Research School Network: I can’t do Maths…yet! How to minimise gaps in recall impacting on future learning. Written by guest blogger, Neil Randall from Etone College.

We too often hear pupils in the classroom say ​‘I can’t do maths’, yet it’s rare to ever come across a child who can’t count, do simple times tables, or complete basic calculations. This pupil perception, in part, arises from gaps in recall of their prior knowledge which over time has eroded their confidence. The question now is ​‘What can we do to change this?’

Let’s begin by looking at the transition between KS2 and KS3. It is widely known that both attitudes towards maths and the actual attainment of children dip between these key stages. Indeed, one study makes the alarming suggestion that at the end of Year 7, a full year after the transition to secondary school, pupils’ performance on a test of primary numeracy was below their performance at the end of Year 6. (Brown 2008). This dip is also acknowledged by the EEF as part of recommendation 8 of their Guidance report focused on Maths at KS2 and KS3. 

We can help to combat this dip by considering secondary school as an extension of the primary setting. This same recommendation gives clear guidance on some of the steps to be considered. It is important to note that the focus should not purely be on the more able, but that opportunities be provided for all learners, particularly the disadvantaged, to be involved in this transition process.

Secondary schools are experts at smooth transitions of pupils into their new environments. This can be developed further by taking the opportunity to share curriculum plans and developing connections where the skills learnt in the primary setting can be directly built on in year 7 using consistent methods that the pupils are familiar with. The Ofsted Mathematics Research Report recognises that ​‘This ​‘joined-up thinking’ ensured that pupils’ mathematical progress did not slow at points of transition between schools.’

When looking at transition between primary and secondary school, the EEF advises: ​‘When pupils arrive in Year 7, quickly attain a good understanding of their strengths and weaknesses’. It is important that when doing this we consider that each cohort is of course different. This has been made more evident following the impact of Covid where pupils in each cohort have had a very unique and perhaps intensified experience, depending on their age and home situation during the pandemic.

Prior to the pandemic, the curriculum conversations I had with colleagues were focused on developing problem-solving skills and investing time in statistical techniques. Post Covid though, this has shifted to more basic number skills. These basic skills are now extremely inconsistent due to the children’s interrupted learning when these fundamentals would normally have been mastered and embedded.

All learners should ideally learn the same curriculum content. With this in mind, I adapted our curriculum at Etone to match the non-statutory Guidance as set out by the NCETM/DFE. Class teachers are then able to use their own expertise to pitch the learning at the right level. An example would be when studying place value, some learners will need to look at how a simple number line can be extended to include negative numbers, whereas others may need to look how it can be split into decimals and fractions looking at the relationship between them. This is also advantageous as the KS3 lesson resources at Oak Academy are based upon the same scheme so pupils have additional access to the independent learning, and this is a vital asset in supporting those learners who may need to be out of school for a period of time.

When pupils enter the secondary setting, it is usually after a period of not studying mathematics (i.e due to the summer break). It is therefore not advisable to test pupils immediately but to allow them time to both recall prior knowledge and start to extend their understanding. A whole school methodology can be utilised to address any gaps. Use of whole school numeracy tasks that allow for improvement over time, such as maths focused form time, can help identify those pupils that are not progressing at the required level. These students can then be ​‘dropped’ into numeracy support sessions to build these essential skills, ideally working alongside a peer.

So, to conclude, in essence if we know about pupils, what they were taught and how they were taught it and endeavour to be consistent in our practice and approach, then we are extending prior knowledge, and preventing gaps from opening up. This curriculum linking is crucial.

In the next blog I will be looking at how encouraging mathematical talk can help to link learning and embed learning.

Further reading:

Henderson, P., Hodgen, J., Foster, C. and Kuchemann, D., 2022. Improving Mathematics in Key Stages 2 and 3. Guidance Report. Education Endowment Foundation.

Brown, M., Askew, M., Hodgen, J., Rhodes, V., Millett, A., Denvir, H., & Wiliam, D. (2008). Individual and cohort progression in learning numeracy ages 5 – 11: Results from the Leverhulme 5‑year longitudinal study. In A. Dowker (Ed.), Mathematical Difficulties: Psychology and Intervention (pp. 85- 108). Oxford: Elsevier.

Mathematics guidance: Key Stage 3 DFE (2021)

Coordinating mathematical success: the mathematics subject report Ofsted (2023)