FSM - The Primary Maths Curriculum for First & Second Class
The way forward.
All teachers in schools and classes across Ireland are getting to grips with the Primary Mathematics Curriculum.
If you teach First or Second Class (or both), this is the course for you. Upon successful completion of this course, you will go forth ready to teach in accordance with the guidance and aspirations of the PMC.
You will create better mathematical learning experiences for your students, experiences that are more real, more engaging, more cognitively challenging and just at the right level.
The Primary Mathematics Curriculum requires us to understand, develop, apply and implement such key ideas as:
- Incorporating Mathematical Modelling
- Creating Cognitively Challenging Tasks
- Fostering Productive Disposition
- Promoting Maths Talk
- Implementing Formative Assessment
- Building Conceptual Understanding
- Supporting Adaptive Reasoning
- Enabling Procedural Fluency
- Fostering Strategic Competence
- Developing Mathematical Concepts
These ideas permeate all 5 strands, 15 strand units and the 4 elements pertaining to each learning outcome.
We explain, spotlight, and clarify all of the above ideas and more.
We detail a volume of learner experiences that incorporate and exemplify these ideas.
In your classroom, you will be ready to begin experimenting with and incorporating some of the new ideas and approaches that are the hallmarks of the Primary Maths Curriculum.
It is time to take a left turn, leave the old road behind and accelerate onto Highway PMC!
We point the way.
Enrol, hop in and let’s drive on together!
We have teamed up with Folens to showcase the new approaches and share their exemplar materials across all strands for each class.
We will give you access to numerous Numicon activities and lessons distributed across the Strands and Strand units. Not only will you derive lots of ideas and experience on what constitutes effective practice, but this is also an ideal opportunity to determine if the Numicon platform is suitable for your school.
All participants will also receive a set of Six Bricks in the post. Throughout the course, we will introduce you to the excitement, the power, the potential and interactivity of a concept called SBAC.
‘Six Bricks Answer Code’ (SBAC), for short, is a test mechanism developed by CPD College Ireland and is now being used in schools around the world. SBAC can be used across all strands and strand units of the Primary Mathematics Curriculum.
NOTE
The online format of this course enables you to study at a time and place that best suits your own needs.
You can access your course from July 1st to August 21st 2026.
Within this highly interactive web-based course, a dynamic learning experience awaits, where you can interact with your fellow course participants through the in-course chat forums and communication tools provided by the CPD College learning system.
Our friendly and knowledgeable tutors actively support each course, providing expert interaction, guidance, and feedback for all participants on chat questions and assignments that call for critical reflection, self-analysis, and a reasoned response.
On successful completion of your course, you can download and print off your CPD record and certificate of completion.
We look forward to welcoming you to your course.
This course aims to:
- Introduce the structure, components and requirements of the Primary Maths Curriculum (PMC)
- Prepare all participants to implement key pedagogical approaches, develop mathematical proficiency, concepts and deliver for learner outcomes and progression across the five strands using quality learner experiences
- Equip teachers with the knowledge and skills to create more ‘cognitively challenging tasks’ in first and second class, and to incorporate a ‘maths eyes’ and ‘maths talk’ approach to mathematics
- Prepare teachers to make ‘mathematical modelling’ and ‘maths talk’ part of their normal practice
- Incorporate effective use of digital objects/resources
- Enable teachers to identify improvements in their practice by reflecting on relevant standards and statements of practice from LAOS 2022
| 01 - The PMC & Algebra: We introduce teachers to the key findings, structures, components and requirements of the PMC that will illuminate and underpin your new approaches to mathematics teaching and learning in first and second class. Many rich learning experiences for building concepts and achieving the learning outcomes for algebra in first and second class are presented, discussed and explored. We provide examples of the proven ‘mathematical modelling’ teaching approach to maths and explore activities, tasks and problems that benefit from a modelling approach, supporting understanding over memorisation. |
| 02 - Number: We present several rich learning experiences to support teaching and learning across the three strand units of 'Number' in first and second class. How to design cognitively challenging tasks to engage pupils in meaningful learning maths activities for 'Number' is explored throughout the module. We also guide you on how to incorporate opportunities for children to develop procedural fluency when working with 'Number'. |
| 03 - Measures: This module starts with an exploration of the 'maths talk' approach, in which children's thinking, strategies, and ideas are discussed, shared, and/or exchanged. We detail, present, and enable you to create rich learning experiences that help the children achieve the learning outcomes for the 'Measures' strand. The concept of adaptive reasoning and how to develop it when teaching measures is also discussed and explained. |
| 04 - Shape & Space: Numerous rich learning experiences that build concepts and achieve the learning outcomes for the 'Shape & Space' strand are presented throughout the module. We explore how to utilise a 'Maths Eyes' approach to making mathematics more visible in children's surroundings and to enable them to make connections in shape & space. Proficiency in conceptual understanding is also explored within this strand. |
| 05 - Data: We offer a range of rich learning experiences to support the teaching and learning of 'Data'. We offer practical suggestions for creating an inclusive, purposeful, pupil-centred mathematics learning environment. Finally, the concept of productive disposition and how to develop it when teaching data is explored in detail. |
' I really enjoyed this course. I have taken way a wealth of resources and ideas and look forward to applying them with my new class. Thank you and keep up the great work!.' Amie, 2025