Abacus NW Maths Hub is led by Cardinal Newman College and Our Lady's Catholic High School, based in Preston, who work together with schools, colleges and organisations across Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool and parts of Lancashire. 

They work with our school to lead maths improvement. The programme is funded by the Department for Education (DfE) and coordinated by the National Centre of Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM).

We are currently working with Abacus Maths Hub to support pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 to develop good number sense through the use of the Mastering Number programme. 

This programme works specifically on securing firm foundations in the development of good number sense. The aim over time is that children will leave KS1 with fluency in calculation, a confidence and flexibility with number, therefore providing them with essential knowledge which will be used and developed further when in KS2. 

Alongside this, the children are taught different mathematical skills with a mastery approach which we have been developing for the past two years through our involvement in the NCETM Mastery Development programme. 

A mathematical concept or skill has been mastered when, through exploration, practise and application, a person can represent it in multiple ways and can apply it to a completely new problem. This mastery style of teaching underpins everything that the children learn within Maths lessons through the use of different representations, manipulatives and reasoning problems.