Ofsted has praised the improved performance of pupils in mathematics, but has warned that not enough is being done to help those who fall behind early in their schooling.
A report from the inspectorate focused on evidence gathered during visits to 320 schools, including 160 primaries – of which 57 per cent were judged good or outstanding for their mathematics provision.
However, Mathematics: Made to measure highlights the 10 per cent of pupils who “have a poor start or fall behind early in their mathematics" and who “never catch up".
The report states: “The 10 per cent who do not reach the expected standard at age 7 doubles to 20 per cent by age 11, and nearly doubles again by 16."
Inspectors found that often the best teaching was concentrated on those pupils closest to external assessments, with pupils in year 1 in particular losing out.
It added: “Less experienced, temporary and non-specialist teachers were more likely to teach lower sets or younger pupils. Teaching was strongest in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and upper key stage 2. Year 1 was the weak spot in primary teaching."
The report specifically calls for primary schools to focus on “improving pupils' progress from the EYFS through to year 2 to increase the attainment of the most able" and to “act early to secure the essential knowledge and skills of the least able".The report found that the most common strategy for raising attainment was better monitoring of pupils' attainment and progress coupled with greater use of intervention programmes.
It added: “In most primary schools, intervention has become more focused and timely in helping pupils overcome difficulties and close gaps."
The report does acknowledge that attainment has risen in the EYFS and has shown “slow improvement" at key stage 2. However, inspectors said attainment had “stagnated" at key stage 1.
Inspectors also criticised teaching which focused on getting children through SATs and instead called for more problem-solving skills to be taught.
Accordingly, Oftsed has also called on the Department for Education to “ensure end-of-key-stage assessments … require pupils to solve familiar and unfamiliar problems, demonstrate fluency and accuracy in recalling and using essential knowledge and mathematical methods".
The report said: “While the best teaching developed pupils' conceptual understanding alongside their fluent recall of knowledge, and confidence in problem-solving, too much teaching concentrated on the acquisition of disparate skills that enabled pupils to pass tests and examinations but did not equip them for the next stage of education, work and life."
It continued: “Teachers' use of assessment in lessons has improved although it remained a weak aspect of teaching. Monitoring of each pupil's understanding was not strong enough to ensure that pupils learnt and progressed as well as they could."
In the report, inspectors called for schools to focus on developing the expertise of staff with the aim of helping them to effectively choose the best approaches to foster pupils' deeper understanding, including through the use of practical resources, visual images and ICT.
Ofsted has said it will now produce support materials to help schools identify and remedy weaknesses in mathematics. It also intends to place a greater emphasis in inspections on how effectively schools tackle inconsistency in the quality of teaching, how well teachers foster understanding, and the teaching of problem-solving skills.
Download the Mathematics: Made to measure report.
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