At St Pius X, we want every child to leave primary school confident, capable and curious about mathematics. To get there, we teach maths explicitly. Teachers clearly model new ideas, guide students through practice, and check for understanding at every step before students work on their own.

What explicit maths teaching looks like in our classrooms

• Daily review: Each lesson begins with a short review of previously learnt skills and number facts. Regular practice moves knowledge into long-term memory, so students can recall it quickly and use it to solve more complex problems.

• Clear, step-by-step modelling: Teachers introduce new concepts in small, manageable steps, using worked examples and precise mathematical language.

• Guided practice (“I do, we do, you do”): Students practise alongside the teacher. Teachers support them and give feedback straight away, then gradually hand over responsibility.

• Checking for understanding: Mini whiteboards, quick questions and whole-class responses show teachers in the moment who has grasped the idea and who needs more support.

• Independent practice and application: Once students are secure, they apply their learning independently, including through reasoning and problem-solving tasks.

• Building fluency: We give number facts and core skills regular attention. Fluency frees up students’ thinking for deeper mathematical reasoning.

Partnering with Brad Nguyen

In 2026 we partnered with Brad Nguyen to strengthen our teachers’ expertise in explicit mathematics instruction. Through professional learning sessions, Brad has worked alongside our staff to refine how we plan, model and sequence maths lessons.

This partnership means:

• a consistent, whole-school approach to teaching maths, so students experience the same clear lesson structure from Foundation to Year 6

• teachers who are confident in the latest evidence about how children learn mathematics

• ongoing coaching and reflection, so our practice keeps improving