What’s the Best Primary Maths Scheme?
What’s the best primary maths scheme? It’s a question many maths subject leaders and senior leaders ask when reviewing maths teaching across their school.
This guide will help you decide what to look for when choosing a maths scheme for your pupils and staff. We’ll explore the key features of effective primary maths schemes and the factors schools should consider before adopting a maths mastery approach.
When the current primary maths curriculum was introduced in 2014, many schools found themselves trying to translate the new objectives into clear teaching sequences and lesson structures. At the time there was very little official guidance available, so schools often developed their own planning, worked with consultants or searched online for suitable resources.
Since then, the landscape has changed considerably. There are now several primary maths schemes available, ranging from free programmes to fully resourced teaching schemes such as White Rose Maths.
However, the best maths scheme for your school will depend on your pupils, staff confidence, budget and wider school priorities. No two schools are the same, so there isn’t one single scheme that works for everyone.
Signs Your School May Need a Maths Scheme
Sometimes it is obvious when a school would benefit from a structured maths scheme. In other cases, the signs may be more subtle.
Here are some indicators that it may be worth reviewing your current maths approach:
- Children are not engaged in lessons
- There are low (or high!) level behaviour issues in maths lessons compared to other lessons
- Your maths SATs results are consistently lower than you'd like them to be
- Maths assessments across the school show consistent gaps in knowledge and skills
- Children have a poor grasp of the foundations of maths (number bonds, declarative maths knowledge, times tables etc)
- Teachers talk negatively about maths lessons, their own maths knowledge and dread teaching maths
- You're worried about what Ofsted will say about maths in your school
- Staff are spending hours and hours preparing for maths lessons - more than is reasonable, and it's eating into their work/life balance
- Maths teaching is inconsistent across the school. Everyone is doing different things
- There is not sufficient coverage of the maths national curriculum
How to Improve Maths in Your School
If you have identified that maths teaching needs improvement in your school, it’s important to take time to plan the next steps carefully.
A common mistake is rushing into purchasing a maths scheme simply because another school is using it. Even neighbouring schools can have very different needs depending on their pupils, staff expertise and teaching approaches.
Before making any decisions, it is worth gathering as much information as possible.
Speak to Staff
Start by undertaking a staff maths audit. This could be a formal questionnaire where teachers assess their confidence in both maths subject knowledge and teaching practice, or it could simply involve one-to-one conversations with staff.
Talking to teachers often reveals valuable insights about where support is needed. You may discover differences in confidence levels or identify areas where staff would benefit from additional guidance.
This information can help shape your decision when choosing the best maths scheme for your school.
Audit Your Current Maths Resources
It is also useful to review the resources and materials currently being used across the school.
Teachers may already be using different maths schemes, textbooks or online resources. If each class is using different materials, this can make it difficult to maintain clear progression across year groups.
Consistent maths teaching should build on knowledge and skills year by year, so understanding what is currently being used will help identify potential gaps.
Even if a maths scheme is already in place, it is worth observing a range of lessons to see how well it is being implemented. Teachers may need additional training or support to use the scheme effectively.
How to Choose a Maths Scheme of Work
If your school decides that a structured maths scheme would be beneficial, there are several factors to consider before making a final decision.
Affordability
Even if you find the perfect maths scheme for your school, it needs to fit within your budget. Costs can vary significantly between schemes, ranging from free programmes to schemes costing several thousand pounds.
It is therefore helpful to discuss the available budget with your headteacher before beginning the selection process.
Accessibility
Consider how easy it is for teachers to access the scheme’s materials and resources.
If teachers have to spend hours navigating a complicated website just to find the resources they need, the scheme may quickly become frustrating to use.
A good maths scheme should make it easy for teachers to locate lesson materials and supporting resources.
Is the Scheme Time-Saving?
One of the main reasons schools adopt a maths scheme is to reduce teacher workload.
If the scheme is difficult to navigate, overly complex or requires teachers to create most of their own resources, it may actually increase workload rather than reduce it.
There will usually be an adjustment period as staff become familiar with a new scheme, but this should not continue indefinitely.
Subject Leader Support
Strong maths schemes also provide resources to support subject leaders. These may include maths subject leader resources to help schools implement and monitor the scheme effectively.
These resources will help you not only to implement the maths scheme, but also to monitor its effectiveness.
In an ideal world, every maths scheme would be completely “pick up and go” with no training required. In reality, there will usually be a short adjustment period while teachers become familiar with the scheme’s resources and teaching approaches.
There will also always be a need for adaptation. No matter how good a maths scheme is, teachers will still need to tailor elements for their school, their class and their pupils. There is rarely a true one-size-fits-all maths scheme, regardless of what publishers may claim.
What Resources and Teaching Materials Does the Maths Scheme Include?
This is a really important consideration. It’s no good having a maths mastery scheme with strong pedagogy and training if comprehensive teaching materials are not included.
Without shared resources, consistency across the school becomes difficult. Teachers may end up creating their own materials, which can lead to different levels of quality and increased workload. It also brings you back to the question we discussed earlier – is the scheme actually saving time?
Ideally, your chosen maths scheme should include:
- Maths subject leader documents and guides
- Comprehensive maths lesson plans
- Differentiated maths worksheets
- Hands-on maths activities
- Primary maths knowledge organisers
- Maths revision mats - for consolidation
- End of block maths assessments
- Maths assessment tracker grids
- Full national curriculum coverage
Having this breadth of support, resources and teaching materials makes it far more likely that your chosen maths scheme will be implemented successfully across the school.
What’s the Best Primary Maths Scheme?
This brings us back to our original question – which is the best maths scheme of work for your school?
There isn’t a single scheme that will suit every school perfectly. The best maths scheme will depend on your pupils, your staff and the priorities within your setting.
That said, our maths scheme – Maths Masters – is one option that many schools choose to explore when looking for a structured and practical primary maths scheme.
Take a look below to see what Maths Masters includes.
What Is Maths Masters?
Maths Masters is a structured primary maths scheme designed to support teachers with clear progression, engaging lesson materials and practical teaching ideas.
The scheme helps save planning and preparation time while supporting pupils in developing a deeper understanding of mathematics through problem solving, reasoning and discussion.
Benefits of Maths Masters
- Clear and comprehensive, follows White Rose progression
- Subject planning documents such as progression maps and 3 "Is" statements
- Contains everything you need for every maths lesson
- Coverage of Nursery to end of year 6
- Comprehensive weekly lesson plans (editable)
- Editable, animated maths lesson slides
- Vocabulary, small steps, and national curriculum links as well as assessment questions.
- Advice on common misconceptions/typical errors.
- Ideas for further activities, problem solving and challenges for fluency and variation.
- Knowledge organisers, revision mats and end of block assessments
- Full national curriculum coverage
Try our maths scheme with a free trial and explore the planning, slides and teaching resources included in Maths Masters. See how the scheme supports maths teaching across your school before making a decision.
Primary Maths Scheme FAQ
What is a primary maths scheme?
A primary maths scheme is a structured programme that supports teachers in delivering the maths curriculum. It usually includes lesson planning, teaching slides, classroom activities and assessment materials to help pupils build mathematical understanding over time.
Why do schools use maths schemes?
Many schools use maths schemes to ensure consistency in teaching and progression across year groups. A well-designed maths scheme can help teachers plan lessons more efficiently while supporting pupils to develop strong mathematical understanding.
What should a good primary maths scheme include?
A good primary maths scheme should include clear lesson planning, teaching resources, opportunities for reasoning and problem solving, and assessment materials to track pupil progress.
How do you choose the best maths scheme for a primary school?
Schools often consider several factors when choosing a maths scheme, including curriculum progression, quality of teaching materials, ease of use for teachers and the level of support provided for subject leaders.
Are maths mastery schemes suitable for all schools?
Many primary maths schemes now follow a mastery approach, which focuses on helping pupils develop a deep understanding of mathematical concepts. Schools often choose mastery-based schemes because they support reasoning, problem solving and long-term understanding.
