Mastery learning doesn’t mean children must achieve “perfect” understanding before they can move on. That would be unrealistic and could hold them back unnecessarily.

Instead, it means they have a secure grasp of the essentials: they can explain the concept in their own words, apply it in different contexts and avoid repeating the same mistakes.

This often looks like:

• Spending extra time revisiting tricky areas through short review sessions.
• Using varied activities so children practise the same skill in different ways.
• Identifying and addressing gaps early, rather than piling new content on top.

At TechBloq, we prioritise the core objectives (for example, in maths: number sense, place value and times tables) while still exposing children to the full range of topics. Not every detail needs to be mastered straight away, but the key building blocks do, because they unlock progress later.

So in short: mastery is not about slowing down indefinitely, but about ensuring secure foundations before adding new layers. Done well, with lots of consistent support, it can help children meet and exceed curriculum targets more confidently.