Imagine schools where children travel on a continuous mathematical learning journey from EYFS to GCSE and beyond - a journey where year on year pupils build on secure learning and understanding. Mathematical concepts are carefully scaffolded to develop skills and knowledge; pupils are not pointlessly repeating work in key stage 3 from the primary phase. The vast majority of pupils end KS4 with a GCSE grade of 5 or above and have mathematical skills for the career path they choose.

This is how transition between stages would work in an ideal world, but in reality bridging the gap between key stage 2 and 3 maths is problematic. Primary and secondary teachers are often worlds apart in curriculum, subject knowledge and pedagogy. In my role as the assistant head for maths across a trust of three academies (two primaries and a secondary), along with our maths leadership teams, I have been able to look closely at best practice from primary and secondary and bring the two closer together for the benefit of our pupils.

We were already using common transition processes: the transition unit traditionally completed after Sats tests, visit days for Year 6 pupils to secondary and primary staff passing information and data up to secondary staff.

Defining ‘excellence’

This was having limited long-term impact on standards and we quickly decided we needed to go deeper if we wanted to see the gap between the key stages narrow. We initially identified differences in curriculum and expectations as key priorities to address and therefore set about the daunting task of scrutinising and rewriting our key stage 3 scheme of learning.

Over time we have taken each unit of work and defined what excellence looks like in that concept. As we have defined ‘excellence’ from Nursery to Year 8 we can ensure that each year group builds on the previous one and is challenging without unnecessary repetition. It was essential that this process happened collaboratively with a team of primary and secondary colleagues so each group could gain insight into the others’ expectations, particularly with recent changes to key stage 2 and GCSE standards.

‘Consistent approach’

From here, we then developed a set of milestones for each unit of work that would build up to allow pupils to reach ‘excellence’, identified potential misconceptions for pupils and some supporting problem solving and reasoning questions. For each unit of work, teachers can quickly find out what the children don’t know and then teach to fill the gaps. Teachers across the trust plan collaboratively with year group colleagues to scaffold lessons and identify key questions to ask children.

However, the scheme is only as good as the paper it is written on. What really matters is ensuring that it is as good in practice. This has involved primary and secondary colleagues informally spending time in each other’s lessons and discussing ideas with each other in order to gain a better understanding of these two opposite worlds.

Like a can of worms once you open it you find more and more that could be done and you want to develop, and this was no different. Now the transition journey has started and we are seeing the benefits we do not want to stop. We have already delivered training for all staff across the three academies to ensure a consistent approach and further collaborative work is already planned. We need to keep learning from each other, and fully intend to.

Heather Martin is assistant head for Blessed Edward Bamber Catholic Multi Academy Trust in Lancashire.