What is mastery?
At Ashhurst School in New Zealand, Mastery-Based Learning (MBL) is a pedagogical approach focused on addressing the specific learning needs and learning pace of students. The school's MBL model aims to maximise the time teachers have for instruction and to engage with students' immediate needs.
What does mastery-based learning look like in the classroom?
In a classroom using mastery-based learning (MBL), the teacher first introduces a concept and provides a focus question to assess students' prior knowledge. Students then watch a short video, called a ‘flip’ (or ‘flipped’ video), that provides explicit, lower order thinking instruction on the topic, typically lasting 2-3 minutes. After watching, students answer the focus question to show their understanding.
This allows the teacher to gauge where students are at and then lead a guided session that focuses on higher-order thinking skills. The teacher uses Bloom's Taxonomy, specifically the ‘Applying’ and ‘Analysing levels, to formulate questions that encourage deeper conversations and extend learning. During this guided session, students have multiple opportunities to demonstrate their understanding and mastery of the concept.
Activating learning: the first step to mastery
The way we activate learning is to apply a ‘flipped classroom’ approach and have students engage with a ‘flipped’ video (generated by staff) before a guided session with teachers and peers. Flipped video content also gives students the autonomy to review previous lessons at their own pace.
Ashhurst student watching a short video, called a ‘flip’.
The core principles of MBL at Ashhurst School include:
Demonstrating knowledge: The model enables students to clearly demonstrate their knowledge and offers opportunities for them to extend their understanding of concepts through mastery activities.
Continuous assessment: The flipped content allows for ongoing diagnostic assessment and dialogue between a teacher and a student to identify immediate needs and next steps based on evidence.
Changing the teacher's role: The teacher's role shifts to that of an ‘activator of learning’, increasing teacher mobility and one-to-one time with students. This allows for deeper-level guided lessons and questioning.
Student-led pace: Students can revisit material as needed, which accommodates the diverse learning paces of different children.
Engagement with new ideas: The process encourages students to reflect on a new concept before participating in a discussion.
The ultimate goal of this model is for teachers to be able to ‘reach every student in every class, everyday’. The immersion into this learning environment is based on a child's capability rather than their age or stage. At the advanced phase of the curriculum (Advanced Phase 1), students should be ready to engage fully with the MBL framework.
Teacher workflow
The teacher's process begins with reviewing student learning needs and using the Ashhurst Matrices or refreshed New Zealand Mathematics and Statistics Curriculum to construct a ‘learning Intention’. The teacher:
Creates a video that is 2-3 minutes long (often using google slides, quicktime or screencastify) and commences with a learning intention and a focus question. The video contains all the lower order thinking knowledge that students need. Introduces the topic (very briefly), along with the focus question. Asks the students to watch the view independently.
After students have watched the video, the teacher: Leads a question-and-answer group session to assess their knowledge based on the focus question
Actively teaches by responding to students’ needs, focusing on the ‘Apply’ and ‘Analyse’ levels of Bloom's Taxonomy.
At Ashurst, teachers respond to students’ needs using the mastery approach to Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Students show mastery of the concept during the guided session. Often, groups will start larger and reduce in size as mastery is achieved. As a support when returning to independent learning, any students who are struggling can revisit the video.
Student workflow
The student process starts when they are introduced to the topic, learning intention, and focus question. Students then:
Watch the video.
Have time to think and process the information to provide evidence of their knowledge, and/or take notes.
Provide their answer to the group and receive feedback from peers or the teacher. Complete other examples of learning to solidify their understanding, or work with the teacher for clarification.
Complete a mastery task, rich task or project to apply their learning. Students are provided feedback from the teacher based on the learning intention and can revisit the video if there is a misunderstanding.
Student engagement models
Three ways students can engage with flipped video content:
Campfire: Students gather as a group around a device, such as the class TV, to watch the video together after the teacher introduces the learning intention and focus question. They then provide their answer to the group. This is the model used for junior students (years 14).
Independent: Students watch the video on their own device (sourced from a site provided by the teacher). They then contribute to a group discussion about a focus question or activity, often directly into a shared digital document.
Agentic: The agentic model is aimed at preparing students for secondary education. Students are given a timeframe to self-manage viewing the video on their own devices. Instead of answering a focus question, they record notes on the key points. When they meet with the teacher, their knowledge is checked before they are exposed to the activity they are to complete. This is the workflow we use for senior students (years 7-8).
Oxford Maths and the mastery-based learning approach facilitates excellent explicit instruction
Using the MBL approach with Oxford Maths has helped us implement all aspects of ‘Understand, Know and Do’.
Oxford Maths ensures that foundational mathematical concepts are introduced through access to, supported by visual models and shared language. This builds deep conceptual understanding before moving on to procedures or applications.
Students engage with carefully sequenced lessons and practice tasks that align with their current level of understanding, enabling them to develop fluency and confidence through repeated exposure and scaffolded learning using the ‘Mild, Hot, Spicy’ model that includes:
Focus questions
Flip video
Guided practice
Independent practice
Mastery tasks
Supplementary material is provided for those students who need more scaffolding or extension.
Misconceptions are addressed through explicit teaching of concepts and understandings at the planning stages.
Pre- and post-assessments allow for teachers to see the misconceptions in understanding before immersing students in the content.
After watching the flip video, students work independently or in small groups on targeted tasks matched to their current level. This allows for personalised pathways and supports mastery before moving on. Teachers utilise ‘question stems’ (beginnings to open-ended questions) to support, scaffold, and extend learning.
Utilising the flip process allows time to free up teachers for intentional support of students working independently using question stems.
Through our mastery approach, which is structured using the same process across all phases, students are supported to achieve success at their own pace, with formative feedback and multiple opportunities to practice and apply skills.
Oxford Maths includes rich tasks and real-world contexts that challenge students to apply their knowledge and understanding in a range of settings. These activities promote mathematical thinking, reasoning, and communication.
Ashhurst student working independently on targeted tasks matched to their level.
A consistent schoolwide structure supports effective group work, independent work, and guided work that encourages mathematical discussion, justification, and shared learning experiences.
Teachers use diagnostic and formative checkpoints (Oxford Maths pre- and post-tests), observations, focus questions, and question stems to decide when students are ready to move on, ensuring that understanding is secure before extending learning.
Oxford Maths assessment: we know where our students are at and where to take them next
Oxford Maths pre-tests inform differentiated instruction
The data gathered from the pre-tests is critical because it directly informs our differentiated instruction using the mild, hot, and spicy learning stages. This allows us to tailor the learning journey for each student from the very first day.
Mild: For students who struggle with the pre-test content, we know they need to start with foundational ‘mild’ activities. This provides these students with a jump start to the new concepts so they can build a strong base of understanding and don't feel stressed or left behind as the topic progresses. It ensures that during the week, they will be exposed to learning at their age level to accelerate their learning.
Hot: Students who demonstrate a good grasp of the basic concepts on the pretest are ready for the ‘hot’ stage, and they can immediately engage with more challenging problems and extend their existing knowledge.
Spicy: For students who excel on the pre-test, we fast-track them to the ‘spicy’ stage. Spicy stage includes advanced mastery-based tasks that keep these students engaged and challenged, prevent boredom and allow them to deepen their understanding through application.
The pre-tests are vital because they allow us to move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach. We save valuable instructional time and ensure that every student is learning at a pace and level that is just right for them, maximising their engagement and progress.
Ashhurst student working on a ‘Mild’ task
The positive impacts of Oxford Maths on students’ cognitive load
Students can pause and rewind points in the learning that need more attention with flips. There are opportunities for each child to revisit concepts until mastery has occurred. This is particularly useful in problems with multiple steps.
Our Mild, Spicy, Hot model for structuring lessons ensures that students are intentionally exposed to the learning that is set at the right point for them.
Oxford maths is structured in a way that students can enter at multiple points. This means that students are not being overwhelmed by concepts they are not ready for or have to sit through learning they have already mastered.
Oxford Maths post-tests validate the differentiated learning approach
The results of the post-test are crucial for reflecting on and refining teaching practices.
Validating differentiation: A substantial improvement from pre-test to post-test across the class confirms that the differentiated learning approach is successful. For example, if students who started with ‘mild’ activities showed significant gains, this validates that this scaffolded approach was necessary and effective.
Identifying persistent gaps: If a student's post-test score shows little to no improvement, it signals that their specific misconceptions were not fully addressed. This is a critical insight for the teacher, who can then provide targeted intervention or adjust the curriculum for future cohorts. It may also provide data to show a deeper misconception in maths that could be addressed using hotspots in classroom teaching. (A hotspot is a focus for a short period due to a lack of knowledge in a particular area of learning.) Trends would be sought as to whether this is for an individual, group or year cohort.
The Oxford Maths differentiated approach to teaching has helped all of our students
Programme pedagogy
Oxford Maths provides a scaffolded framework that enables students to move forward when they’re ready, ensuring a solid grasp of each concept before introducing new ones. The mastery approach allows time for rich discussions, multiple representations, and varied practice, helping students develop a deeper, more flexible understanding of key mathematical ideas.
Teachers can group students according to readiness and need, providing tailored instruction that meets learners where they are, rather than pushing everyone through at the same pace.
Students are more willing to engage in learning because tasks are pitched at the right level of challenge, allowing them to experience success and build confidence.
Programme structure
The structured nature of Oxford Maths supports a unified approach, helping ensure consistent expectations, language, and pedagogy across classrooms and year levels. Using Oxford Maths means that each year group within a composite class can be specifically planned for with lessons and resources outlined for students. Each unit within Oxford Maths is structured in a way that means students need to access prior learning and understandings across a range of mathematics areas. This has boosted student ability to draw on multiple facets of knowledge to progress through each unit. Units are short but follow a sequence that creates a familiar workflow for students. Nothing is a surprise. Learning is set out in a predictable pattern.
Lesson plans & assessment
Lesson plans specifically address misconceptions and provide teaching ideas for ways to scaffold the learning. This not only supports those students who may need additional support but has also helped to deepen teachers’ understandings. With regular diagnostic and formative checks, students who need extra support can revisit concepts without stigma, while others can be extended through challenge tasks and investigations.
Pre-tests identify students who may have misconceptions or difficulties so these can be addressed early on in a unit, allowing students who may need additional support to better engage in the learning.
Teaching and learning within year level
Exposure for all students to ‘on year level’ learning has meant that all students are developing confidence in their self-efficacy.
Real-world applications
Oxford Maths includes investigations that extend students beyond basic procedures, encouraging them to apply their knowledge in meaningful contexts.
Mathematical literacy
Oxford Maths is literacy focused, so our students have made improvements in situations where they are required to read word problems and complete mastery tasks.
Ashhurst School’s standardised data from Year 3 to Year 8 is indicative of improvement in every year group.
The language and vocabulary that students are now explicitly exposed to have helped with diagnostic and formative pre- and post-tests, standardised testing, as well as students’ ability to comprehend the tasks within the student books.
Students’ views about learning mathematics are changing for the better
We spoke with small groups of students across years 4-8 about Oxford Maths, and these are the positive views they shared:
The programme gives you an example at the beginning of each unit and that is helpful to work independently.
Pre- and post-tests help us to start where we need to. They also provide opportunities for support and extension.
I like the way that there are word problems rather than just numbers and equations. Guided practice then Independent then extended practice tells me I am building up to more challenging work
For extended practice, there are multiple parts to a task and draw on more maths skills, so we are always using a range of maths understanding - we have. to remember maths from other units.
Allows for revision for things I have already learned and helps me to add on to my knowledge.
Question topics are interesting and engaging. There are a range of question types, so it keeps things different and varied. Our flipped videos help us get started. The workbooks are cool to work in It's about maths and maths is my thing! I like how the maths language is all the same. You get to learn a lot of new things.
Oxford has fun activities.
Oxford helps me to learn more. It is the same every day, so I know what to do, even if the learning is new.
Embellishing Oxford Maths: leveraging AI to apply mathematics learning to the world immediately outside the classroom
To develop students' capability in sitting assessments such as PAT and later with the NCEA Level 1 Co-requisite, Ashhurst School believed that students need to be exposed to a variety of word problems from an early stage of learning.
Therefore, a new initiative that Ashhurst School has implemented is to leverage Google Gemini to create localised, word-based questions for mathematics projects. This innovative approach moves beyond generic workbook problems, connecting mathematical concepts directly to students' local environment and personal experiences.
The use of AI-generated questions allows for a local context. A nearby park or a community event makes maths more relevant and tangible for students. Instead of solving abstract equations, children are now calculating the area of the school field, determining the volume of water needed to fill the school's rainwater tank, or analysing data from a local sports tournament. This approach enhances problem-solving skills, as students are required to interpret a narrative and apply their mathematical knowledge to a familiar scenario.
The integration of Google Gemini has been impactful in its ability to generate questions tailored to a range of learning levels. Teachers initiate this process by:
Inserting the project details: Teachers provide Gemini with the core mathematical topic (e.g. measurement, data analysis) and the localised context (e.g. a project on building a new school garden).
Outlining the desired question types: Teachers then instruct Gemini to generate a range of questions that go beyond the basic skills to include extension questions and mastery questions.
By using Gemini in this way, teachers can effortlessly create a personalised and engaging mathematical journey for every student, ensuring that each student is appropriately challenged and supported within their learning capability.
Ashhurst School will continue to review the effectiveness of this strategy over the next couple of years.
