Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Maths Standards: Primary Education

Monday 23 October 2023 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government reformed the maths curriculum in 2010 and introduced maths hubs to improve teaching quality.
  • Primary pupils achieved their highest score in the TIMSS study in 2019.
  • The early years foundation stage has been reformed to focus on numeracy and English interactions between adults and pupils.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Virendra Sharma Lab
Education
Context

The MP is concerned about the number of primary school children meeting expected standards in maths.

Question

What steps she is taking to increase the number of primary school children meeting expected standards in maths?

Answer from Nick Gibb

Since 2010, we have reformed the maths curriculum, reflecting international best practice, and introduced a network of maths hubs to boost the quality of teaching. In 2019, primary pupils achieved their highest ever score in the latest TIMSS—trends in international mathematics and science study—international survey, and Ofsted recently found “a resounding, positive shift” in primary maths education.

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Q2 Virendra Sharma Lab
Education Children & Families
Context

One in four children leave primary school without core maths skills, never catching up. The MP questions the focus on extending maths education to age 18.

Question

When will the Government learn that early years matter? One in four children leave primary school without core maths skills and never catch up. Does the Minister agree that, instead of forcing everyone to study maths to 18, we should focus on early years and encourage a more positive attitude to learning maths, rather than leave it hanging over pupils?

Answer from Nick Gibb

In fact, we are focusing on both. We have reformed the early years foundation stage to ensure that there is more interaction between adults and pupils in that stage, with a focus on numeracy and English as well. In 2011, we took the Singapore primary curriculum as the basis of our primary maths, and we introduced the multiplication tables check for year 4 pupils. An increasing number of pupils are now fluent in their times tables, in a way that generations of children in the past have not been.

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Q3 Bob Seely Con
Education
Context

The MP is concerned about the legal duty of councillors to deliver a school place plan and their failure to do so.

Question

The hon. Member for Ealing, Southall (Mr Sharma) and the Minister are both right to stress the importance of maths, but what is vital to all good teaching is proper school place planning. On the Isle of Wight, councillors are proving unwilling to deliver, or incapable of delivering, a school place plan despite their legal duty. Will the Minister work with me to ensure that the Isle of Wight Council acts to fulfil its legal duties soon—

Answer from Nick Gibb

My hon. Friend is right to raise this issue. We are aware that the Isle of Wight is experiencing a decline in the number of primary school children, which is creating surplus places. The Department is monitoring the situation closely, and the south east regional director will be meeting the local authority next month to discuss this and other concerns that we have about the Isle of Wight.

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