One in three school students fail to achieve proficiency in maths. This report shows how governments can turn this around.

Students from disadvantaged backgrounds struggle the most with maths. But one in five students from well-off families struggle too. Other countries show what’s possible. On a 2023 international maths test, only 13% of our Year 4 students excelled, compared to 22% and 49% respectively in England and Singapore.

The opportunity to lift maths achievement starts in primary schools. Maths is highly cumulative, so it is imperative that primary schools teach maths well and lay down strong foundations for future success. Most primary teachers are expected to teach maths, but not all have the maths knowledge, confidence, and training to teach it well. 

Recommendations

1. Raise expectations
2. Provide better guidance
3. Arm schools with high-quality curriculum materials, catch-up interventions, and assessments
4. Improve teaching quality
5. Tighten monitoring and oversight