Education Today Education Today Magazine
A new version of a popular maths curriculum has been launched by HFL Education (formerly Herts for Learning) to make the subject easier to teach and ensure every child gets the most from – and enjoys – their primary maths education.
ESSENTIALMATHS is a way of rebuilding passion for maths, alongside deep understanding for children and staff at the same time.
The original ESSENTIALMATHS curriculum was launched by HFL Education in 2017 and has been successfully rolled out in over 800 schools.
Following feedback from teachers, ESSENTIALMATHS has been relaunched with a brand-new online platform which features long term curriculum plans, lesson plans and supporting resources including maths games, reasoning and rehearsal sheets and homework – all in one place.
Teachers will also find new diagnostic assessment tools on the platform which use carefully chosen multiple choice questions for end of term or end of year assessments to help them identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Using progress tracking identifiers, all the ESSENTIALMATHS resources are linked so that teachers can quickly refer back to previous learning to go over less secure content.
In addition to separate year group curriculum content for reception up to year 6, ESSENTIALMATHS has also responded to the needs of small schools, with planning specifically designed for mixed aged classes.
Charlie Harber, Primary Maths Lead at HFL Education, said: “Maths shouldn’t be endured. It needs to be loved. Our new ESSENTIALMATHS offers an expanded library of resources for teachers to make planning lessons and follow up learning practical and manageable, saving time and reducing workload. Everything is in complete alignment, from what children do in the classroom and at home, to what they learn as they progress from one year to the next. This small-step, mastery approach reinforces what children are learning, to build their confidence and foster an enjoyment of maths.
“There are also some added extras on the online platform that are unique to ESSENTIALMATHS. For example, we have created a gallery where teachers can share pictures of their pupils’ work and examples of best practice which have worked for their class. To build a community, the online forums allow users to post messages, either for other users with the same class structure or for HFL Education maths advisers. So, there’s a lot of support on the platform to help teachers deliver the best maths curriculum for their children.”
The ESSENTIALMATHS platform will be updated regularly with new content and resources. To gain access to the platform, schools can choose a standard subscription that contains plans, learning sequences, handouts and assessments, or choose the premium package which also features rehearsal and reasoning resources, homework resources, curriculum progressions, ‘tracking back’ booklets and other tools to enhance teachers’ knowledge and confidence. Premium users will also have access termly CPD sessions either live or on demand.
Over 100 schools have already invested in the new version of ESSENTIALMATHS, and feedback has already been very positive:
“We have started using the Rehearsal and Reasoning sheets and it’s a bit like finding the missing piece to the jigsaw,” said Alison Broomfield, Maths Subject Leader, St Andrews C of E Primary School and Nursery, Much Hadham, Hertfordshire.
“I love the links to cognitive science. The links between year groups are great to support growing SEND needs,” said Zoe Hall, Mastery Specialist & Trust Maths Lead, Northampton Primary Academy Trust.
