Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 12 December 2011.

The review team, led by Sally Coates, Principal of Burlington Danes Academy in London, were asked to simplify the current teachers’ standards, which define the qualities and skills expected of teachers at various career stages. Their first report, published in July, raised the bar in terms of defining the minimum requirements for all teachers.

The review team has now considered the standards expected for more experienced and higher performing teachers. They are recommending scrapping the existing system, which has three separate categories, and introducing a single ‘Master Teacher Standard.’ This will recognise truly excellent teachers and provide a focal point for all good teachers to plan their professional and career development.

The Government has welcomed the review team’s recommendations and is now considering how they might be implemented.

The ‘Master Teacher Standard’ describes a clear set of characteristics for high-performing teachers. They include:

• Deep and extensive knowledge of their specialism, going beyond the set programmes they teach.
• Command of the classroom, skilfully leading, encouraging and extending pupils. They will have the respect of both pupils and parents.
• Excellent planning and organisation to ensure pupils are well-prepared for all forms of assessment.
• Their classes demonstrate a stimulating culture of scholarship alongside a sense of mutual respect and good manners.
• They are highly regarded by colleagues, who want to learn from them. They play a role in the development of school policies and they engage with professional networks beyond the school.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

The proposal to establish a new ‘Master Teacher Standard’, that identifies and recognises our many outstanding teachers, will send a powerful message about what constitutes the very best in teaching.

The proposal has the potential to bring much greater simplicity and clarity to what is at present a complex and highly bureaucratic system of standards. It is a further step towards our ambition to elevate the status of the teaching profession and ensure the very best are recognised as key figures in the intellectual life of the country.

Sally Coates, Chair of the review group said:

The ‘Master Teacher Standard’ we are proposing takes the standards to a very high level for the most able teachers. It is designed to set out a powerful statement of what it means to be a really excellent teacher, and I am confident that those who can meet the standard will be proud to be known as ‘Master Teachers.’

These are teachers who will have the deepest impact on improving the lives of their pupils. It is absolutely right that such an achievement should be properly recognised by the new Standard, and I hope that we have out set a vision to which all teachers can aspire. I very much look forward to seeing our proposals being taken forward and put into practice.

Joan Deslandes, Headteacher of Kingsford Community School, Newham, said today:

For hundreds of years, Britain has led the way in education. The ‘Master Teacher Standard’ represents a clear and effective model which will ensure that our country continues its great tradition of pioneering, inspirational teaching.

A benchmark for educational excellence, the ‘Master Teacher Standard’ will motivate a new generation of teachers to develop innovative strategies which improve learning, so that every young person, from every walk of life, realises their full potential.

Diane Rochford, Headteacher of John F Kennedy Special School, Newham, said.

It will encourage and strengthen performance in the classroom, in all educational settings, whilst recognising those teachers who continually seek to find ways to inspire and engage learners – regardless of their starting point in life.

Greg Wallace, Executive Principal, Best Start Federation (which runs primary schools in London Fields, Mandeville, Whitmore, and Woodberry Down), said:

I think the new ‘Master Teacher Standard’ is a major step forward in defining the characteristics of expert teachers. The standard is something all good teachers will aspire to meet. The very good use of language within the standard gives us a strong sense of what the classrooms of ‘Master Teachers’ will be like. Words like ‘command’ and ‘inspire’ help create a concrete image of what we need from teachers at the top of the profession.

The Secretary of State has today written to Sally Coates welcoming her report and the principle and wording of the ‘Master Teacher Standard.’

His letter explains that he needs to consider carefully how the ‘Master Teacher Standard’ might be introduced before any arrangements can be made for its implementation. This will include asking the School Teachers Review Body to consider the implications for teachers’ pay of the report’s recommendation to discontinue the Post-Threshold, Excellent Teacher and Advanced Skills Teacher standards.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 12 December 2011.

Over half a million additional children will also qualify for the premium as the Government has extended its reach to cover any child that has been registered for Free School Meals (FSM) in the past six years. For 2012-13, the premium will be worth £1.25 billion in total.

Children who have been eligible for Free School Meals at any point in their school career have consistently lower educational attainment than those who have never been eligible. In 2009-10 GCSE statistics showed that around a third of pupils who have been on Free School Meals in the previous six years achieved five or more A*- C grades, compared to more than two thirds of their fellow pupils. Pupils at secondary school are also less likely to be registered for Free School Meals even when they are eligible and so are more likely to be picked up by this approach.

The Pupil Premium provides additional funding on top of the main funding a school receives. It is targeted at pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds to ensure they benefit from the same opportunities as pupils from less deprived families. Currently, the premium is worth £488 and goes to children who are currently on Free School Meals. Children in care who have been looked after by local authorities for more than six months also continue to qualify for the Pupil Premium.

Children’s Minister Sarah Teather said:

For too long social background has been a deciding factor in a child’s achievement and future prospects. In a fair society, it’s the Government’s responsibility to close the gulf in achievement, where the poorest children are less likely to leave school with five good GCSEs than their less deprived classmates.

That’s why I’m delighted we are today announcing the increase in the per pupil level of the Pupil Premium for 2012-13, as well as extending the eligibility to reach more children. It will help school tackle the inequalities that have been a part of our state system for far too long. Thousands of children will finally be getting the extra support they need to succeed.

The Coalition Government’s commitment to providing extra funding through the Pupil Premium is set to continue, with total funding due to rise to £2.5 billion a year by 2014-15.

The latest figures available show that:

• only 55.9 per cent of 11-year-olds known to be eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) achieved the expected level in both English and mathematics compared with 77.2 per cent for non-FSM pupils
• just 31.2 per cent of pupils eligible for FSM achieved five A*-C GCSEs or equivalent, including English and mathematics, compared with 58.8 per cent for pupils not eligible for FSM.

The Department for Education is also reminding schools and parents across England to make sure those children eligible for Free School Meals are registered as soon as possible so that schools receive the full funding they are entitled to.

The school census is on 19 January 2012. Schools will be able to help parents to apply and their local authority will be able to say the last date applications can be submitted in time for them to confirm eligibility before the census.

Data shows that between three to five per cent of school children could be missing out on the extra cash – between around 200,000 to 350,000 children in England. It also suggests that families in the East Midlands, South East and East of England may be less likely to register their children for FSM, even when they are entitled to them.

Sarah Teather added:

It is essential that children who are eligible for Free School Meals are registered. This will ensure that their school doesn’t miss out on this funding and the opportunities it brings to our poorest children. I therefore urge parents of eligible children to register as soon as possible.

Up to £50m of the £1.25bn will be used to support a Summer School programme to help the most disadvantaged pupils make the transition from primary to secondary school.

It is for schools to decide how the Pupil Premium, allocated to schools per FSM pupil, is spent since they are best placed to assess what additional provision should be made for the individual pupils within their responsibility.

To monitor progress on attainment, new measures will be included in the performance tables that will capture the achievement of pupils covered by the Pupil Premium. From September 2012, we will also require schools to publish online information about how they have used the premium. This will ensure that parents and others are made fully aware of the progress and attainment of pupils covered by the premium.

Service children premium

From April 2012, the Government will provide a £250 per pupil premium to schools with service children – up from £200 this year. Currently 45,000 service children are eligible, which would mean they would benefit from around £11 million.

Our servicemen and women risk their lives for this country and it is a key part of the Armed Forces Covenant that we support their families. Whilst the attainment by service children on average is above that of their peers, they face unique challenges and stresses. The extra funding will help schools can focus on providing this additional, mainly pastoral, support.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 9 December 2011.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb today said that the Government was “unashamedly ambitious” in its bid to drive up the standard of children’s reading.

Mr Gibb said that although it was good that more than 80 per cent of children routinely met expected reading levels at age seven and age 11, it was time to focus on driving up the performances of the one in five children who fail to reach the expected level and on getting more children to exceed expectations.

He said synthetic phonics, taught systematically, was the method proven to improve reading standards for all children, including the weakest readers, and ensure they reached their potential.

Mr Gibb acknowledged classroom teachers’ efforts to improve children’s reading skills but pointed to figures showing that:

• More than 80,000 seven-year-olds can read no better than a five-year-old.
• One in 10 11-year-old boys can read no better than a seven-year-old.
• The percentage of seven-year-olds and 11-year-olds who meet the expected level has flat-lined over the last five years.
• Business leaders repeatedly highlight the poor standard of literacy among so many of our school leavers.

Internationally, he said that:

• England is rated 25th in the world for reading, according to the 2009 PISA reading study, down from seventh nine years ago.
• Our 15-year-olds are judged by PISA to be 18 months behind those in Shanghai and at least six months behind those in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
• England was third in the PIRLS international reading tables in 2001. In the most recent 2006 survey, England was 16th.

Nick Gibb was speaking as figures were released showing that 32 per cent of six-year-olds who took the screening check reached what he called the “appropriately challenging” expected level, which was set by about 50 teachers whose schools were involved in the pilot.

He said the figures suggested many more pupils could benefit from phonics, giving them a solid grounding in the basics at an early stage. Teachers can then build on these skills so that more children develop into flourishing, confident readers by the end of Key Stage 1.

The pilot check was taken this summer by Year 1 pupils in about 300 schools, 27 per cent of whom said they teach phonics systematically, as opposed to teaching children mixed methods such as picture clues and sight memory to read words. This ratio is believed to be broadly in line with the picture across England’s primary schools.

The short check involves pupils reading 40 words to their teacher. The type of words in the check are covered by all good quality phonics schemes by the end of Year 1. Mr Gibb said it was vital that pupils are able to read these words by the end of Year 1 to give them the best chance of future success. The most common score achieved by pupils in the pilot was 40 out of 40.

Following a positive independent evaluation in September, the phonics check will be rolled out nationally next summer. The check will help provide teachers with vital information to identify pupils needing extra help with reading. Schools’ individual results will not be published.

Nick Gibb said:

We need to face up to the uncomfortable truth that, despite the hard work of teachers, not enough of our children are able to read to a high enough standard. We have to take account of our place internationally and listen to business leaders concerned about many school leavers’ literacy.

The Government can no longer simply congratulate itself on the proportion of pupils reaching the expected level.

The phonics check’s expected level, set by teachers, is appropriately challenging. We must adjust our sights if we are to tackle the country’s reading problem. The levels we expect children to reach at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 must not be the limits of our ambition – they should be considered the minimum we expect. And we must get those below the level up to a standard that will help them progress further.

A solid grounding in phonics will help many children who are weak readers to improve. It will also see more pupils achieve a high Level 2 or a Level 3 score at the end of Key Stage1. It is this level of achievement which puts children on the path to success.

I am unashamedly ambitious in wanting to see all children reading to the very highest standard.

Evidence from around the world points to synthetic phonics, taught systematically, as the method that will bring all children up to the high level we want. Teachers in the pilot say the new check will allow them to identify children’s reading problems they hadn’t previously been aware of. Those pupils will then be given the extra help they need to become confident, fluent readers.

Many teachers have started to embrace phonics and some schools performed very strongly in the pilot.

But the results also show that some other schools could be more systematic in their teaching of phonics and we are supporting them to do this. The teaching of phonics is being prioritised in primary teacher training. We are giving schools up to £3,000 in match funding so they can buy training products and books. And we are making phonics and reading a key part of the new Ofsted inspection process.

A good start in reading

Statistics show that pupils who achieve a good start in the first few years of reading are very likely to progress quickly throughout school.

2010 data showed that of those children who had previously achieved a strong Level 2 (2a) in Key Stage 1 reading:

• 98 per cent went on to achieve the expected Level 4 or above in KS2
• 66 per cent achieved Level 5 in Key Stage 2

2010 data showed that: of the children who only just achieved Level 2 (2c) in reading at Key Stage 1 reading

• 73 per cent went on to achieve the expected Level 4 or above
• 20 per cent achieved Level 5.

Pupils who reach Level 2 in reading are expected to be able to read simple texts with some understanding, give an opinion about characters, events or ideas, and put sounds together to understand new words.

The Government believes all children should at least be secure in these skills by age seven, and that many should achieve a Level 2a. In Year 2, many pupils should also be covering some of the Level 3 reading skills. This means they should be reading books over and above their phonics scheme. They will be able to show an understanding of the writer’s purpose, and will be starting to discuss their ideas about the book.

The current expected standards of attainment have been in place as part of the National Curriculum since 1999. The National Curriculum Review will ensure that the content, breadth and level of challenge of England’s new National Curriculum is comparable with the curricula of the world’s highest performing education systems. This will undoubtedly mean raised expectations. This will help England to move back up the international league tables, and ensure children leave school with the knowledge which will stand them in good stead throughout their career and adult life.

The Pilot Check

The Year 1 phonics screening check was piloted in about 300 schools in June 2011 – 229 of these came from a nationally representative sample. In total, 8,963 children participated in the pilot from schools in the representative sample.

Pilot schools were recruited in February/March 2011. They were given details of the content and structure of the screening check at the training meetings in late May/early June, just ahead of their pupils taking the check.

The overall structure of the check was designed at a series of meetings in September and October 2010, with a group of phonics experts (academics and product developers) and teachers. Ofqual was also represented at these meetings.

In 2012, the check will take place in all primary schools with six-year-old children during the week commencing Monday 18 June.

How does the check work?

• A pupil sits one-on-one with a teacher they know, and is asked to read 40 words aloud.
• They have seen 20 of these words before. The other 20 words are new to them, and will be “non-words”.
• The check normally takes a few minutes to complete. There is no time limit. If a child is struggling, the teacher can stop the check early. The check is designed not to be stressful for children.

Non-words are important to include because words such as “vap” or “jound” are new to all children. They cannot be read by memory or vocabulary – children have to use their decoding skills so it is a fair and accurate way to assess ability to decode.

An example of a check, including words used, can be found on our website.

How Phonics Works

Phonics teaches children how to:

• recognise the sounds that each individual letter makes;
• identify the sounds that different combinations of letters make – such as “sh” or “oo”; and
• blend these sounds together to make a word.

Children can then use this knowledge to “de-code” new words that they see. This is the first important step in learning to read.

Research shows that when phonics is taught in a structured way – starting with the easiest sounds, progressing through to the most complex – that it is the most effective way of teaching young children to read. It is particularly helpful for children aged five to seven.

Almost all children who have good teaching of phonics will learn the skills they need to tackle new words. They go on to read any kind of text. Most importantly, they will read for enjoyment.

They also tend to read more accurately than those taught using other methods, such as “look and say”. This includes children who find learning to read difficult, for example those who have dyslexia.

High-quality evidence

The Department for Education today published an evidence note detailing some of the research supporting the use of phonics as the most effective method to teach children how to read.

It includes the findings of a number of studies, including:

A seven-year study in Clackmannanshire, Scotland, of the teaching of synthetic phonics to 300 children found they made more progress in reading and spelling than other children their age.

A 2005 Australian report, Teaching Reading, which said:

The incontrovertible finding from the extensive body of local and international evidence-based literacy research is that for children during the early years of schooling (and subsequently if needed) to be able to link their knowledge of spoken language to their knowledge of written language, they must first master the alphabetic code – the system of grapheme-phoneme correspondences that link written words to their pronunciations. Because these are both foundational and essential skills for the development of competence in reading, writing and spelling, they must be taught explicitly, systematically, early and well.

The US National Reading Panel report of 2006, which said:

Systematic synthetic phonics instruction had a positive and significant effect on disabled readers’ reading skills. These children improved substantially in their ability to read words and showed significant, albeit small, gains in their ability to process text as a result of systematic synthetic phonics instruction. This type of phonics instruction benefits both students with learning disabilities and low-achieving students who are not disabled. Moreover, systematic synthetic phonics instruction was significantly more effective in improving low socio-economic status (SES) children’s alphabetic knowledge and word reading skills than instructional approaches that were less focused on these initial reading skills… Across all grade levels, systematic phonics instruction improved the ability of good readers to spell.

The final report of the Independent Review of the Teaching of Early Reading, by Jim Rose in 2006, emphasised that beginner readers should be taught using a systematic approach to phonics. He cautioned that evidence submitted to the review which suggested using a mix of approaches could hinder children’s progress: “A model of reading which encourages switching between various strategies, particularly when phonic work is regarded as only one such strategy, all of equal worth, risks paying insufficient attention to the critical skills of word recognition which must first be secured by beginner readers, [for example] if beginner readers are encouraged to infer from pictures the word they have to decode …It may also lead to diluting the focused phonics teaching that is necessary for securing accurate word reading.”

Ofsted’s 2010 report, Reading by Six: How the Best Schools Do It, looked at inspection evidence from a sample of 12 primary schools. It explains that “concentrated and systematic use of phonics is key to their success; this is based on high-quality and expert teaching that gives pupils the opportunity to apply what they have learnt through reading, writing and comprehension of what they are reading”.

Evaluation

An independent evaluation of the pilot check was conducted by the Centre for Education and Inclusion Research (CEIR) at Sheffield Hallam University for the Department for Education.

It found that:

• 43 per cent of pilot schools were able to identify pupils with phonics problems of which they were not already aware.
• All aspects of the check were seen as appropriate by at least 74 per cent of teachers.
• Three quarters of pilot schools said the check assessed phonic decoding ability accurately. Most schools interviewed in the pilot also plan to use the results to inform their teaching and planning.
• Most teachers and pupils understood the purpose of the check correctly.
• More than 90 per cent of teachers said the content of the check was suitable on most levels.
• 83 per cent of teachers said the number of words was suitable; 80 per cent said the type of vocabulary was suitable; and 74 per cent thought the non-words used were suitable.
• The check took on average three hours for schools to prepare for the check, and 12-and-a-half hours to administer it.
• 65 per cent of schools found the resources used to administer the check “straightforward” or “very straightforward” to manage.
• 89 per cent of pilot schools said the guidance provided to them by the Department for Education was ‘useful’ or ‘very useful’.
• Pilot schools wanted detailed results of the check. Almost all 97 per cent wanted pupil-level results and 88 per cent wanted commentary on national-level results. Some 90 per cent of schools wanted benchmarking data to help them set appropriate expectations for their pupils.
• The experience of the check was positive for most pupils. Some 62 per cent of pilot schools felt the experience had been positive for all pupils, while 31 per cent said it was neither positive nor negative.
• The check took on average between four and nine minutes to complete per pupil.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 8 December 2011.

Responding to the Daily Telegraph’s investigation Education Secretary Michael Gove said:

Our exams system needs fundamental reform. Today’s revelations confirm that the current system is discredited. I congratulate the Daily Telegraph on their investigative reporting which is in the finest traditions of public interest journalism.

Last week, Glenys Stacey the new Chief Executive of the exams regulator Ofqual agreed plans with my department to investigate exam boards’ behaviour. Today’s reports confirm the vital importance of that work being speedy, authoritative and extensive.

I have asked Glenys Stacey to investigate the specific concerns identified by the Telegraph, to examine every aspect of the exam boards’ conduct which gives rise to concern and to report back to me within two weeks with her conclusions and recommendations for further action.

As I have always maintained, it is crucial our exams hold their own with the best in the world. We will take whatever action is necessary to restore faith in our exam system. Nothing is off the table.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 6 December 2011.

• National College to revise qualification to make sure heads get the right skills
• Qualification to become non mandatory in bid to make it a mark of quality

From next year, prospective headteachers will be able to take a new enhanced qualification to prepare them for the rigours of the job.

The current qualification – the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) – is to be overhauled to allow prospective head teachers from all types of schools the chance to develop the best skills for the job.

All first-time headteachers in the maintained sector are currently required to hold the NPQH. As signalled in the Schools White Paper ‘The Importance of Teaching’, the National College was asked to review the qualification to ensure it matches the best in the world, learns from other leading qualifications such as MBAs, meets the highest standards for leadership development and is based on what is required to be an effective head teacher.

In the light of the review, Ministers have today announced that:

• NPQH will become optional with effect from early 2012 – subject to the Parliamentary process – and developed for all prospective heads in both the maintained and the non-maintained sector such as academies and independent schools.
• The bar for entry and assessment for the qualification will be raised.
• The content made more demanding through the introduction of a core curriculum focusing on the key skills of headship including leadership of teaching and learning, and with a greater emphasis on behaviour.
• The revised qualification will be launched in spring 2012 with the first participants starting in September 2012.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

The highest-performing education systems are those where government knows when to step back and let heads get on with running their schools.

Our reforms are centred on giving great head teachers the skills they need and the professional autonomy to make a difference to thousands of young lives.

We want to create a qualification for those about to become head teachers that will help them develop the key skills needed to take on this challenging and rewarding role. It will start them on the journey to becoming outstanding lead professionals. We also want to ensure the NPQH remains a highly regarded and sought-after qualification.

Steve Munby, Chief Executive at the National College, said:

Raising the bar will help to drive up the standard of school leadership in this country even further.

The current NPQH is already highly regarded and sought-after but, in a rapidly changing education sector that is becoming increasingly diverse and autonomous, no qualification can stand still.

We believe the new non mandatory NPQH will be ranked alongside the best leadership development in the world and become the mark of quality that governing bodies and academy boards choose to rely on when appointing head teachers and principals, as only the most talented candidates will get through.

The NPQH was introduced in 1997 to prepare those keen to become head teachers. In 2008, the qualification was revised to target those within 12 to 18 months of becoming a head teacher and then became mandatory in 2009 for all first-time head teachers working in the maintained sector.

To date, around 35,000 have graduated with the qualification and just over half – around 58 per cent – of current heads in maintained schools hold the NPQH.

The National College, working with key stakeholders including existing head teachers, will revise the content of the new NPQH:

• All participants will have to pass five modules of which three are compulsory and focus on leading pupil behaviour, developing leadership skills and managing teacher performance.
• Trainee head teachers will be required to undertake a school-based and a placement related assignment and spend more time on the placement, increasing from a minimum of five days to nine days.
• It will place more emphasis on the role of an applicant’s line manager in providing a reference and ‘sponsoring’ the applicant through the programme as we know from research that the best way to spot a future head teacher is to watch them working, and handling a range of leadership issues.
• The new NPQH will now link more closely to Masters and other postgraduate qualifications and so allow trainee heads to move more seamlessly onto a higher degree if they wish.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 2 December 2011.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb today said the use of calculators in primary schools would be looked at as part of the national curriculum review.

He warned that too many children had come to rely on calculators – and that their mental and written arithmetic had suffered as a result. He said calculators should only be introduced once pupils had a thorough grounding in basic maths, including knowing times tables by heart.

Mr Gibb pointed to evidence from around the world. In the best-performing education systems calculators are used only in the equivalent of upper primary schools.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

We need to look at the use of calculators in primary schools.

Children can become too dependent on calculators if they use them at too young an age. They shouldn’t be reaching for a gadget every time they need to do a simple sum.

They need to master addition, subtraction, times tables and division, using quick, reliable written methods. This rigour provides the groundwork for the more difficult maths they will come across later in their education.

You can’t expect children to cope with complicated quadratic equations if they don’t know their times tables by heart.

Without a solid grounding in arithmetic and early maths in primary school, children go on to struggle with basic maths skills throughout their school careers. It also means they leave school without the knowledge they need to complete everyday tasks in their adult lives.

The use of calculators in primary schools must be appropriate.

Background

From Nick Gibb’s speech in a Westminster Hall debate on Wednesday 30 November 2011:

Mr Speaker, we are currently reviewing the National Curriculum to give teachers greater professional freedom over how they organise and teach their subject. The review will be informed by best international practice, and will draw on other evidence about the knowledge children need to deepen their understanding at each stage of their education.

Alongside this review we are looking at how arithmetic is taught in school by engaging in an informal dialogue with maths professionals. Some key areas of consensus are emerging, namely that there needs to be a renewed focus on quick recall of number facts such as multiplication tables and the importance of consistent, efficient methods of calculation being taught throughout the school.

Statistics

Provisional Key Stage 2 statistics show that one in five 11-year-olds failed to reach the expected level in maths this year.

The importance of maths

There is a growing demand for people with high-level maths skills to become the scientists and engineers of the future, and an increasing need for people with intermediate maths skills in a whole range of disciplines. It is the Government’s intention that within 10 years the vast majority of young people will study maths from 16 to 19.

Ofsted

The recent Ofsted report ‘Good practice in primary mathematics: evidence from 20 successful schools’; clearly shows the importance of pupils knowing multiplication tables properly in order to develop fluency in calculation.
Most of the top schools examined only introduced calculators at the very upper end of primary, and then only for checking the answers for calculations carried out by hand. Often this is at a time when pupils are practising the written methods for long multiplication and division, fractions and percentages.

International evidence

The international evidence is also clear. High-performing jurisdictions around the world limit the use of calculators in the primary maths classroom.

The UK is falling behind internationally in maths.

Over the last 10 years:

• the UK has fallen from 8th to 28th in maths in the PISA tables.
• PISA also shows that pupils in Shanghai are around two-and-a-half years ahead of their peers in the UK in maths.
• pupils from Singapore and Hong Kong are regularly introduced to some mathematical concepts much earlier than their counterparts in the UK.
• the TIMMS study of maths in 2007 shows that pupils in Massachusetts, Singapore and Hong Kong go on to out-perform pupils in England in international league tables at age 10 and age 14.
• use of calculators continues to be common in Year 5 in England’s maths classrooms. The 2007 TIMMS study found that only two per cent of Year 5 pupils in England were not allowed to use calculators compared to the international average of 54 per cent.
• guiding principles for the Massachusetts, Singapore and Hong Kong curricula state that calculators should not be used as a replacement for basic understanding and skills. Moreover, the fourth and sixth grade state assessments in Massachusetts (the equivalent in England of Years 5 and 7 respectively) do not permit the use of a calculator. Elementary students learn how to perform basic arithmetic operations without using a calculator.

Technology

The Government supports the use of technology to enhance teaching across all subjects:

• in their recent report, the Joint Mathematical Council for the United Kingdom made clear that the school maths curriculum should include the use of digital technologies for modelling and problem solving. They highlight that existing software such as dynamic graphing and geometry tools, spreadsheets and simulation packages provide a wide range of opportunities for learning mathematics, and they conclude that digital technology is important to “develop the next generation of innovators, creators, scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians on which our future well-being and economy depends.”
• work is being done by, among others, the Li Ka Shing foundation and the Stanford Research Institute on a pilot programme to use interactive software to support the teaching of maths.
• computer games developed by Marcus Du Sautoy are enabling children to engage with complex mathematical problems that would hitherto have been thought too advanced for them to tackle at that age.

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 22 November 2011.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb today welcomed the broad findings of Raising Ambition and Tackling Failure – The Annual Report of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills 2010/11.

However, he warned that it highlighted significant areas of concern in the school system and said the Government’s reform programme, white paper and Education Act 2011 would address them.

Commenting on the main education findings:

On academies

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

Ofsted is clear that the best academies are transforming education standards with strong leadership, teaching and ethos. There is growing evidence that academies are successfully weakening the link between poor education and deprivation. That is why we continue to target the academy programme at underperforming and failing schools, with the Pupil Premium providing extra money for schools with children from the poorest homes.

Our long-term ambition is for academies to be the norm in the school system. Teachers and heads should control schools and have more power over how they are run day-to-day. academies succeed because they have the freedom and power to set their own direction.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and other international evidence is clear that school autonomy is the key driver of higher education standards. Academies’ GCSE results are rising consistently far faster than the rest of the school system, often from a low starting point and in challenging circumstances.

On coasting / underperforming / declining schools

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

There are still far too many underperforming schools making painfully slow improvements. It is worrying that Ofsted finds that 800 schools are stuck steadfastly at a satisfactory rating in inspection after inspection. It’s a real concern that some schools with very able intakes are merely coasting instead of making sure students achieve their full potential. And outstanding or good schools cannot afford to take their foot off the pedal simply because they have had a strong inspection result.

Our reforms are designed to raise standards across the board – by freeing up teachers to get on with the day-to-day job in the classroom but making sure there is stronger, clearer accountability to the public.

No school can ever afford to rest on its laurels or be complacent. Pupils’ time at school is short so they suffer if heads don’t strive to drive up standards year after year. We will not let mediocre performance continue unchecked and we are clear that there will be no hiding place for schools that are not making the progress they should. The Prime Minister has been clear in recent weeks that we will shine a light on schools which are content to muddle through.

We’re bringing in a tough new inspection regime from January targeted at the weakest performing schools; those that are making slow or no progress; and those at risk of falling back, while taking a lighter touch for high performing schools. We’ve overhauling league tables and bringing in fairer, tougher new standards – so schools are not just measured on raw results but also on the progress pupils of different ability levels make. The Education Act gives ministers clear new powers to step in where schools are merely treading water.

On behaviour

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

Behaviour is still not good enough nationally, particularly in secondary schools and in the most deprived areas. We’re bringing in new powers to restore the authority of teachers; transforming the quality of alternative provision for the worst behaved pupils; and strengthening up sanctions to deal with persistent absentees. We know that poor discipline is forcing good staff out of the profession – an issue our reforms will get a grip on the issue.

Ofsted is right to draw a critical link between weak teaching and poor behaviour. It’s common sense that where teaching doesn’t engage pupils – they can lose attention and disrupt the class. That is why we are raising teaching standards and making sure the new inspection regime focuses explicitly on schools where children switch off because classes are not good enough.

On teaching quality

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said:

Effective teaching is central to determining whether or not a pupil succeeds at school. The new streamlined inspection regime will focus far more time on classroom observation and assessing teaching quality, instead of inspectors having to look at too wide range of issues.

We have set out clear plans to raise teaching quality across the board. We’re recruiting the brightest and best into the profession with bursaries up to £20,000 to attract top-class science, maths and languages graduates. We’ve strengthened entry requirements – only funding training places for graduates with a 2:2 or better and are stopping unlimited re-sits of basic numeracy and literacy tests. We’ve set up the first 100 Teaching Schools to drive up quality of initial teacher training and their ongoing career development. We’ve overhauled teacher standards so now there is a sharper focus on the key elements of teaching, including subject knowledge. We’ve set up a £2 million scholarship programme for existing teachers, backed up by stronger continuous professional development.

 Background

On 13 September 2011 Education Secretary Michael Gove said in his speech to the National College:

It is a worry to me that so many schools that are still judged as ‘outstanding’ overall when they have not achieved an outstanding in ‘teaching and learning.’ I intend to ask the new Chief Inspector to look at this issue and report back to me with recommendations.