Early maths programme wins praise from teachers and school inspectors
Story Time Maths
A new approach to teaching maths in the early years “has made a huge difference”, according to teachers, with school inspectors also praising its impact.
Story Time Maths has been developed by Helen Clarke, Deputy Headteacher at Dane Bank Primary School in Tameside.
At the end of the second year of the SHINE-funded project, it is demonstrating evidence of impact for children, families and practitioners.
Impact Highlights
- During 2024–25, the project directly reached 317 pupils in 13 schools across three local authorities in the North West.
- There was an average increase of 27% in number and numerical pattern attainment and 24% in communication and language attainment compared to baseline.
- Training has been delivered to 19 teaching assistants, while there has been engagement with senior leadership teams in 12 schools to support effective implementation and begin planning for sustainability into 2025–26.
Longer-term tracking has also provided encouraging results.
- In one school, 93.75% of children who had experienced Story Time Maths in Nursery went on to achieve the Early Learning Goals in number and numerical patterns at the end of Reception, compared with 78.57% of their peers – a 19.3% higher achievement rate for children who had taken part in STM, an early indicator of sustained benefit.
At one of the participating schools, an Ofsted report praised the impact of the programme, stating: “The Story Time Maths approach is giving children a rich understanding of maths and providing them with a solid foundation in the early years.”
Meanwhile, teachers have reported noticeable changes in children’s confidence and reasoning skills.
One Reception teacher reflected: “Teaching maths more ‘in the moment’ and using the learning trajectories has made a huge difference. It feels like I can teach maths as part of my continuous provision, and it is enhancing the children’s attainment in the specific areas.”
Case studies illustrate the programme’s power for individual children. One boy with English as an Additional Language (EAL), who initially struggled with listening and counting, made striking progress: by year-end he “could confidently subitise to 6 on dice, order numerals to 5, and demonstrate cardinality beyond 5, while his WELLCOMM language score (a traffic light system to categorise a child’s language skills) had moved from red to green.”
His increased engagement was evident across the wider curriculum, not just in maths.
Of those taking part in training, 94% reported increased confidence in teaching early mathematics, and 91% had already applied strategies from the training in their classrooms.
One teaching assistant described the transformation in her practice: she moved from relying on “table-top” assessments to confidently assessing in the moment, “teaching maths as children play, rather than stopping them to do a test.”
A maths lead echoed the value of this approach: “The consistent structure of the sessions, combined with the story-based approach, has transformed how our team approaches early maths.”
Family engagement is a key element of Story Time Maths. Stay-and-play sessions were particularly effective, with parents describing them as welcoming and non-threatening. Survey results show that 88% of parents now do more maths-related activities at home as a result of the project.
Practical applications have flourished. Parents reported counting steps, sorting laundry, and comparing quantities during cooking. One parent shared: “I used to feel nervous about maths, but the stay-and-play sessions made it fun. Now we do counting games at bedtime.”
Borrow bags and home-learning activities have empowered families to integrate maths into daily life, bridging the gap between school and home.
Despite strong outcomes, Helen reflected on the challenge of scaling too quickly: “Impact is deeper when I can give schools more time, follow-up, and tailored coaching,” she said.
As the programme enters its third year, the focus will be on consolidation rather than expansion
Lending libraries will be launched in all schools at the start of the year to maximise parental engagement. Assessment tools will be reviewed to streamline data collection. Training around fidelity and adaptability will be strengthened, ensuring schools embed the core principles while tailoring delivery to their context.
Helen said: “Looking ahead, my focus will be on consolidation, building capacity within schools, and refining resources for greater efficiency. With SHINE’s continued support, I believe the project can deepen its impact while allowing me to sustain my role in leading it effectively.
“This year has confirmed the promise of Story Time Maths and reminded me that pacing growth is essential to preserve quality and maximise outcomes.”