High-quality maths: Ofsted findings undermined by teacher recruitment shortfalls

Ofsted’s advice on high-quality teaching and learning approaches for mathematics education risks being undermined by continuing recruitment difficulties, school leaders have said.

On Tuesday (May 25), England’s schools inspectorate published a research review into the “factors that influence the quality of mathematics education”, which included a focus on curriculum, assessment and pedagogy.

The review is particularly concerned with the attainment gap in mathematics, which is wider than OECD averages, with disadvantaged pupils “much less likely to achieve a grade 4 at GCSE or to meet the expected standards at the end of … key stages 1 and 2”.

While it recognises that there is “no singular way of achieving high-quality education in the subject”, the review highlights a number of common features of effective mathematics education.