Choosing and using curriculum resources in primary mathematics

In 2016 the Department for Education (DfE) launched a match-funding scheme to support primary schools (ages 5-11) in England to purchase approved mastery textbooks. This funding opportunity – and the potential changes to mathematics pedagogy within a school that textbook adoption brings – comes at a time when there is a dearth of understanding around curriculum resource (including textbook) use in primary mathematics, particularly in terms of large-scale investigations. Our ongoing Nuffield funded project engages with this gap, using a population wide survey to identify what is being used and to understand some of the decisions primary schools make around resource adoption and use. This interim paper presents tentative outcomes from early analysis of our survey, providing an initial picture of resource adoption, identifying some of the reasons behind these decisions, and noting the influence of Covid-19 on the adoption decisions schools have made.