Scotland’s attainment in mathematics remains a matter of pressing national concern. Recent data shows National 5 Mathematics A–C pass rates continuing to decline, a trend that should give us serious pause. Secondary teachers consistently report that increasing numbers of young people arrive without the conceptual understanding, reasoning skills or confidence needed to access the curriculum. By the time these learners reach S3 gaps have widened, mathematical anxiety has taken hold and identities such as “I’m just not a maths person” have become deeply ingrained. At that stage, intervention is often reactive rather than preventative.
If Scotland is serious about reversing this trajectory, the solution must start earlier. Research is unequivocal: confidence, reasoning and conceptual understanding are built in the earliest years of schooling. It is our primary schools that hold the key. The foundations of mathematical success are not laid in senior-phase revision classes but in the daily experiences of our youngest learners. One approach with real promise is maths journalling – a structured, intentional way for pupils to capture, reflect on and explain their mathematical thinking.
Maths journalling is not about writing for writing’s sake. Rather, it is about making thinking visible. Unlike approaches that prioritise copying worked examples or memorising procedures, journalling creates space for children to reason, explain, question and make sense of mathematics. Crucially, a Scottish approach to journalling aligns closely with the values underpinning Curriculum for Excellence and national policy frameworks such as GIRFEC. It nurtures the whole child, developing confidence, curiosity and resilience alongside mathematical knowledge and skills.
Internationally, structured reflection has long been associated with strong mathematical outcomes. Examples from East Asia, in particular, highlight the power of deliberate explanation and reflection in securing deep understanding. While some UK commercial programmes now gesture towards journalling, these references are often tokenistic, lacking the depth, consistency and intentionality required to make a sustained difference. Our model is deliberately different. It is distinctly Scottish, shaped by our national emphasis on nurture, equity and oracy.
As Scots we love a blether and in maths, talk matters. Structured oracy routines, where pupils talk before they write, play a central role in our approach. These routines scaffold vocabulary, reasoning and confidence, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to rehearse and refine ideas before committing them to paper. When talk is valued as much as answers, every voice is heard – not just the quickest to calculate.
At the heart of Scottish maths journalling are three interwoven pillars: metacognition, oracy and learner identity. Pupils are explicitly encouraged to explain methods, compare strategies, identify errors and reflect on what helps them learn. Through this process, thinking is externalised. Children begin to understand not just what they are doing but why. Over time, this fosters strategic, self-aware learners who can regulate their own thinking rather than relying on memorised procedures.
Just as importantly, journalling reshapes how children see themselves as learners of mathematics. When explanation, reflection and effort are valued, pupils who may previously have felt marginalised begin to experience success. This has profound implications for equity. By focusing on understanding rather than speed and process rather than performance, journalling raises attainment while ensuring that high-quality mathematical thinking is accessible to all learners, regardless of starting point.
A Scottish approach also recognises that learning is relational and emotional as well as cognitive. While other models of journalling can place heavy emphasis on procedural correctness, our approach prioritises exploration, connection and reflection. Pupils are encouraged to link new ideas to prior knowledge and real-life contexts, developing curiosity, creativity and resilience. This aligns with a broader Scottish view of education: learning is not simply about producing correct answers but about understanding, reasoning, growth and innovation.
Scotland has seen the power of early, well-structured intervention before. The Clackmannanshire phonics study demonstrated what can be achieved when research-informed practice is embedded early, consistently and with sustained support. The lesson is clear: strong Scottish approaches only flourish when they are treated as core practice rather than optional extras. Maths journalling has similar potential but only if it is embedded intentionally from the earliest stages and supported through coherent professional learning. The message is clear. Waiting until S1 is too late. By that point, confidence has often ebbed and identities have hardened. If we want to improve attainment, close equity gaps and develop confident, capable mathematicians the work must begin in our primary classrooms. A nurturing, research-informed and distinctly Scottish approach to maths journalling potentially offers a powerful way forward – one that supports not just better outcomes but better learning experiences for all of Scotland’s children.
Holly Drummond and Kirsten Fenton are experienced primary practitioners, with a keen interest in research and its application in the classroom. They are co-creators of the PACE framework, and their work on oracy, curriculum design and maths journalling has been featured in The Herald and TES. They will be speaking on maths journalling, metacognition and oracy at Research Ed which will be held in Crieff on 9 May