Improving Primary Mathematics

Project Profile

Improving Primary Mathematics began as a small pilot study in the mid 1990s, long before there was any talk of a National Numeracy Strategy.

Working with the National Institute of Economic and Social Research in London, visits were made to the continental countries, which international research showed did much better than England in mathematics.

Attention quickly turned to Switzerland, where children not only did much better overall, but there was also a very much smaller tail of low attainment.

Head Teachers, classrooms practitioners, inspectors, advisory teachers and researchers visited over 400 continental classrooms and sought answers to specific questions about the curriculum and the way it was taught.

After many discussions with experts in the field, a pilot project began. This was known as The Gatsby Project and developed mental arithmetic strategies systematically through 'interactive whole class teaching'.

Following careful evaluation of the pilot, a project was developed to cover the whole National Curriculum (and more recently to be in line with the National Numeracy Framework).

By September 2000, it will include classes throughout Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. The teaching methods and curriculum materials are currently used in around 500 classrooms.

By September 2003, the materials had reached their final form and were published for Years 1 to 6. Well over 20,000 pupils were learning mathematics the Improving Primary Mathematics way.

The following features of our continental research were built into the project as it developed:

Regular lessons with a clear, predictable structure
Emphasis on oral and mental work for about 2-thirds of every lesson
Small amounts of written work, completed quickly and aimed at practicing what has been taught orally
Emphasis on precision and accuracy
Emphasis on keeping the class working at the same level and on the same topic
High standards of oracy
Methods to help lower attainers to catch up
Detailed teaching of mental strategies for calculation, built upon a finely graded progression
Use and application of the work taught
High levels of support for teachers, including training and detailed manuals (containing notes and resources for each lesson)

Project schools are well supported. Each teacher is offered 3 training sessions on the distinctive teaching methods.

Detailed daily lesson plans are provided and the manuals offer most of the resources required, including games and overhead transparencies. Pupil workbooks, textbooks and homework tasks are provided.

It has been responsible for many of the ideas now encouraged through the National Numeracy Strategy. It is fully in line with the requirements of the National Numeracy Strategy but has a number of unique features:

Some of the work is presented in a different order from the National Numeracy Strategy Framework
More detailed teaching of strategies for mental calculation
Distinctive teaching methods, e.g. deliberately keeping the class together, using less written work and emphasising oracy more

The numeracy progression follows the curriculum for the Canton of Zurich in Switzerland, where mental strategies are developed highly systematically.

It deals with a lower number territory in the early stages than National Numeracy Framework, although some work, such as multiplication, is covered at an younger age.

The teaching methods rely upon oral work for about 2-thirds of each lesson, with written tasks being used largely to consolidate what the class has learnt together.

The teaching methods emphasise keeping the class together. Teachers take account of children's abilities, their strengths and weaknesses. However, the emphasis is on encouraging the whole class to move forward together. This has advantages for social development, as well as for mathematical progression.

It has challenged much of the orthodoxy of the last 40 years, in which English teachers have been encouraged to differentiate written work and to group children by supposed ability.

Improving Primary Mathematics research, conducted with the National Institute for Economic and Social Research, shows that in the most successful countries primary-aged children are deliberately kept broadly together in their learning. Overall, this seems to be a more efficient approach, which, when well done, yields much higher standards for all children. There are fewer low attainers and far more children reach the standards traditionally reached by 'high attainers' in England.

The National Institute of Economic and Social Research has conducted a rigorous testing programme, which has informed ongoing improvements to the materials. National test results in Improving Primary Mathematics schools are excellent. Children in Barking and Dagenham achieve significantly higher levels than would be predicted by the socioeconomic indicators.

For further information, please contact Improving Primary Mathematics at the address shown or visit the Improving Primary Mathematics website.

Improving Primary Mathematics

Project Profile

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