What is Mastery?
Mastery has become one of the ‘buzzwords’ in education. But what does mastery actually mean?
Despite there being numerous variations on the definition of mastery, they can be summarised as follows:
If a child has reached mastery, they will have a deep, secure and fluent understanding of the subject, which they can reason with, and apply to a range of situations.
Despite the term ‘mastery’ being used more frequently since the launch of the 2014 curriculum, mastery, as a concept to develop ‘true’ transferable understanding, is, of course, not new. If children show mastery in maths, it means that they have the ability to use maths as a life tool, which goes beyond, and is far more useful, than the ability just to answer questions in tests.
We were recently asked on Twitter: "I might regret this, but what is mastery?" A valid question that's not easy to answer in 140 characters!
To dispel the myths and get down to nuts and bolts of what mastery is and what it looks like in the classroom, we have run a series of free webinars with our expert author and trainer, Caroline Clissold and Maria Rundle.
Please see the below recordings. Want a webinar on a specific webinar? Email us to let us know.
What children need to know at the end of reception in order to success in Year 1 Watch for free
Prevent fractions catch up in Years 5 and 6 with steady progression at Years 2 3 and 4 Watch for free
Maths Mastery Part 1 Watch for free
- What is mastery?
- What does it look like in the classroom and how do teachers recognise it?
Maths Mastery Part 2 Watch for free
- How do I support children achieve mastery?
- How do I provide extension for those working at greater depth?
Join Rising Stars for our forthcoming 'How to Lead a Mastery Curriculum' Workshops in Birmingham and London.
- Explore the challenges and opportunities of leading for mastery in mathematics
- Establish and understand the importance of the 5 transformational changes essential for a mastery approach to be successful
- Develop clear and practical short, medium and long term action plans for embracing a teaching for mastery approach in your school
Book your place here
Rising Stars Mathematics
Rising Stars Mathematics is a new textbook programme written specifically for the UK curriculum. It follows a mastery approach, enabling teachers to develop high-quality lessons that cover the new programme of study. Find out more and download a free sample.