support over time, in order for the leadership in both the school and subject to:
- Explore: clarify priorities for development
- Prepare: plan short-/medium-/long-term development
- Deliver and Sustain: ensure effective sustained support from the Maths Hub especially for establishing teaching for mastery.
Maths Hubs would be able to offer an average of six ISP days per school in order to work in partnership with them to bring about sustained change. In addition, there would be an average school grant for six days of leader/teacher release time. This support can start and finish at any point in the year. Both the Intensive support partner days and school grant for each school could vary based on a judgement of relative need.
Who can take part?
Intensive support is open to schools that have never engaged with Maths Hub or, due to circumstances, has had to pause an NCP and needs support to get back on track. A school receiving Intensive Support should not be engaged with Primary and Secondary Mastery Specialists or Primary and Secondary TfM Work Groups but may participate in other Work Groups alongside Intensive Support.
Intended outcomes
Intensive support is designed to build capacity within the school to foster a change in culture in the teaching and learning of maths. This is achieved through the ISP and school working in partnership to explore, plan, deliver and sustain an implementation strategy. It will also aim to develop a strong relationship with the Maths Hub and to ensure the school successfully begins to benefit from the Maths Hub’s teaching for mastery standard offer.
Expression of Interest
Please complete this google form to express your school’s interest in taking part.