Parents and carers are facing the challenge of home-schooling their children during England’s third national lockdown. This can be a stressful time for both adults and the children, particularly when a child has low attainment in maths.

Many children are supported at school with extra teachings if they are struggling with a specific subject. For obvious reasons, this is no longer available when all learning is remote due to social distancing measures and the current lockdown.

The lockdown has left many parents wondering how they can best support their child’s learning? This is quite common in maths as parents and carers struggle to keep up with the current teaching methods. Additionally, many parents find maths difficult, suffering from maths anxiety themselves, which can then have a negative impact on their own children.

What is low maths attainment?

Low attainment refers to the achievement of a pupil in primary school. It is often used when a pupil is falling behind the expected level of an average student. Low attainment in maths is a persistent problem in the UK’s education system.

Unfortunately, experts have concluded that this may become worse with the existing lockdown measures that are in place.

There are concerns that low attainment in maths may increase as the help available can be difficult to access remotely. Research has shown that pupils who are from medium-wage income families are spending longer on home-schooling and are able to access more resources than others, which as a result will create educational inequalities.

How do schools support their lowest attainers in maths?

There are several effective techniques that schools use to support their pupils. Here are the most effective.

The concentration of resources:

Creating a lower attainment group in small numbers allows support and attention to the pupil. The pupil can access qualified bodies including teaching assistants, learning mentors and sometimes more senior pupils to help with their learning support. Technology is also available at school to access curriculum materials.

Customisation to specific learning needs:

Pupils can access materials to support their specific educational requirements. This includes effective school monitoring systems and curriculum programs. Additionally, schools will implement in-class groups. This is to promote engagement within the pupil’s learning.

Creation of a positive learning environment:

Creating a positive learning environment has proven to strengthen communication between teachers and their students. This encourages the pupil to participate and engage in learning. A more relaxed classroom atmosphere is recommended to promote teamwork, and positive affirmation to encourage the pupil.

How are schools supporting their lowest attainers in maths during a lockdown?

This is a challenge that many schools are confronting. Implementing these techniques can be difficult with existing social distancing measures. Schools are reporting that pupils are falling behind due to school closures. This is highlighted in this report.

The report also found that 98% of teachers stated that their pupils are falling behind and are not at the expected level. Additionally, the teachers estimated that 44% of pupils need intensive catch-up support.

This is why the government has proposed that schools invite 20% of low attainment pupils in each year group for one day a week.

According to the government report sent out, children will receive intensive tutoring that is designed to prevent them from falling behind. This scheme is yet to be put into place but the proposal states that this will not have compulsory attendance. Two weeks into lockdown nothing has been implemented yet.

What can I do to support my child if they struggle with maths?

As a parent, you are not responsible for solving this issue. The school will have a procedure in place. If you do have a concern that your child is falling behind, we suggest you contact the school or your child’s teacher. Various schools are working around low attainment students, it is always helpful to ask.

There are several maths online resources, you can access to help support your child. We have previously created these to help assist parents. You may want to try 81 free White Rose Maths worksheets for primary schoolers. Simply print these out at home.

If you’re concerned that getting your child excited about maths is a problem, why not try our very own podcast for kids? Created by Think Academy UK, discover Perfect Numbers, a selection of short, fascinating stories about the history of maths! – perfect for Key Stage 2 pupils.

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Can online maths tuition support pupils with low attainment in maths?

All of Think Academy UK’s maths learning resources are free. We also provide online maths tuition to support with low attainment in maths. We invite you to learn more about our courses here.

Our courses are taught by verified tutors and are delivered using our parent-approved online learning platform. Of course, parents are rightly concerned about their child’s use of screen time. However, our tutors actively encourage participation in class. This means that every child enjoys learning, ultimately making progress in maths.

At Think Academy UK, we believe that technology is a universal language, empowering children’s education through the wonders of EdTech.