Getting started is simpler than you think.
Changing a school’s approach to maths is a big decision. Big Maths is designed to make implementation straightforward for leadership, for teachers, and for pupils. Here’s exactly what to expect.
You don’t need to change everything at once.
The most common concern schools have before starting Big Maths is workload… another thing to learn, another system to manage. In practice, the opposite tends to be true.
Because Big Maths replaces fragmented tools with one coherent system, teachers find their lesson resources, assessment, tracking, and planning in one place and most find their workload reduces once the routine is established. The first few weeks feel different, it is a paradigm shift! Very quickly it becomes the most natural part of the week.
“We are with you every step of the way, providing virtual meetings, telephone and email support throughout.”
Big Maths is designed so that even a school new to the programme can have teachers reducing the spread of ability in their class within days of subscribing. The framework is clear, the resources are ready, and we’re on hand to help.
One system. Less to manage.
Resources, assessment, tracking, and planning all in Big Maths Online. No separate tools to subscribe to, log into, or reconcile.
Support from day one
Telephone and email support throughout your subscription. We’re with you from your first staff meeting to your first Beat That! Friday and beyond.
Teachers lead. Big Maths supports.
Big Maths doesn’t tell teachers what to do — it gives them the information and resources to make confident decisions. Professional judgment stays with the teacher.
Consistent from day one
The same language, structure, and approach across every year group. Supply teachers, NQTs, and experienced staff all work from the same framework.
What the first 90 days look like
Every school is different… but hopefully this gives you a realistic picture of what to expect. Most schools are running confidently well within this timeline.
Days 1–30
Getting oriented. Subscribe and access Big Maths Online. Hold your first staff meeting (see below). Run baseline assessments. Complete Beat That! challenges and respond to Learning Gaps each week, narrowing the spread of ability in each class. Teachers familiarise themselves with the platform and resources.
Days 31–60
Building the routine. Beat That! challenges and the 20 minute CLIC sessions are running across all year groups. Teachers are using the weekly Assess → Plan → Teach cycle. Pupils are familiar with the structure and beginning to build fluency. Senior Leaders monitor progress and attainment across school to gauge impact.
Days 61–90
Seeing the difference. Weekly data is informing planning. Tracking is building a picture across the school. Leaders have visibility of progress. Teachers feel confident. Children are talking about Beat That! at home. Basic Skills, mental maths and fluency are strengthening across school.
Beyond 90 days
It becomes the norm. Big Maths is recognised as the school’s maths approach, not a new initiative. Consistency compounds. Fluency builds. The data tells the story term by term. Senior Leaders are now working with staff to establish long term plans for the school, raising expectation and challenge. Celebrations for maths become part of the culture of school. Other schools begin to take note of the changes.
One hour. That’s all you need to get started.
You don’t need a full INSET day to launch Big Maths. A focused one-hour staff meeting is enough to introduce the framework, explain the weekly routine, and give teachers confidence to conduct a Baseline Assessment and begin to narrow the spread of ability and learning gaps.
What to cover in your first meeting:
Start with the principles:
1) When you know what a child knows, you know what to teach next.
2) We split the curriculum into Basic Skills and Wider Maths Skills.
3) Until teachers are confident with the spread of ability, and the rate of progress, the focus must be Basic Skills!
Every step was identified as part of the natural learning journey of maths. The framework and progression is designed so success is expected, not hoped for, with the gaps between steps being deliberately small so learners can’t fall between them. Then we walk through the CLIC structure (Counting, Learn Its, It’s Nothing New, Calculation) and show teachers the sections, tools and lesson resources in Big Maths Online. Cover the weekly rhythm: teach Monday to Thursday, Beat That! on Friday, how to use Learning Gaps and plan for the following week using the data.
We’re happy to join your first staff meeting remotely to introduce Big Maths directly to your team. Just ask when you book your demo.
Book a Demo — we’ll walk you through it →
What support do you get?
Big Maths isn’t a platform you’re left to figure out alone. We’re with you from your first question to your fifth year of subscription.
Telephone support
Speak to a real person. Whether you have a question about the system, a tricky class situation, or want advice on next steps, just call us. No bots, no ticketing system.
Email support
For questions that don’t need an immediate answer. We aim to respond promptly and helpfully, including with specific resources or planning suggestions where useful.
Online resources
Big Maths Online includes video guides, teacher notes, and planning documents to support every stage of your journey, available any time, on any device.
Virtual meetings & demos
Before you commit, book a free demo and we’ll show you around the platform, describe the principles and pedagogy, and answer every question you have.
Common questions from teachers
These are the questions we hear most often from teachers when their school is considering Big Maths.
“Will this add to my workload?”
In the first few weeks, there’s a learning curve, like any new approach, but Big Maths is designed to replace fragmented tools, not add to them. Our resources and tools are designed to support, most teachers find their workload reduces once the routine is established.
“Do I still get to use my professional judgment?”
Absolutely. Big Maths tells you what each child knows and presents options so you can choose what to do next. What you choose to teach, how you teach it, which resources you use, and how you adapt them, is entirely your decision. The framework supports your judgment; it doesn’t replace it.
“What if some children are much further behind?”
Big Maths works from what each child actually knows, not their year group. Our framework starts before nursery expectations, so even pupils with significant gaps to Age Related Expectations have a clear, reachable next step. No child is unreachable in Big Maths.
“What about SEND pupils?”
Every learner’s journey begins with a Baseline Assessment. Once we know where they have learning gaps, we can identify the next steps. The same small-step approach that benefits all children is especially powerful for learners with additional support needs. Focusing on basic skills and Learn Its (number facts) allows teachers and support staff to encourage confidence for all learners as we celebrate their successes. In time, a model of readiness-based progression, building upon a solid foundation of numeracy, embracing our ‘What we know, What We are Learning, What we will Learn’ advice notes, spaced practice resources, and ‘Remember To’ scaffolds ensures all learners progress and develop confidence with maths. See our SEND page →
Common pitfalls — and how to avoid them
After 20 years of working with schools, we know where implementation can stall — and how to make sure it doesn’t.
Trying to do too much too soon
Start with CLIC in one or two year groups if needed. Get the routine established before rolling out to the whole school. Consistency in a few classes beats inconsistency across all of them.
Skipping the baseline assessment
It’s tempting to jump straight in, but knowing where each child actually is makes everything else work better. The baseline takes one lesson and pays back many times over in better-targeted teaching.
Treating it like a topic scheme
Big Maths isn’t a list of topics to cover in order. It’s a weekly routine: assess, plan, teach. The Assess → Plan → Teach cycle is what makes it work. Without it, you lose half the benefit.
Not involving leadership from the start
Big Maths works best when there’s leadership buy-in. Headteachers and maths leads who understand the framework can support teachers, celebrate early wins, and sustain consistency across the school.
As a shared headteacher of two small schools, going into our fifth year of using Big Maths, I have found it invaluable to support consistency and rigour to ensure all learners become numerate.
— Headteacher, Lanarkshire, Scotland
Implementation support for every role
Whether you’re a headteacher leading the decision, a maths lead managing the rollout, or a classroom teacher getting started, Big Maths is designed to make your role easier.
Headteachers & SLT
- One decision replaces multiple subscriptions and tools
- Whole-school visibility from day one… no waiting for data drops
- Consistent approach across every year group, every teacher
- Reports ready for Ofsted, governors, and parents at any time
Maths Leads
- Framework, resources, assessment, and tracking in one place
- Clear progression from EYFS to Year 6 / Primary 7
- Staff CPD built into the framework as teachers use it
- Easy to monitor consistency and support colleagues
Classroom Teachers
- 15,000+ ready-made resources, simply open, teach, done
- Always know what to teach each child next
- Weekly routine replaces ad hoc planning decisions
- Subject knowledge builds naturally as you teach the framework
Schools who committed. Schools who stayed.
The best evidence of successful implementation is schools that have been using Big Maths for years, and keep coming back.
Rockmount Primary School
Judged Outstanding across every category by Ofsted. Mathematics was one of four deep-dive subjects. Staff noted for delivering curriculum with “precision and consistency.”
“Staff receive the training they need to deliver the curriculum with precision and consistency.” — Ofsted, June 2025
See the full evidence →“Going into our fifth year”
Schools don’t stay with a programme for five years unless it works. This headteacher manages two schools, and both continue with Big Maths.
Consistency and rigour across both schools, every year.
See more evidence →What schools say about getting started
From the first call to the fifth year, here’s what schools tell us about their Big Maths journey.
Curtis and Bill from Big Maths have been fantastic in helping our A.S.G in getting started and set-up with Big Maths. The support is second-to-none and they are always happy to help us. Highly recommend.Principal Teacher, Aberdeen, Scotland
Big Maths has provided us with clear progression across our whole school where each step is broken down into steps that children can actually understand. Since using Big Maths the children in our school are enthused and gaining confidence.Teacher, Durham, England
As a shared headteacher of two small schools, going into our fifth year of using Big Maths, I have found it invaluable to support consistency and rigour to ensure all learners become numerate.Headteacher, Lanarkshire, Scotland
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Ready to see how it works in practice?
Book a free demo, we’ll show you the platform, and answer every question your school has before you commit to anything.
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