Numeracy

The latest news, analysis, research and advice on the teaching of maths, from curriculum policy to classroom pedagogy

Thursday

21st May 2026

Why children stop enjoying maths in Year 7
By the summer term of Year 7, students are far less likely to say they enjoy maths than they were in Year 6, writes David Thomas, but schools can take steps to tackle this trend
Boy working out math problem

Tuesday

19th May 2026

Why group work is growing in US and Swedish maths classrooms
Group work using ‘vertical, non-permanent surfaces’ is a staple of Building Thinking Classrooms – a pedagogical approach gaining traction across the Atlantic. But how well does it work?
Numbers on wall

Wednesday

6th May 2026

Why mixed-ability teaching is down, but not out
New EEF research appears to give a strong vote of confidence to setting over mixed-ability grouping, but the authors of the study warn schools against taking any rash decisions
Mixed numbers

Friday

6th Feb 2026

Quantitative reasoning: why it matters for primary maths
The national curriculum fails to emphasise the importance of the ability to reason about quantities, says Louise Matthews, who explores how it can be taught
Quantitative reasoning: why it matters for primary maths

Tuesday

9th Dec 2025

Teacher numbers target missed - but headcount rises slightly
Teacher numbers in Scotland increased by 63 between 2024 and 2025, meaning the government has fallen short of its target to restore numbers to 2023 levels
Teacher numbers target missed – but headcount rises slightly

Tuesday

18th Nov 2025

Why spatial reasoning is the key to improving maths teaching
Spatial reasoning is an important skill that underpins many of the curriculum review’s recommendations for maths – yet it rarely gets the attention it deserves, writes Emily Farran
Illustration of shapes and numbers

Tuesday

11th Nov 2025

Is New Zealand’s ‘stuctured maths’ set to transform maths scores?
New Zealand is reforming its approach to teaching maths with a model inspired by the success of ‘structured literacy’. But are the methods really so revolutionary? Holly Korbey investigates
Child climbing blocks

Friday

24th Oct 2025

How to teach maths through continuous provision
Maths is a subject that lends itself to continuous provision, writes Katie Jenkins, who shares advice on how to meet curriculum objectives through play
Playing with maths

Tuesday

8th Jul 2025

Sats results 2025: Slight increases across the board
The KS2 Sats results in all subjects were better than last year and narrowed the gap to pre-pandemic results
Stepping over narrow crack

Friday

20th Jun 2025

Entries for GCSE statistics almost double in 4 years
The 96 per cent increase in take-up since 2021 – the largest for any GCSE or A-level subject – has been welcomed amid fears of a growing maths attainment gap
Statistics graph
Exclusive

Tuesday

17th Jun 2025

How to boost children’s spatial skills - and their maths performance
Training children’s spatial abilities improves maths performance, studies show – and new research from the University of Surrey identifies practical teaching methods to do just that
spatial skills dinosaur

Monday

12th May 2025

Why Sats aren’t a true reflection of achievement
Helping children to feel a sense of achievement is crucial, but Sats aren’t the means to this end, writes Megan Dixon
Child doing a forward roll