Morning, Monday, 13th July 2026
Online
This conference will consider priorities for the maths curriculum and maths teaching in England, including the future direction of assessment, accountability and classroom practice.
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to discuss next steps emerging from the Curriculum and Assessment Review and the Government’s response and will take place as it consults on the new national curriculum in maths. Delegates will consider priorities for the development of a knowledge-rich, sequenced maths curriculum - and how this should sit alongside changes to assessment models, including reforms to Key Stage 2 maths tests, proposed Year 8 diagnostic checks, and the positioning of financial literacy and functional numeracy
Equity in delivery of reform
Areas for discussion include what will be needed in practice to deliver reform equitably and consistently, including ensuring fair access to maths assessments for pupils with SEND, moderation and peer review of subject judgements, and strategies for managing workload.
Attendees will consider latest thinking on addressing the supply of specialist teaching and subject-knowledge development, and how mastery approaches in primary and early secondary phases can be taken forward without narrowing curriculum breadth.
Accountability
Sessions will assess the implications of wider reform to accountability and school improvement, including the removal of the English Baccalaureate, the Department for Education’s indications of potential reform to Progress 8, Ofsted’s planned shift from single overall grades to multi-area reports, and the expansion of RISE teams. The agenda will consider issues around how parents, trusts and inspectors interpret data dashboards, benchmarking tools and contextual indicators, alongside options for mitigating funding and staffing pressures and for aligning incentives with sustained improvement.
Digital tools
There will be further discussion on priorities for innovation and the use of digital tools in maths teaching and assessment. Attendees will examine the potential role of on-screen and adaptive assessment, AI-assisted marking, and machine-readable curriculum structures in supporting accessibility, feedback and efficiency, alongside consideration of implications for integrity, data governance and implementation in schools.
Overview of areas for discussion
- curriculum: next steps following the Curriculum and Assessment Review - developing a knowledge-rich, sequenced maths curriculum - implications across primary and early secondary phases
- assessment: reform to KS2 maths tests and proposed Year 8 diagnostics - relationship between assessment and the curriculum - practical implications for classroom practice
- accountability: indications from the DfE on Progress 8 reform - risks of narrowing incentives - alternative approaches to capturing pupil progress in maths
- inspection: Ofsted’s move to multi-area reports - treatment of maths within inspection judgements - implications for subject leadership and improvement planning
- equity and access: fairness in maths assessments for pupils with SEND - reasonable adjustments and access arrangements - consistency across schools and trusts
- teaching capacity: supply of specialist maths teachers - priorities for subject-knowledge CPD and hub-based models - workload and retention considerations
- pedagogical models: taking forward mastery approaches without narrowing curriculum breadth - diagnostic assessment and catch-up - sustaining progression into KS3
- data and interpretation: how parents, trusts and inspectors use dashboards and benchmarking - role of contextual indicators - avoiding unintended behavioural responses
- digital innovation: the future for on-screen assessment and adaptive tools - AI-assisted marking and feedback - integrity, data governance and implementation readiness
