England · White Rose Maths · Primary, Years 1 to 6

White Rose Maths help at home: a parent's guide

If your child brings home maths with bar models, ten-frames and phrases like "small step", their school very probably follows White Rose Maths. White Rose Education says most primary schools in England use its free schemes of learning. The scheme is tidy once you see its shape: each year group has three terms, each term has blocks on one topic, and each block is a run of small steps. This page explains that structure, lists the Year 1 and Year 2 blocks as White Rose names them, explains the Concrete Pictorial Abstract idea behind the pictures, points to the free resources White Rose itself offers families, and shows how to help with homework without teaching a different method. We are an independent online school, not part of White Rose.

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Live teaching since 2020 · 10,000+ students · Independent: facts from White Rose Education's own pages, read October 2026

In short

White Rose Maths is a set of year-by-year schemes of learning from White Rose Education, used in many primary schools in England. Each year has three terms, each term is split into topic blocks, and each block into small steps, taught with the Concrete Pictorial Abstract approach. Families can use its free home learning videos, the free 1-minute maths app and free workbooks. Modern Age Coders teaches primary maths live online, in a group of 15 to 20 or 1-on-1, through Elementary Maths, following the order a child meets at school. We are not affiliated with White Rose.

Courses that sit alongside

Three courses for a child taught with White Rose

Elementary Maths follows the same order of topics most English primaries use. The other two strengthen the number work every White Rose year starts with.

Elementary Maths for Grades 1-5 course thumbnail

WR / 01

Elementary Maths

Grades 1 to 5, placed by year: place value, the four operations, fractions, measures, shape and data, with objects and pictures before symbols.

Open the syllabus →
Mental Maths for Kids course thumbnail

WR / 02

Mental Maths for Kids

Bonds, doubles and times tables built on number sense, for ages 5 to 10.

Open the syllabus →
KS2 SATs Maths course thumbnail

WR / 03

KS2 SATs Maths

For Year 6, where every block of earlier years comes together for the statutory tests.

Open the syllabus →

How it is built

What is White Rose Maths and how is it organised?

A scheme of learning for each year group, from Reception to Year 11. In White Rose's own definition, "A scheme of learning is a clear, time-linked plan for learning."

White Rose's guidance for parents explains the layout in a few lines. "Our schemes are written for year groups and cover the whole school year of learning." Within each year, "Each year is split into three terms (autumn, spring and summer), and each term comprises individual blocks of learning about a particular topic." Each block is then broken down further: "We've divided each block of knowledge into a series of small learning steps." Put together, the four levels look like this.

The four levels of a White Rose scheme (from White Rose Education's parent guidance; example ours)
LevelWhat it isAn example a Year 2 parent might see
Year groupThe scheme for one school yearYear 2
TermAutumn, spring or summerSpring term
BlockSeveral weeks on one topicFractions
Small stepOne lesson-sized idea within the blockFinding a quarter of a shape, before finding a quarter of a number

Does my child's school use it?

White Rose's own advice is the simplest: "It's likely your child's school already follows the White Rose Maths schemes. To find out, check the school website or ask their teacher."

Many school websites publish a maths curriculum overview, and the block names below are a quick giveaway.

If the class is ahead or behind

That is normal. White Rose writes: "Sometimes schools might be a little behind or ahead of the scheme schedule." The order matters more than the exact week.

So ask which block the class is on now, not which week of term it is.

White Rose's primary resources page describes its mastery approach as one that "Puts numbers first" and "Puts depth before breadth". In practice that means long blocks on place value and calculation at the start of each year, and the same ideas returning in later years at a deeper level. Its parent guidance makes the same point: lots of time is spent on number in Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2 and early secondary.

Source: White Rose Education, parent and pupil resources, maths, and primary maths resources, read on 31 October 2026. White Rose Maths is a trademark of White Rose Education; we are not affiliated and quote its public pages only.

Year 1 and 2 blocks

What blocks are in White Rose Year 1 and Year 2?

These are the block names on White Rose's home learning pages for Years 1 and 2 as listed in October 2026. Schools may run them a little earlier or later.

Year 1 home learning blocks (block names from whiteroseeducation.com, October 2026)
TermBlocks, in order
AutumnPlace value; addition and subtraction; shape; place value within 20
SpringAddition and subtraction; place value within 50; length and height; weight and volume
SummerMultiplication and division; fractions; position and direction; place value within 100; money; time
Year 2 home learning blocks (block names from whiteroseeducation.com, October 2026)
TermBlocks, in order
AutumnPlace value; addition and subtraction; money; multiplication and division
SpringMultiplication and division; statistics; shape; fractions
SummerLength and height; position and direction; time; mass, capacity and temperature

Two patterns stand out, and both help at home. First, place value comes back again and again: four times in Year 1 alone, each time with bigger numbers, ending at within 100. If tens and ones still feel shaky, nearly every other block will feel harder. Second, the most demanding topics, such as fractions and multiplication, come after the number blocks, so they build on secure counting and adding. A child who struggles in the summer term is often missing something from the autumn.

Older year groups

White Rose publishes schemes and home learning for Years 3 to 6, and secondary schemes for Years 7 to 11. The same term, block and small step structure runs through all of them.

Its site says free workbooks are available for Years 1 to 6, covering topics such as addition and subtraction within 10 and within 20, and multiplication and division.

Reception too

There is a Reception scheme with its own named blocks, and White Rose says it covers the EYFS statutory framework.

For the Reception year in general, our kindergarten maths page covers the same age in the US system.

CPA explained

What is the Concrete Pictorial Abstract approach?

It is the order in which a new idea is met: real objects first, then a drawing, then numbers and symbols. White Rose calls it the heart of its mastery approach.

White Rose's primary page puts it plainly: "At the heart of our mastery approach is the Concrete Pictorial Abstract (CPA) approach." The idea is that a child who has handled counters and seen a picture of the same problem understands the written sum better than a child who met the symbols first. When homework shows a bar model or a ten-frame, it is the pictorial step, and it is worth taking seriously rather than skipping to the answer.

Example 1 (ours): 4 groups of 3

Concrete. Put 3 pasta pieces on each of 4 plates. Count them all: 12.

Pictorial. Draw 4 circles with 3 dots in each, or a row of 4 boxes with 3 in each.

Abstract. Write 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 12, then 4 × 3 = 12.

The point. The child sees that 4 × 3 means four equal groups of three, not just a fact to chant.

Example 2 (ours): a bar model for a missing part

Problem. There are 15 children. 9 are in the hall. How many are in the classroom?

Pictorial. Draw a long bar labelled 15. Split it into a part labelled 9 and a part with a question mark.

Abstract. 15 − 9 = 6, or 9 + □ = 15.

The point. The bar shows that adding and subtracting are two views of the same whole and parts, so a child can choose either sum.

Example 3 (ours): a number line for 52 − 7

Pictorial. Draw a line from 45 to 52. Jump back 2 from 52 to 50, then 5 more to 45.

Abstract. 52 − 2 − 5 = 45.

The point. Bridging through a tens number is the same small step whether a child meets it in Year 2 or Year 3.

Example 4 (ours): a quarter with paper strips

Concrete. Fold a paper strip in half, then in half again. Four equal parts.

Pictorial. Draw the strip with four parts and shade one.

Abstract. Write one quarter, and later that one quarter of 20 is 5, by sharing 20 into the four parts.

The point. "Equal parts" is the idea that matters, and folding makes it impossible to miss.

Practice set (ours, with answers). (1) Draw a bar model for 7 + 8 = 15 and use it to write a subtraction. (2) Use a number line to find 61 − 4. (3) Draw 3 groups of 5 and write the multiplication. (4) Fold or draw to show half of 14. (5) A bar of 20 is split into 4 equal parts; what is each part? Answers: (1) 15 − 8 = 7, or 15 − 7 = 8; (2) 57, jumping back 1 to 60 then 3 to 57; (3) 3 × 5 = 15; (4) 7; (5) 5.

At home

How can I help my child with White Rose Maths at home?

Find the block, then go back a step. White Rose's own tips point the same way, and they are free to follow.

  1. Ask which block the class is on. A quick message to the teacher, or the school's curriculum page, tells you the topic for the next few weeks.
  2. Watch the small step first yourself. White Rose says its teachers have made home learning videos "for every single small step", and that they are free. Two minutes of the video shows you the picture and words your child is using.
  3. If your child is stuck, go back. White Rose advises: "Try looking instead at work on the same topics from earlier in the year or previous years." Revisit the step before, not the one after.
  4. Keep it concrete. Use coins, pasta or paper strips before a worksheet. That is the concrete stage of CPA, and kitchen objects work as well as classroom kit.
  5. Do not race ahead. In White Rose's words, "Try not to hurry through the curriculum." Depth is the point; a child who understands this step well is ready for the next one.
Free resources White Rose Education lists for families (from its site, October 2026)
ResourceWhat White Rose says it isHow we would use it
Home learning videosVideos for every small step, free on its home learning pagesWatch the current step together, then try one example with objects
1-minute maths appFree, aimed at Key Stage 1, on adding, subtracting and subitising, with times and divide added; "No login or internet access needed."A daily one-minute warm-up, not a whole session
Free workbooksWorkbooks for Years 1 to 6 for parents and children to use togetherOne page at a time, with talk
Themed activity weeksThree themed weeks for Years 1 to 6, each with five presentations and videosHoliday maths that does not feel like homework

What to say when it goes wrong

Swap "That's wrong" for "Show me how you got that." The method usually tells you which small step slipped.

Ask "Can you draw it?" A child who can draw the problem as a bar or a set of groups is halfway to solving it.

What not to do

Teach a different written method from the one the school uses. If you learned another way, ask the teacher how the class does it first.

Buy materials that copy the scheme. The real schemes and many resources are free on White Rose's site.

Source: White Rose Education, home learning guidance, 1-minute maths and free downloads pages, read on 31 October 2026. The right-hand column is our suggestion, not White Rose's.

Our lessons

Do you teach White Rose Maths?

We do not use or sell White Rose materials, and we are not connected with White Rose Education. We teach the same national curriculum content in a compatible order, with the same concrete, then pictorial, then abstract habit.

Most families come to us for one of three reasons: a child who has fallen behind on one block and is now lost in the next, a child who finds class maths easy and wants more depth, or a parent who simply wants a regular, patient hour of maths each week. In each case the starting point is the same. We find which step in the chain is missing, teach it with objects and pictures, and then join the class's current block again. Because the national curriculum sets the content and White Rose follows it, our lessons line up naturally with what a child meets at school.

  1. Free first class. A friendly check of place value, adding and the current school block, so the teacher knows where to begin.
  2. Tell us the block. Parents share the school's current topic, and the teacher plans around it.
  3. Back a step if needed. Gaps from earlier blocks are closed first, as White Rose itself recommends.
  4. Same pictures. Bar models, ten-frames and number lines, so school and home look alike.
  5. A short update. After each block, a note on what is secure and what to watch.

Group or 1-on-1?

A group of 15 to 20 suits a child who is roughly in line with the class and enjoys company.

1-on-1 suits a child with a particular gap, or one working well ahead of the class.

What we will not claim

Any partnership, endorsement or licence from White Rose Education. The name and schemes are theirs.

That our lessons are better than the school's scheme, or that they guarantee a test result.

Progress

Four checks that unlock most blocks

The ideas that later blocks quietly depend on, with a quick way to test each at home.

What later White Rose blocks assume (our checklist, from the national curriculum)
CheckTry at homeReady when
1. Place valueShow 46 with tens and onesThey use 4 tens and 6 ones without counting each
2. Part and wholeDraw a bar model for 12 = 7 + 5They can write all four related facts
3. Equal groupsMake 3 groups of 4 with objectsThey say "three fours" and write 3 × 4
4. Equal partsFold a strip into quartersThey explain why the parts must be the same size

Check one comes back every year

Place value opens every White Rose year, so a gap here shows up everywhere.

For older primary children, see KS2 maths tuition.

Check four is the fractions door

Every fractions block starts with equal parts.

Lessons can pause over school holidays.

Catalogue

Nine courses for primary families

Core maths in school order, number fluency, and a few making courses.

I

Core primary maths

Years 1 to 6

UK / WR1 / 01

Elementary Maths

Primary topics in the order schools teach them.

Open the syllabus

UK / WR1 / 02

Early Maths Foundations

Counting and parts of numbers for a child who needs a firmer base.

Open the syllabus

UK / WR1 / 03

KS2 SATs Maths

Year 6, bringing every block together.

Open the syllabus
II

Fluency

Number facts

UK / WR2 / 03

Reasoning and Readiness

Pattern and spatial reasoning for ages 6 to 9.

Open the syllabus
III

Making and thinking

From age 6

UK / WR3 / 01

Coding for kids

Block coding, with plenty of counting and turns.

Open the syllabus

UK / WR3 / 02

Problem solving for kids

Logic and word problems, from age 7.

Open the syllabus

UK / WR3 / 03

Competition maths

For an upper primary child who wants a stretch.

Open the syllabus

Lessons

How our primary lessons fit around school

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays. Teachers work from India, and each lesson time is set in UK time to sit around the school day.

After school

Straight after the day's maths lesson.

Early evening

Around clubs and tea.

Weekend morning

A calm review of the week's block.

Block aware

We plan around the topic your child's class is on now.

CPA order

Objects, then pictures, then numbers, as at school.

Back a step

Earlier gaps are closed before new work.

Same pictures

Bar models and number lines, so methods match.

Free first class

A gentle check of where your child is, at no cost.

Group or 1-on-1

A group of 15 to 20, or one child and one teacher.

Student work

Things our primary students have made

A few projects from everyday lessons, none of them marked. Student labs has more.

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Fees

Fees for primary maths lessons

The first class is on us. From then on you pay one monthly fee, less in a group than 1-on-1, and only after you have picked a course and a regular slot. There is no contract to sign.

Free first class

USD 0

no card required

  • A friendly first class
  • A view of which steps are missing
  • Booked with a phone number
Book it

Group batch

USD 100

a month, billed in US dollars

  • 15 to 20 children at a similar stage
  • One teacher through the year
  • Lessons that follow the school order
  • A note after each block
Start here

One to one

USD 150

a month, billed in US dollars

  • A teacher for one child
  • Planned around your child's current block
  • Good for closing one gap fast
Enquire

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White Rose questions

What parents ask about White Rose Maths

What is White Rose Maths?

A set of schemes of learning from White Rose Education, written for each year group and split into terms, topic blocks and small steps. Its site says most primary schools in England use its free schemes.

How do I know if my child's school uses White Rose?

Check the school website or ask the class teacher, which is White Rose's own suggestion. Block names such as place value within 20 or within 50 are a good clue.

What are small steps in White Rose Maths?

Each block is divided into a series of small learning steps, each about one lesson's worth of learning. Together they cover the curriculum content for that block.

What does CPA mean?

Concrete Pictorial Abstract: a child meets an idea with real objects, then a drawing such as a bar model, then numbers and symbols. White Rose calls it the heart of its mastery approach.

Are White Rose home learning videos free?

White Rose says its home learning videos are free and that there is one for every small step. Its 1-minute maths app is also free and needs no login.

My child is struggling with a White Rose block. What should I do?

Go back a step. White Rose advises looking at the same topic from earlier in the year or a previous year, and that matches what we see: most struggles come from a gap in an earlier block.

Can you tutor my child in White Rose Maths?

We teach the same curriculum content in a compatible order, using objects, pictures and numbers, and plan around your child's current block. We do not use White Rose materials and are not connected with White Rose Education.

Is White Rose Maths the same as the national curriculum?

No. The national curriculum is the statutory content set by the Department for Education. White Rose is one published scheme that organises that content into a teaching order.

When are lessons?

Weekdays or weekends, flexible: choose your batch, or for a very personalised plan choose 1-on-1 at your convenience, weekend mornings or weekdays. Times are in UK time.

Are you part of White Rose Education?

No. Modern Age Coders is an independent online school. White Rose Maths and its schemes belong to White Rose Education, and we have no partnership or endorsement.

Primary maths

More pages for primary families in England

Key stages, tests and puzzles that sit alongside the school scheme.

KS2 maths tuition

Years 3 to 6 in more detail.

KS2 SATs maths papers

The Year 6 tests every block builds towards.

Year 4 times tables check

The June check on tables up to 12 × 12.

Primary Maths Challenge

A national puzzle contest, for a child who enjoys a harder problem.

Primary tutor costs

What families weigh up before choosing help.

Coding classes in the UK

Our index of pages for families across the UK.

Related pages in this guide

Part of the guide: UK maths year by year, Reception to Year 11

Primary, Reception to Year 6

Secondary, Year 7 to Year 11

Scotland

More guides: UK maths exam boards and specification codes · UK selective school maths tests: 7+, 11+, 13+ and 16+ · UK university admissions: maths tests and computing applications · UK maths enrichment, competitions and able pupils

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Book a free primary maths class

Tell us your number and the block your child's class is on, and we will call at a UK time that suits. The first class checks the steps underneath that block.

Want to see the syllabus first? The Elementary Maths course lists its levels by grade, and how we teach explains our classroom.

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