Primed for Success

Primed for Success comes under the Welsh Government’s priority area for Mathematics and Numeracy. 

Professional learning in the project is built upon the recognised and peer-reviewed approaches of Bruner, Vygotsky, Skemp, Dienes et al. and is based on the Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract (CPA) approach, sometime referred to as Singapore Maths. 

Primed for Success supports and enables a more strategic and impactful way of developing evidenced-based mathematical pedagogy – the CPA approach. 

Following the recent announcement from the cabinet Secretary for Education, Lynne Neagle, on 8th October 2025, there are now three strands to the project, Primed for Success, they are;

  • Primed for Success (Transition) (Awarded June 2025)
  • Primed for Success (Primary) (Awarded October 2025)
  • Primed for Success (Train the Trainer) (Awarded October 2025)

All three strands will be delivered throughout the project from June 2025 – March 2028. Details of each strand are found below.

Aims of the Project

  • Improve the shared understanding of progression in mathematics. Increase confidence and competence in teaching using the five interdependent mathematical proficiencies.
  • A deep dive into conceptual development in mathematics. Professional Inquiry and collaboration within and between clusters with a focus on learning and teaching in Year 6 and Year 7 (Primed for Success – Transition) and throughout the primary school (Primed for Success – Primary). Develop a shared understanding of the CPA approach in the teaching of mathematics to ensure opportunities and high standards for all. 

Over several months, teachers participate in professional inquiry based on the Schools as Learning Organisations model (the SLO model).  With support comprising of world-renowned expert input from Prof. Yeap Ban Har, action research, regular touchpoints with The Learning Partnership and local authority and regional maths leads in Wales, school clusters explore, develop and implement the CPA approach, and teachers subsequently implement the approach in their mathematics teaching. 

Primed for Success (Transition) 

The Transition project is based on a cluster model, with teachers and leaders from the secondary school and their feeder primaries forming one group within each cohort for professional inquiry. All schools in the cluster participate. 

Membership of the Transition project is based on the following:

  • Primary – Leaders of Mathematics/SLT and Year 6 teachers (2 teachers per school) 
  • Secondary – Head of Mathematics/SLT and Year 7 teachers (2 teachers per school) 
  • The Learning Partnership and partner consultants
  • Associate Expert Consultant – Professor Yeap Ban Har for expert input (Details below)
  • Local Authority/Consortia Maths Leads

Primed for Success (Primary)

The Primary project is similarly based on a cluster model but does not include colleagues from secondary schools. The intention is to empower those involved in Primed for Success (Primary) is to develop, deliver and cascade consentient pedagogy and key messages about the evidenced-based CPA mathematical pedagogy. 

Membership of the Primary project is based on the following:

  • Primary teachers (2 teachers per school, lower and upper primary, can be the maths lead as appropriate) 
  • The Learning Partnership and partner consultants
  • Associate Expert Consultant – Professor Yeap Ban Har for expert input (Details below)
  • Local Authority/Consortia Maths Leads

Please note, it is expected that different clusters of schools will participate in each of the above strands, Transition and Primary, to maximise the reach of the project across Wales.  Nominations will be accepted from January 2026.

For Primed for Success (Transition and Primary), teachers participate in seven days of paid professional learning over a six-month period (approx.) aligned to the plan below:

Structure of the Programme

Day 1 (Half a day) Intro to the project
Day 2 and 3 Expert input with Prof. Yeap Ban Har
Day 4 Inquiry Planning – Cluster plan for the inquiry
Day 5 and 6 Cluster based project days – School cluster arrangement
Touchpoint (Half a day) Online check-in with The Learning Partnership for further support, information sharing and any further clarifications needed.
Day 7 Market Place Event where all clusters in the cohort come together to share their professional inquiries.
Project Write-up Each cluster produces a summary report of their professional inquiry. They should also add any case studies/resources/diagnostic tools that have been created.
Expanding and developing professional learning Each school is expected to share their learning with colleagues both within and beyond their school as part of their on-going cluster relationships.

 

Primed for Success (Train the Trainer)

The Learning Partnership offers a Train the Trainer model within Primed for Success aimed at local authority and regional maths leads, policy advisors (Welsh Government and local authority), NMS leaders, colleagues from Estyn and from Initial Teacher Education Universities, other CfW grant holders, and others as appropriate. We aim for as wide a net as possible.

The Train the Trainer aspect offers an opportunity for colleagues to participate in online networking throughout the year.  Colleagues working in local authorities supporting schools are also strongly encouraged to join their clusters when involved in both the Primary and Secondary Projects, to further develop their understanding of the approaches used and to optimise assistance for the schools involved.

It is anticipated that a bespoke two-day annual conference is offered each year.  In this cycle it is planned for 10th and 11th March 2026, led by Prof Yeap Ban Har. (Please mark your calendars.) During the conference, there will be a focus on pedagogy and the strategic leadership of mathematics teaching taking account of the roles of colleagues participating in the event. The venue for this year’s event is The Towers Hotel, Swansea.

It is likely that the Train the Trainer element of Primed for Success will evolve in response to the needs of the sector over the duration of the project. We welcome your ideas and input in this area.

What can we expect to happen next?

Primed for Success (Transition)

Nominations for Primed for Success (Transition) from local authority representatives have now concluded, with most local authorities having identified school clusters that will participate over the three years.

Where gaps remain in a local authority plan for Primed for Success (Transition), we will contact you as agreed on an individual basis to finalise details very soon.

Primed for Success (Primary)

Nominations for Primed for Success (Primary) will commence in January 2026, with the next Cohort beginning in after Easter 2026. The Learning Partnership will be in touch with more details soon.

Please note that clusters nominated for this strand must be different to those participating in Primed for Success (Transition).

Primed for Success – Train the Trainer

The Learning Partnership will contact organisations over the next few weeks to seek out and touch base with delegates for the Maths Strategic Leadership Conference in March 2026.