No gaps. No leaps. No child left behind.
Big Maths works because each learning step is deliberately small. Every child works from what they actually know, not what the calendar says they should know. Every step is small enough to avoid gaps to fall through but large enough to allow for explicit assessment, so success isn’t hoped for, it’s expected.
* Platform data from Big Maths Online. Teacher satisfaction based on a 2020 survey.
When a child stumbles, the step was too big. Not the child.
Most primary maths programmes are built around curriculum statements and age-related expectations. Big Maths was built around a single observation: when a child stumbles in maths, it means the step was too big… not that the child failed.
We call this Positive Expectation. When prerequisites are genuinely secure, success on the next step isn’t hoped for, it’s expected. Every element of Big Maths (the Progress Drives, the steps, the resources, the assessment) is designed to make progress inevitable.
“If pupils stumble or teachers have to guess, it is not the right Step!”
This principle predates the mastery agenda. It was arrived at not through policy or funding, but through patient observation of how children actually learn, and has been tested in thousands of classrooms over 20 years.
Every Step is Easy
Not because standards are lowered, but because prerequisites are secured. Success on first attempt, every time, is the design goal.
It’s Nothing New
Every new step is explicitly connected to what a child already knows. No leaps. No assumptions. No gaps left to widen.
Start from reality, not age
Big Maths works from what each child actually knows, not what the calendar says they should know. Our framework begins before nursery so no child is unreachable.
Teachers decide. Big Maths supports.
The framework gives teachers the information and resources they need. Professional judgment stays exactly where it belongs… with the teacher.
What do we mean by fluency?
At Big Maths, fluency means being able to recall and apply number facts quickly and accurately, without having to think about it. Not just getting the right answer. Getting it instantly.
Instant recall
Children who are fluent can answer number facts as quickly as they’d say their own name. No counting on fingers, no hesitation, no working it out each time.
Long-term memory
Skills are secured in long-term memory through spaced practice. Children don’t just learn it once, the framework is designed so they keep it.
Real confidence
When children are fluent, maths stops being stressful. They trust numbers and that confidence compounds as they move through the framework.
Progress Drives: 1,200+ small steps
The Big Maths framework organises learning into Progress Drives, carefully sequenced sets of small steps that build towards a larger objective. Each step is deliberately small. No gaps. No leaps.
Precision planning
See all steps aligned to each term so you can decide when and what to teach, considerate of your pupils’ needs.
Clear objectives
Every step has a Learning Objective and ‘Remember To’ prompts, the success criteria that support the ‘I do, We do, You do’ teaching approach.
Curriculum mapped
Every step is linked to a specific year and term across England, Scotland, and Wales. Planning is simple because the progression is already built in.
Spaced practice
Once children can apply a skill independently, Spaced Practice Resources let them ‘Do It Again’, securing the skill in long-term memory, not just short-term recall.
For every term, Big Maths shows you both new learning objectives and suggests steps to revisit because pre-requisite and complementary skills are just as important as new learning.
CLIC before SAFE. Always.
We encourage teachers to focus on what each child knows and is ready to learn next… not simply following age-based expectations. And within that, Basic Skills always come first.
Basic Skills (CLIC): Counting, Learn Its, It’s Nothing New, and Calculation, are the essential/core numeracy skills children need for everyday life. A child’s progress on their Basic Skills journey should always inform when and how (and when) Wider Maths skills are introduced.
Wider Maths (SAFE): Shape, Amounts, Fractions, and Explaining Data, are taught alongside Basic Skills, but only when children have the foundation to succeed. Introducing Wider Maths too early can hinder progress and lead to frustration and anxiety.
See the full framework →
We work from each child’s reality
Most schemes are designed around chronological age. Big Maths is different, we work from what each child actually knows.
Typical schemes
Produce content based on curriculum statements and depend on chronological age, which is best described as blind allegiance. Children below ARE (Age Related Expectations) get left behind.
Big Maths
When you know what a child knows, you know what to teach them next. Our framework begins before nursery, so every child, at every level, has a next step.
Built on evidence-based research
Big Maths is built on a strong foundation of research, not trends. The approach is consistent with well-established principles from cognitive science and educational research.
Cognitive Load Theory
Small steps reduce cognitive load. Children learn one thing at a time, securing it fully before moving on, consistent with how working memory operates.
Principles of Instruction
The ‘I do, We do, You do’ or ‘Gradual Release’ model of teaching promotes confidence, independence, and long-term retention through teacher modelling and structured, supported practice.
Neuroscience
Spaced practice and precision repetition work with how the brain consolidates learning, moving skills from working memory into long-term memory.
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
One framework. Everyone benefits.
The same small-step progression that helps struggling learners catch up is the same framework that challenges confident learners to go further.
Schools
- Meets all curriculum requirements — England, Scotland, Wales
- One subscription replaces textbooks, workbooks, tracking & CPD
- Schools judged Outstanding. Top 2% nationally for maths. See the evidence →
- Consistent approach across every year group, EYFS to Year 6 / Primary 7
Teachers
- Always know exactly what to teach each child next
- 15,000+ ready-made resources linked to every step
- Builds subject knowledge and confidence as you teach
- Framework starts before nursery, no child is unreachable
Pupils
- Every step sized for success, not the government’s best guess at the average of the year group
- Confident because prerequisites are always secure first
- Progress is visible… children can see how far they’ve come
- Same consistent approach all the way through school
Evidence you can verify
Not just claims. Named schools, published reports, and results you can check.
Rockmount Primary School
Judged Outstanding across every category by Ofsted. Mathematics was one of four deep-dive subjects.
“Pupils achieve exceptionally well.” — Ofsted, June 2025
See the full evidence →Top 2% nationally for KS2 maths
Schools using Big Maths were recognised by the DfE for KS2 maths results in the top 2% of primary schools nationally.
100% of pupils at expected standard in KS2 mathematics.
See the full evidence →Schools speak for themselves
Over 20 years, across hundreds of schools. Here’s what teachers and headteachers say.
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
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
We achieved our highest ever results in the history of our school for this year’s SATs results, thanks to Big Maths. Almost 20% above national average.Head of Maths, London, England
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See the progression for yourself.
Book a free demo and we’ll walk you through the Progress Drives, small steps, and how it all connects to your curriculum.
Not ready to book? Send us a question or see how the full framework works.