Stoke Climsland Primary School in East Cornwall was one of several schools identified by the local authority as likely to benefit from targeted support from CODE Maths Hub. Outcomes in maths were well below national levels, and leaders were keen to strengthen their approach.

Working with CODE, the school focused on developing subject leadership and a shared vision of what good maths teaching looks like.

Josh Lury, Assistant Maths Hub Lead at CODE, explained: ‘It’s not about providing the solutions or telling the school what to do. It’s about helping them find their own feet, supporting leaders to recognise the challenges and design a pathway that gets everyone on board. That way, the change is sustained rather than imposed.’

Over two academic years, Josh visited regularly, working collaboratively with the maths lead to review progress, trial new approaches and observe lessons. This led to clearer expectations and a more consistent experience for pupils. Teachers were able to use their commercial scheme of work more effectively, moving from ‘working through’ the materials to planning lessons with greater purpose and focus.

The impact has been clear. The school’s Year 6 outcomes rose by around 34 percentage points during the period of support, reaching 72.3% at age-related expectations. When Ofsted visited part way through the project, the maths lead was able to set out the school’s vision for maths with confidence. The school was judged Good overall, with maths identified as a strength.

The school’s maths lead, Juliette Endacott, reflected: ‘Josh was highly supportive in his role. His coaching approach empowered me to identify the positive changes needed within the school, and his advice and experience provided focused, practical strategies to implement those improvements effectively. These strategies directly contributed to improved KS2 SATs results.’

The journey at Stoke Climsland shows how targeted support can help schools move from uncertainty to clarity. By investing in leadership and giving staff the confidence to adapt and refine their approach, pupils now experience maths teaching that is more consistent, ambitious and effective.