At The Willows School, we believe that every child is a mathematician in the making. Our maths curriculum is designed to build strong foundations in number and arithmetic, ensuring deep conceptual understanding and fluency through a carefully structured mastery approach. At the heart of our curriculum is the Concrete–Pictorial–Abstract (CPA) methodology, supporting all learners—regardless of starting point—to achieve sustained mathematical success. 

Mathematics at The Willows is not just about getting the right answer; it’s about thinking, exploring, reasoning, and problem-solving. Through our mastery curriculum and CPA approach, we empower pupils to become confident, competent, and curious mathematicians for life. 

Alongside building deep mathematical understanding, our curriculum places a clear focus on developing number sense, fluency, and the real-life application of maths, helping to prepare our pupils to become independent or semi-independent individuals. We equip them with the mathematical skills they need to function confidently and effectively in their everyday lives and within their local community. Whether it’s handling money, telling the time, measuring, or interpreting information, we ensure that every child can apply their learning in meaningful, practical contexts that support their future independence, wellbeing, and lifelong success. 

Lesson Design 

Lesson design links to prior learning to ensure all pupils, including those with moderate learning difficulties, can access new content successfully. Carefully sequenced, small steps support progression and build secure understanding over time. 

Concrete resources, pictorial representations, and real-world contexts are used to expose the structure of mathematical concepts and to build connections that are meaningful and memorable for our learners. Visual scaffolds and repetition support understanding without reducing the challenge.  

Procedural fluency and conceptual understanding are developed in tandem, as both are essential for learners to apply their knowledge independently in the future. Guided practice and carefully chosen examples ensure learning is secure before moving on. 

Practice is purposeful and designed to reinforce fluency while deepening understanding. Tasks are adapted to meet individual needs but remain focused on the same key learning objective to ensure inclusivity and coherence. 

Underpinning Principles 

Mathematics teaching for mastery at The Willows assumes that all pupils can learn and enjoy mathematics, regardless of their cognitive profile or prior experiences. 

We focus on developing positive mathematical learning behaviours: pupils are encouraged to be curious, to reason, and to seek connections. This supports not only mathematical progress but also confidence and resilience. 

Our staff work collaboratively and continually develop their specialist knowledge of mathematics teaching. Shared planning, reflection, and CPD ensure a consistent, high-quality experience for all learners. 

Curriculum design provides a coherent and well-sequenced journey through key content, ensuring that knowledge builds securely over time and gaps are addressed promptly. 

In the Classroom 

Pupils are taught through interactive, whole-class or small-group teaching, tailored to support the individual profiles of MLD learners. This enables all to master the key ideas needed to progress to the next stage in their mathematical journey. 

Typical lessons include a range of approaches: questioning, explanation, demonstration, guided practice, and discussion. Teachers use repetition and consistent structures to help pupils reason and apply their learning to familiar and new situations. 

Mathematical language is modelled clearly and used consistently so that all pupils can communicate their thinking. Visual prompts and key vocabulary displays support understanding and independence. 

Misconceptions are identified and addressed quickly, often within the lesson, through individual support, modelling, or targeted interventions. 

We invest significant time in building deep understanding of core concepts, such as number bonds, place value, and the four operations, as these underpin much of the curriculum and are essential for life beyond school. 

Key number facts are learned to automaticity where possible, and key mathematical ideas are revisited regularly to secure long-term memory and free up working memory for new learning.