WIREDGOV

- New research finds seven-year-olds make almost 14 months progress after just 20-hours specialist Every Child Counts tuition -

 

- It ‘breaks entrenched inequalities’ and could save taxpayer millions by giving future generations good maths skills –

 

- Ministers say that ending the ‘can’t do maths’ attitude in adults is vital to helping lowest achievers –

 

- And ministers set out next steps in the new 10-year programme to train a new generation of Primary Maths Specialist Teachers -

 

A groundbreaking programme for children who struggle with basic maths could save the taxpayer millions of pounds and break the historic link between deprivation and low-attainment, according to research into pilots of the Every Child Counts scheme published today.

 

The results show that 2,621 of the lowest achieving six-and-seven-year-olds, many from poor backgrounds, made almost 14 months progress on average after just 20 hours specialist one-to-one or small-group tuition - four times the normal rate of progress.

 

None of the children in the pilot were predicted to reach expected levels for maths when they started the Numbers Counts lessons – but research on the impact by Edge Hill University, which runs the programme, found that nearly three-quarters were up to speed by the time they were seven.

 

The scheme is now expanding this year to 12,000 Year 2 pupils, with an additional 460 teachers trained on top of the 207 existing staff. The scheme will go nationwide in September 2010 with 30,000 of the lowest achievers being taught annually.

 

Ministers see early intervention as the key to ending an entrenched ‘can’t do’ attitude in maths in society – following Sir Peter Williams’ criticism of it being “socially acceptable to profess an inability to cope with maths” in his review of primary school maths last year.

 

Today’s research found that many children most in danger of slipping back themselves have parents with poor numeracy skills and entrenched views that they were ‘no good at maths’ – which teachers tackled by involving them in the intensive daily 30-minute classes and building up their own confidence in maths.

 

Ministers also say that tackling poor maths skills through Every Child Counts will be vital in helping the lowest-achievers reach expected standards by the time they leave primary schools and at GCSEs – to prevent them going on to adulthood with poor numeracy skills.

 

The researchers found that that the lively, lessons engaged children, many of whom had special educational needs or very low self confidence, who might have been missed in bigger classes.

 

Innovative techniques highlighted include helping a child with poor eyesight learn to count using the beats of a drum and painting numerals with thick brush on large sheets of newspaper and helping another seven-year-old, described as a ‘maths phobic’, by involving her in sorting tuck out for the school’s daily breakfast club.

 

It says the scheme “addressed entrenched inequalities” and shows “schools can raise their aspirations for the lowest attaining children and begin to break the link between disadvantage and attainment” by tailoring lessons to individual children’s personalities.

 

An report earlier this year by the Every Child A Chance Trust, which set up the programme, estimated that every pound invested in Every Child Counts could save the taxpayer between £12 and £19 in the costs of special needs, behaviour and truancy support in schools; unemployment benefits and lost taxes; and the costs of dealing with depression and crime (see Notes to Editors).

 

Every Child Counts and the Every Children A Reader programmes are backed by £144 million of Government funding from 2008 to 2011. Every Child Counts is led by the Every Child A Chance Trust, which represents a partnership of Government; charitable foundations; the business sector and universities.

 

Schools Minister Vernon Coaker said:

 

“These are stunning results which show that inspiring and innovative teaching can stop the lowest achievers going into a downward spiral for the rest of their school careers and into adulthood.

 

“Numeracy is not an optional extra for anyone – it is a part of everyday life and is all around us the entire time. It is vital children understand and are confident using basic maths concepts at a young age.

“It’s time to break the cycle of poor numeracy skills being passed on from generation to generation. Too many parents have bad memories of maths classes which rub off on their own children. It is wrong that it has become socially acceptable to admit being poor at maths, when no one has the same attitude about reading and writing. The lowest-achieving children need the support of their parents, as well as their teachers, so they can get back on track – that’s why it is great that this scheme is actively involving families.

“Maths standards in primary schools have risen over time but this shows that intense bursts of one-to-one or small group tuition can help those children most at risk of falling behind. We are rolling out Every Child Counts out nationally from September 2010 so the lowest achieving pupils can have access to specialist teaching when and where they need it.”

 

Jean Gross, Director of Every Child A Chance, said:

 

"Every Child Counts has had an amazing impact on children and on schools. It shows what can be achieved when business, charities and government work together. We look forward to seeing the scheme continue to grow, so that one day every child who needs help with numeracy can get it."

 

Primary Specialist Maths Teachers

 

Ministers also today named the first 88 local authorities that have agreed to start training specialist primary maths teachers from next January at eight universities around the country – with more local authorities set to follow.

 

It comes after ministers accepted the Sir Peter Williams’ recommendations last year to train 13,000 specialists by 2013 - to act as ‘maths champions’ in their schools and have deep subject and pedagogical knowledge.

 

Maths results at Key Stage 2 remained level this year with 79% of 11-year-olds reaching expected standards for their age in provisional national results published in August.

 

Mr Coaker said:

 

“These areas are in a vanguard of a maths revolution in our primaries. We know that excellent teaching is what really makes a difference to the quality of learning. This is the first step to every single primary school having access to a specialist maths teacher to mentor and coach to their colleagues as well as being an outstanding classroom teacher. This will have a dramatic impact in standards and bring excitement about maths to every primary.”

 

Editor's Notes
This press notice relates to 'England'
1. The Every Child Counts evaluation, including Edge Hill University’s research, is published today at: www.everychildcountsuk.org.The main findings include:

 

• 2,621 low-achieving seven year olds in 27-local authorities given one-to-one help with numeracy in 2008-09 made on average 13.5 months progress in Number Age in just 20 hours of teaching spread over three months – over four times the ‘normal’ rate of progress
• On entry to the programme none of these children were predicted by their teachers to reach nationally expected levels in their end of Key Stage 1 maths assessments, but nearly three quarters achieved or exceeded this level
• The programme helped to narrow social class attainment gaps – 41% of children taught were living in poverty, compared to 16% of all primary-aged children
• The programme helped tackle the lack of confidence that is a key barrier to progress in maths – children made on average a 21% improvement in attitudes to learning
• There was significant impact on home and community as well as on children, with parents showing increased skills and confidence
• 207 teachers undertook a full year’s professional development in early mathematics intervention, in order to qualify as Numbers Count teachers. They began to use their specialist skills to raise whole-school standards
• In 2008-9, the programme ran in 27 out of 152 local authority areas in England. In 2009-10 the programme will expand to 78 local authorities. 460 new Numbers Count teachers will be trained.

 

2. Every Child Counts provides skilled, specialist one-to-one or small group ‘Numbers Count’ teaching for the lowest achieving children in school Year 2. Children are taught for half an hour a day, every day, for around 12 weeks. The specialist Numbers Count teachers also contribute to raising whole-school standards, helping class teachers assess children’s learning needs and adapt their teaching accordingly, and providing training and support to teaching assistants using a range of less intensive numeracy interventions.

 

The Every Child a Chance Trust aims to unlock the educational potential of socially disadvantaged children through the development and promotion of evidence-based, early intervention programmes. The Trust was established in 2007. It grew out of the outstandingly successful Every Child a Reader project, which showed that with the right intervention it is possible to tackle the literacy difficulties which blight many children’s lives. This three-year £10m scheme was funded by a partnership of businesses and charitable trusts with matched funding from government. Every Child Counts is a similar partnership, between the Trust, government, the National Strategies and a consortium of Edge Hill University and Lancashire County Council. Barclays, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, the KPMG Foundation and the Man Group plc Charitable Foundation are major donors, as are the Mercers’ Company and charities set up by business philanthropists - Eureka, SHINE, Sofronie, the Charles Dunstone Trust and the Private Equity Foundation. For more information please visit: http://www.everychildachancetrust.org/

 

The Government has committed £144 million for 2007/08 to 2010/11 to supporting Every Child Counts and Every Child a Reader.

 

The Trust published research on the impact of poor numeracy in January 2009: http://www.everychildachancetrust.org/pr/index.cfm

 

3. Mathematics Specialist Teacher Programme

 

Sir Peter Williams’ primary maths review, published last June, recommended at least 1,000 maths specialists should be trained every year for the next 10 years so every primary school will have access to one by 2019. He said that this person should be a ‘maths champion’ and have deep mathematical subject and pedagogical knowledge.

 

Since last June, the Government introduced the mathematics specialist pathfinder programme, developed with the National Strategies and Reading and Hull Universities. The Pathfinder involved teachers from seven local authorities and ran from October 2008 to July 2009. It generated an enthusiasm for teaching maths amongst those teachers and local authority consultant s involved. The feedback from participants has been overwhelming positive and the impact is already evident in the teachers’ schools.

 

The first cohort will begin training in January 2010 – with a two-year training programme including three main areas of focus:

 

• Deepening subject knowledge
• Strengthening subject specific pedagogy
• Developing skills of coaching and mentoring colleagues

 

The 88 local authorities involved are: Barnet, Birmingham, Bolton, Bradford, Brighton and Hove, Bromley, Buckinghamshire, Calderdale, Cambridge, Camden, Central Bedfordshire, Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Cornwall, Coventry, Croydon, Cumbria, Derby, Derbyshire, Devon, Doncaster, Dudley, East Riding, East Sussex, Essex, Gateshead, Gloucestershire, Greenwich, Hampshire, Haringey, Havering, Hertfordshire, Hillingdon. Kent
Kirklees, Lambeth, Lancashire, Leeds, Leicester, Lewisham, Lincolnshire, Liverpool, Manchester, Medway, Milton Keynes, Norfolk, North Tyneside, North Yorkshire, Northampton, Northumberland, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Oldham, Oxfordshire, Plymouth, Rotherham, Rutland, Salford, Sandwell, Sheffield, Shropshire, Slough, Solihull, South Gloucestershire, South Tyneside, Southwark, St. Helens, Staffordshire, Stockport, Stoke-on-Trent, Suffolk, Sunderland, Surrey, Tameside, Telford & Wrekin, Tower Hamlets, Trafford, Wakefield, Walsall, Wandsworth, Warrington, Warwickshire, West Berkshire, West Sussex, Wigan, Wiltshire, Wirral and Wolverhampton.

 

4. This year’s provisional Key Stage 2 test results were published in August at: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000865/index.shtml. It shows that 79% of 11-year-olds reached expected levels for maths.

 

5. The Government is investing £468m in the national one-to-one tuition programme for 7 to 16-year-olds. Up to 150,000 seven to 16-year-olds at risk of falling behind in English and 150,000 in maths are getting 10 hours intensive one-to-one tuition this school year with a qualified tutor to get them back on track in the basics – with numbers doubling next year. One to one tuition will also be available for GCSE students in schools in the most challenging circumstances. For more information: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2009_0163

 

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