DEPARTMENT FOR
CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES News Release (2008/0116) issued by
The Government News Network on 17 June 2008
Ed Balls and
Andrew Adonis today accepted the recommendations of a major
independent review of maths in primary schools and announced plans
to train more than 1,000 specialist maths teachers a year over the
next 10 years.
Mr Balls said he would raise maths standards in primary schools
by paying specialist maths teachers up to £8,000 in incentive
payments and rewards to train towards gaining a Masters in maths teaching.
The Government will invest £24million over the next three years
to set up and begin implementing a major training programme for
13,000 existing primary school teachers as he welcomed the final
report of the Williams Review of early maths teaching.
In his review Sir Peter Williams calls for an urgent shift to
reverse the "can't do attitude" to maths - he said
today that he wants every pupil to leave primary school
"without a fear of maths".
He recommends that from an early age learning about numbers and
shapes should be "rooted in play", he says children
should do more "mental maths" in the classroom and urges
parents to help their children through games, puzzles and
activities like cooking at home.
The review will build on progress already made since 1997 -
83,000 more 11-year-olds each year now achieve the expected level
in numeracy for their age, but more needs to be done to accelerate
the pace and raise standards even further so that all schools are
truly world class.
The Children's Plan set a new goal that every 11-year-old
should be ready for success in secondary school and by 2020 at
least 90% of children should achieve the right level for their age
in English and maths.
Ed Balls said:
"I would like to thank Sir Peter for his report and am
determined that we address his stark observation that it's
acceptable in England to admit being poor at maths. This is
something that needs to be changed urgently, and by accepting his
recommendations we will start to do just that.
"That is why I asked Sir Peter to look at attitudes to
learning maths, how we can make maths the most exciting subject to
teach and learn, and how every school can have access to the most
innovative and effective teaching methods.
"As Sir Peter says, basic maths concepts and language need
to be firmly embedded in children's minds at a young age - so
all children are confident using numbers. Therefore, it is
critical that we engage all children early in maths in order for
them to do well at secondary level and in their GCSEs.
"We know that excellent teaching is what really makes a
difference to the quality of learning. As Sir Peter says, there
are many fantastic teachers in our schools whose enthusiasm and
skills are really helping children to learn and enjoy maths and I
want to build on this.
"I want every primary school to have a specialist maths
teacher. That means every school will have a "maths
champion", who will act as a mentor and coach to their
colleagues as well as being an outstanding classroom teacher for
their pupils. I believe they will have a dramatic impact,
bringing excitement to maths for every teacher and child in their school.
"Children should not be afraid of numbers. Teachers say that
when a child really grasps a new maths concept - like fractions -
there is a huge sense of achievement. That feeling of success is
what spurs children on to find out more and develop a curiosity
about numbers. And developing enthusiasm for learning is the key
to helping all children to do better."
Launching the report at the National Centre for Excellence in the
Teaching of Mathematics' (NCETM) national conference at the
Royal Society today, Minister for Schools, Andrew Adonis, said:
"Children need to feel really confident using numbers from
an early age and to do that they need to use maths in different
ways, like in the playground with sand and water and games like
hopscotch. Maths should also become embedded in different
subjects across the curriculum, as well as in maths lessons.
"I agree with Sir Peter that we should have a renewed and
sharper focus on the use of mental mathematics - particularly to
help under-attaining groups of children.
"We all have our part to play in reversing the can't do
attitude to maths - carers, childminders, parents and teachers -
we all need to change attitudes and help children understand
numbers and their importance in the world around them."
Sir Peter Williams said:
"The United Kingdom is still one of the few advanced nations
where it is socially acceptable to profess an inability to cope
with mathematics. We need to urgently reverse this trend so every
pupil leaves primary school without a fear of maths.
"To do that we need to get young graduates to see that
joining the teaching profession is valued by the people of this
country and that it's a great career choice.
"The best teachers I met during the review were world class
and inspired confidence in mathematics in the children they teach.
But the best teachers were also those who were the first to accept
that even the best can get better.
"That's why I want to see at least one teacher in every
primary school in England going through a maths training programme
to become a Mathematics Specialist who will inspire not only their
children, but also fellow teachers.
"First and foremost, it is our duty and responsibility to
each and every child to make sure they are competent in basic
maths so that they can succeed in life. But it is also true that
the benefits to society of adult competence in mathematics run
into billions on pounds. I am a big fan of Every Child Counts."
Sir Peter Williams was asked to report on the status quo of maths
in schools, identify what really works to help children be
confident in maths, and to tell us what changes we need to make to
meet our goal of every 11 year old leaving primary school
confident in maths.
Accepting the recommendations in the Review, Ed Balls said he was
committed to training the current teaching workforce in primary
schools so that every school has a "maths champion"
within 10 years, who will act as a mentor and coach as well as
being an outstanding classroom teacher.
The key aspects of the recommendations are:
There should be a maths specialist in every primary school in 10 years
* At least 1,000 maths specialists should be trained every year
for the next 10 years so there is one in every Primary School in
the country;
* This person should be a 'maths champion' and have
deep mathematical subject and pedagogical knowledge;
* Implementation should commence in 2009;
* The programme should be targeted initially to narrow attainment gaps;
* Teachers should be offered an incentive to train as a
specialist maths teacher and a one off payment on completion;
* There should be a fast-track training programme for teachers
who have specialised in maths teaching during their training.
From a young age children should play with shapes, time, capacity
and numbers
* The Review supports goals set out in the Children's Plan
to increase the proportion of graduate practitioners in early
years settings;
* Children's natural interest in numeracy, problem solving,
reasoning, shapes and measures should be fostered from an early age;
* Children should be given opportunities indoors and outdoors to
explore, enjoy, learn, practise and talk about their developing
mathematical understanding;
* Children's mathematical experiences must be fun,
meaningful and build confidence. This will promote positive
attitudes and deeply rooted learning;
* DCSF should commission a new set of materials on mathematical
mark making and supporting children's mathematical
development through play are needed to support early years
practitioners' CPD.
All children should be competent in basic maths by the age of seven
* There remains a core of pupils who fail to achieve level 3 in
mathematics by the time they leave the primary sector at age 11
and effective intervention at an early age could break this trend;
* Intervention for struggling children should happen before the
end of KS1;
* Intervention should be led by a qualified teacher and should
involve one child;
* Economic factors and social deprivation contribute to learning
difficulties in all subjects, including mathematics;
* The use of video techniques in intervention should be investigated.
Children should do more mental maths in the classroom
* Too little attention is paid to building good attitudes to
maths - there is a need for culture change both in and out of the classroom;
* The use and application of maths should be incorporated into
the wider curriculum cutting across subjects to embed learning;
* A new focus is needed on the use of mental mathematics and
would particularly help under-attaining groups of children;
* Teachers need to do more to stretch the most able pupils in
maths with more open-ended problem solving tasks to help them see
"big picture";
* More needs to be done to kindle children's interests - Jim
Rose's review of the Primary Curriculum should consider
including the cultural and historical story of science and maths
to generate interest in the subject
Parents should work with teachers and help foster their
child's interest in maths
* Parents' attitudes to maths has a significant impact on
their child's numeracy skills;
* The "can't do" attitude to mathematics in
England needs to be urgently reversed;
* Activities such as cooking at home can help children learn and
understand maths;
* Schools need to work with parents to dispel myths about the
mystery of mathematics and give both children and parents a good
grounding and positive attitude to this subject;
* Teachers should work with parents to bring them up to date with
the methods used to teach mathematics currently;
* There is clearly a link between parents' with low level
skills and their children's under-attainment in mathematics.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families will now
develop plans for training specialist maths teachers with a
pathfinder programme in autumn 2008 and implementation beginning
in 2009.
The specialist will work in the classroom along side colleagues
to promote an enthusiasm and enjoyment of maths to help children,
other teachers and parents understand the relevance and
opportunities that maths offers. Sir Peter believes the long term
impact will be better results at GCSE, increased take-up of maths
A Level and further maths related study and career choice.
It is planned that existing classroom teachers will take up the
role of specialist maths teachers and do between one and three
years training depending on their knowledge and experience. They
will then be able to work independently towards a Masters level
qualification in maths teaching.
Ed Balls welcomed Sir Peter's conclusion that the current
maths curriculum in primary schools is fit for purpose, well
balanced and should continue in current form.
Commenting on the review, Sir Jim Rose, who is carrying out a
review of the primary curriculum, said:
"The Review provided ample evidence to show, yet again, that
the quality of teaching and how well children learn are
inseparable; hence our emphasis on securing excellent teaching of
the subject. Where the teaching was of this quality,
children's good progress in, and enthusiasm for mathematics
were all too obvious."
Backing the report, TV presenter Carol Vorderman, said:
"I am thrilled that at long last an official body is raising
the spectre of our negative cultural attitude to maths,
particularly in the media.
"Whether you like it or not, and no matter what the gossip
or trivia or fashion of the day may be, the basis of our global
future is one built on science and computing and manufacturing and
hard business, and the language they all use is mathematics.
Unless our number skills improve, by the time our children are tax
paying adults, we will have been left behind."
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The Review of Mathematics Teaching in Early Years Settings and
Primary Schools can be found at http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/primary/primarystrategy/mathsreview
2. Sir Peter Williams chaired the Review panel and was supported
by the following Advisory Panel members:
Sir Jim Rose
Professor Celia Hoyles OBE
Professor Janet
Ainley
Laurie Jacques
Brenda Spencer
3. Secretary of State for Children Schools and Families Ed Balls
wrote to Sir Peter Williams thanking him for the report. This
letter can be viewed at http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/primary/primarystrategy/mathsreview
4. Sir Peter Williams is Chancellor of the University of
Leicester and Chairman of the National Physical Laboratory. He is
a Fellow of Royal Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of and
Treasurer of the Royal Society.
5. Since the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy in
1998, attainment in maths has improved significantly at Key Stage
2. 59% of 11 year olds achieved the expected standard in maths in
1998 - this is now up to 77% in 2007. At Key Stage 1 standards
have remained consistently high with 90% of 7 year olds reaching
expected levels in 2007, compared to 84% in 1997.
Supportive quotes:
Backing the report, TV presenter Carol Vorderman, said:
"I am thrilled that at long last an official body is raising
the spectre of our negative cultural attitude to maths,
particularly in the media. Ask any parent in the land if they
think it's important that their child is good at maths, and
they will emphatically say "yes". And yet, we hear (to
the point of boredom) on children's tv, on soaps, on news and
daytime shows 'oh I'm rubbish at maths' or
'you're a nerd' or 'I don't need to be
good at sums cos I can just use a calculator'. Do we say the
same about English? Would anyone approve of 'oh I'm
rubbish at reading', or 'I don't need to be able to
read or write cos I can just watch the telly' as messages to
send out? No they wouldn't. Having been a governor of a
school in Bradford for many years I've witnessed first hand
the cultural divide in attitudes to maths. There is no question
that those from an Indian or Asian background and many from
Eastern Europe respect and revel in the subject and enjoy the very
many fruits of that labour including much higher grades in exams
and all the consequences of life those bring. Our children are not
stupid: our children are not inherently inadequate: our children
are not born hating maths, we just manage to convince them that
they should.
"Whether you like it or not, and no matter what the gossip
or trivia or fashion of the day may be, the basis of our global
future is one built on science and computing and manufacturing and
hard business, and the language they all use is mathematics.
Unless our number skills improve, by the time our children are tax
paying adults, we will have been left behind."
Jane Imrie, Executive Director of the National Centre for
Excellent Teaching in Mathematics (NCETM) said:
"The Williams Review on the teaching of Mathematics in Early
Years Settings and Primary Schools is hugely important. It sets
out very clearly the challenges we face to ensure all students
realise their mathematical potential and how we might meet these
challenges in a realistic way. As Executive Director of the
National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics, I
applaud the emphasis throughout the Review on finding time and
opportunity for teacher professional development and,
specifically, the steps set out to achieve a situation where there
will be one Mathematics Specialist in each primary school with
deep mathematical subject and pedagogical knowledge. This is an
exciting agenda for all of us and I look forward to working with
others to make the recommendations of the review a reality."
John Griffith-Jones, Chairman of the Every Child a Chance Trust
"We are delighted that the review provides such strong
support for the Every Child Counts programme. We will draw on the
review group's expert guidance to develop teaching of the
highest quality for the children who need it most. Our early
results are very promising, with children making three times the
normal rate of progress, over a period of just a few weeks. They
will grow up with the numeracy skills they need to succeed in
adult life - and we shall all share in the long term economic
benefits of early intervention."
PUBLIC ENQUIRIES:
0870 000 2288
info@dcsf.gsi.gov.uk
INTERNET ADDRESS :
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk
YOUTUBE
http://uk.youtube.com/dcsf
If you would like to receive email notification of new press
notices in the subjects of your choice, please click on
'register' on our site: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk,
'Latest News'.