Giving schools more freedom over the curriculum will mean little if the Government cuts central funding to programmes such as Every Child a Reader (ECAR), heads' union the NAHT has warned.

The £6 million a year Government subsidy for the literacy programme - and its sister maths initiative Every Child Counts - enables schools to employ extra staff but will end next year.

Di Hatchett, director of Every Child a Chance Trust, which supports the schemes, said: "There is huge enthusiasm from headteachers for the programmes not only because they have an impact on closing the gap for the lowest achieving pupils but also because they are seeing huge benefits across schools.

"(Funding) pays for the infrastructure to train specialist teachers - for two universities who developed and run the professional development and 120 teacher leaders who train teachers, including their transport costs. It works out at about £100 per child helped."

Mike Welsh, president of the NAHT and head of Goddard Park primary in Swindon, intends to continue employing two full-time ECAR teachers.

"The teachers work with 16 children a year - about a quarter of my intake - and this programme changes lives," he said.

Mr Welsh, whose school was due to achieve academy status this week, said that he expected to fund ECAR with cash from the new pupil premium, which will provide additional money for supporting disadvantaged children.

But he added: "The concern is that although at school level we can keep those interventions by paying for additional staff, you need an infrastructure beyond school level.

"I think in the whole scope of things, even including the austerity measures, the ability of these programmes to change children's lives is worth it."

Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8298191.stm

One-to-one maths help for pupils

The scheme costs £2,500 per pupil, the government says

Thousands of six and seven year olds in England who struggle with maths are to be offered one-to-one teaching in school after a successful pilot scheme.

In the pilot of more than 2,000 pupils, nearly 75% were able to reach expected levels in numeracy following tuition.

From next September, the 30,000 least able pupils will get 20 hours of tuition from specialist teachers.

Schools Minister Vernon Coaker said: "It's time to break the cycle of poor numeracy skills being passed on."

Overall numeracy standards have risen over the past 10 years in England, but one in five 11-year-olds still leaves primary school without achieving the expected level.

It shows what can be achieved when business, charities and government work together

Jean Gross
Every Child A Chance

None of the children who took part in the pilot project had been predicted to achieve the expected level in maths at the age of seven.

The cost of the scheme per child is £2,500 - a price worth paying, according to the government, to reduce the 15 million adults who currently struggle with maths.

Mr Coaker added: "These are stunning results which show that inspiring and innovative teaching can stop the lowest achievers going into a downward spiral for the rest of their school careers and into adulthood.

"Numeracy is not an optional extra for anyone - it is a part of everyday life and is all around us the entire time. It is vital children understand and are confident using basic maths concepts at a young age."

The scheme, which will involve daily, 30-minute intensive sessions, will be run by the Every Child A Chance Trust, a partnership of the government, charitable foundations, the business sector and universities.

Jean Gross, its director, said the programme "has had an amazing impact on children and on schools".

She added: "It shows what can be achieved when business, charities and government work together. We look forward to seeing the scheme continue to grow, so that one day every child who needs help with numeracy can get it."

Link : http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6024637

Published in The TES on 9 October, 2009 | By: Helen Ward

Children struggling with basic mathematics make 13-and-a-half months’ progress in three months on revolutionary initiative

The first results from trials of a national maths catch-up scheme for seven-year-olds show those involved making in excess of four times the normal rate of progress.

More than 2,600 children were given one-to-one tuition for half an hour daily over a term using the Numbers Count methods devised by analysts at Edge Hill University and Lancashire County Council.

The children were chosen because they were not expected to reach level 2 by the end of the year, but three-quarters did after the tuition, which included tailored hands-on activities.

The children made 13-and-a-half months’ progress in three months, and reported an increase in confidence in “having a go” at maths, plus higher enjoyment levels.

William Hill, head of Prince Avenue Primary School, Southend-on-Sea, had 11 children taking part in the scheme last year, and all but two reached level 2 in the summer.

“Our results for maths were not very good,” he said. “I came here two years ago and the local authority was looking at interventions that would accelerate children’s progress in maths. We were crying out for something like this.

“The main problem was finding a good teacher and a space. We were lucky that we had someone, Jan Greenwood, who was covering a maternity leave. She stayed on as our Numbers Count teacher.

“We had a space between two classrooms that was being used as a cloakroom, which we converted with some help from the local authority. The caretaker gave it a lick of paint and we were off.

“The sessions are really good fun and the children like to do them. The parents have been really supportive, which is a strength of this programme. The children are now in Year 3 and Ms Greenwood is making sure they stay on track. It isn’t just a question of doing it then stopping and stepping back.

“I just wish we could do more of this. If we had more staff then we would because it makes a difference.”

The Numbers Count scheme is at the heart of Every Child Counts, one of three national initiatives to help children struggling with the 3 Rs. Every Child a Reader for Year 1s was launched first, and Every Child a Writer, for Year 3s, is in development.

Like Every Child a Reader, Every Child Counts has a central teaching programme with the teacher coordinating less intensive support where needed. But while Every Child a Reader has an existing programme - Reading Recovery - at its core, there was no similar programme in maths.

Numbers Count has drawn on best practice from local authority programmes, such as Numeracy Recovery, used in Hackney.

Counting up

Every Numbers Count lesson is different, but the basic structure is there to help build confidence in pupils. Children choose a familiar activity and practice counting singly or in groups, forwards and backwards, before undertaking new learning and a final recap.

For example, to learn to count on, rather than always beginning at one, one teacher used the game ‘Mam’s Knickers’. The teacher pegs three pairs of paper knickers on a line and asks, “If we peg on two more, how many will there be?” The child answers and makes up similar problems for a hand puppet operated by the teacher.

link: http://www.midlandsbusinessnews.co.uk/2009-10/barclays-midlands,-every-child-counts-campaign-(1).aspx

Barclays Midlands, Every Child Counts Campaign

Pictured above: Left to right (back row) Diana Johnson, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools and Learners with Martin Yates, Barclays (front row) Children from Russell Hall Primary school with Ian Austin MP

Every Child Counts, a campaign to help tackle children's numeracy difficulties, estimated to cost Britain's taxpayers £2.4 billion annually, is being backed by one of the country's leading banks.

Barclays PLC has become one of the first businesses to sign up to this initiative aimed at improving numeracy abilities amongst primary school children. It has pledged £1.4 million to help encourage local businesses to support at least 150 schools and over 6,000 children aged seven improve their maths.  

Every Child Counts was being promoted recently in Wolverhampton at a reception attended by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools and Learners, Diana Johnson who is keen to encourage other businesses to get involved in supporting their local school. Diana Johnson commented, "We are fully supportive of any initiative which motivates and engages children to learn and gets results through raising their aspirations. By contributing their time and financial resources, local businesses have the opportunity to put something back into the community by supporting children and their families to reach their full potential."

Barclays' investment will fund specialist teachers who will work with the lowest achieving 5% of seven year olds so that they can catch up with their peers.  The 2,600 children taught in the first year of the new national programme made on average 14 months progress on a standardised test of early numeracy, in just over 20 hours of one-to-one teaching over a three month period - that is, over four times the 'normal' rate of progress.  

Barclays' support comes after a KPMG report highlighted that the long-term costs of so many children leaving school innumerate could be as high as £44,000 per individual up to the age of 37, making a total bill to taxpayers of £2.4 billion every year. It is part of a £6 million campaign by the Every Child a Chance Trust, an educational charity set up in 2007 to help socially disadvantaged children. This early intervention programme aims to tackle the problem at an early stage, make maths more fun, and to try and avoid young people leaving school without having acquired basic numeracy skills.

Mike Amato, Chief Distribution and Product Officer of Barclays, said: "Every child needs basic numeric skills for survival. Banks in particular are very conscious of this, which is why Barclays has committed to this national campaign in support of Every Child Counts. It also makes good economic sense to invest in our children at an early age so that the gains made can enhance learning and avoid any costly interventions later on in life. We strongly believe that by matching schools with our local retail branches, we are making a significant investment in children's futures, as well as in the future of our company and of the national economy.  I am particularly pleased that the programme will give our employees an opportunity to volunteer and serve as business role models for children at such a formative age."

Jeanette Grose, Director of Operations and Development at the Every Child a Chance Trust added, "We are delighted that both Government and Barclays have seen the value of our work by making an investment in the Every Child Counts programme.  The West Midlands is our first regional business pilot and we will be taking the learnings to create a model that we can then roll out to other areas.  

The government wants every school to have its own business partner. We are calling on all companies in the West Midlands to join with us to help improve numeracy for the most disadvantaged children and give them the best start in life."

The Every Child a Chance Trust's new local business support programme aligns well with the recommendations unveiled earlier this year by the National Council for Educational Excellence (NCEE), calling on school and colleges to establish stronger links with local businesses. The recommendations point to the significant contributions that businesses can make in raising the aspirations and achievements of young people, particularly in the areas of basic literacy, numeracy and life skills including knowledge of the world of work.

Link: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/10/09/kids-learn-14-months-maths-in-20-hours-115875-21733618/#

A pioneering one-to-one teaching scheme for six and seven-year-olds with maths problems saw them make 14 months progress in 20 hours.

Each of the 2,621 children, who were often from the poorest backgrounds, had individual 30-minute sessions with a specialist teacher every day for 12 weeks.

Almost 75 per cent of the pupils, who had difficulties with simple arithmetic, reached or exceeded a national target.

The pilot scheme, run by educational trust Every Child A Chance, said the children made an average of 13.5 months progress after 20 hours - four times the normal rate of learning development.

Nearly one in 10 children made exceptional gains of more than 24 months. The lessons concentrate on making learning fun for the children. Methods include using a miniature shop with prices on items. A large puppet named George makes mistakes when he counts and children have to correct him.

The Every Child Counts scheme costs £2,500 per pupil. More than four in 10 of those taught were living in poverty.

One experienced maths teacher who took part in the scheme told the trust: "I've learned more in the past few months than I ever remember learning."

Schools minister Vernon Coaker added: "These are stunning results."

The pilot scheme results will be published today. It will be expanded in the next two years to target 200 schools and reach 30,000 low-achieving children.

SCHOOL REPORT

Catton Grove Primary, Norwich

The school serves an area of "significant social deprivation" with high numbers of children eligible for free school meals.

Head Tim Lawes said the Every Child Counts scheme had transformed results at the school.

A total of 95 per cent of children in the 500-pupil school had achieved the nationally expected standard in maths compared to 89 per cent nationally.  Teachers also saw a big change in children's confidence.

Mr Lawes said: "These children no longer see themselves as failures."

Link: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article6867730.ece

Joanna Sugden

Tailored one-to-one tuition has helped children who struggle with basic maths to perform beyond their years in numeracy and will now be extended to tens of thousands of pupils.

The results of the first year of early intervention programmes, published today, show that the weakest seven-year-olds benefit the most catching up with and outshining their peers in just 12 weeks.

More of those falling behind in the second year of primary school will now be helped after the scheme received Government backing and funding. It will be rolled out to 30,000 children by 2010.

The project - Numbers Count - concentrates on teaching maths in ways which suit the individual child but the results indicate that girls and boys gain equally.

Related Links

The 2,621 pupils who took part in the pilot were way below the level required of their year group when they started but after 12 weeks’ intensive maths tutoring 72 per cent reached or broke through the standard.

They made over a year’s progress on average in just 20 hours of teaching over three months.

Schools in the project improved marks in maths for all seven-year-olds by three percentage points. Those schools without trained Numbers Count teachers fell behind by one percentage point.

Researchers from Edge Hill University also found the programme impacted parents whose mathematical skills improved during the scheme.

Seven million adults struggle to complete basic sums meant for nine-year-olds.

Jean Gross, director of the Every Child a Chance programme which runs the scheme, said its strength was in the detailed assessment of every child and activities chosen to match their interests.

“I was delighted that the lowest achieving children initially made the biggest progress,” she said.

“These are the children that get written off in our system because people think they can’t learn. What we have shown is with a specialist teacher and the right programme they can learn.”

The project which will be taken up in 2,000 schools over the next two years has the potential to “wipe out a lot of what we think of a special needs,” Ms Gross added.

It aims to rescue children from sliding into a “can’t do attidude” to numbers identified by Sir Peter Williams in his review of primary school maths earlier this year.

Tuition is suited to fit the pupil’s personality. Those who enjoy sport or being active are taught to count in jumping games or outside bouncing a ball.

Quiet children learn about multiples through arranging numbered tea cups or by talking to a puppet about times tables and correcting its mistakes.

Vernon Coaker, Schools Minister, said numeracy could not be an optional extra but is part of everyday life.

“It is vital children understand and are confident using basic maths concepts at a young age,” he said.

“It’s time to break the cycle of poor numeracy skills being passed on from generation to generation.

Children continued to advance at a faster rate than normal even once they had finished the intensive course of 30-minute lessons. “Six months after the lessons ended...they had made over seven months progress,” researchers said.

Children eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) - a measure of social deprivation - did not improve as much as their peers from better off backgrounds however, gaining only 12.9 months in number age compared to 13.8 months for those not on FSM.

Pupils with English as a second language made greater gains in terms of number age than those with English as their mother tongue. White children made the worst progress through the scheme with Bangladeshi pupils the most improved.

Link: http://www.birminghampost.net/birmingham-business/business-social/thrive-corporate-social-responsibility/2009/09/24/barclays-support-adds-up-to-success-for-children-65233-24767709/

Sep 24 2009 by Mike Hughes, Birmingham Post

A regional scheme to help children overcome numeracy difficulties is calling on support from businesses.

Barclays PLC has become one of the first businesses to sign up to the initiative aimed at improving numeracy abilities amongst primary school children. It has pledged £1.4 million to help encourage businesses to support at least 150 schools and more than 6,000 children aged seven who have the greatest difficulties with maths.  

Barclays’ investment will fund specialist teachers who will work with the lowest achieving five per cent of seven-year-olds so that they can catch up with their peers. The 822 children taught in the second term of the national programme made on average 15 months progress on a standardised test of early numeracy. This comprised just over 20 hours of one-to-one teaching over a three month period – five times the ‘normal’ achievement rate. Business support is being piloted in the West Midlands and initially will establish sponsorship relationships between 20 Barclays branches and their local primary schools.   

Barclays’ support comes after a KPMG report highlighted that the long-term costs of so many children leaving school innumerate could be as high as £44,000 per individual up to the age of 37, making a total bill to taxpayers of £2.4 billion every year.  It is part of a £6 million campaign by the Every Child a Chance Trust, an educational charity set up in 2007 to help socially disadvantaged children. This early intervention programme aims to tackle the problem at an early stage, thus avoiding young people leaving school without having acquired basic numeracy skills. 

Mike Amato, chief distribution and product officer of Barclays, said: “Every child needs basic numeric skills for survival. Banks in particular are very conscious of this, which is why Barclays has committed to this national campaign in support of Every Child Counts. 

“It also makes good economic sense to invest in our children at an early age rather than relying on the government to provide support years down the road.  “We strongly believe that by matching schools with our local retail branches, we are making a significant investment in children’s futures, as well as in our company and of the national economy. 

“I am particularly pleased that the programme will give our employees an opportunity to volunteer and serve as business role models for children at such a formative age.”

Jeanette Grose, director of operations and development at the Every Child a Chance Trust added: “We are delighted Barclays has seen the value of our programme by making such a substantial investment in the local area. The West Midlands is our first regional business pilot and we will be taking the findings to create a model that we can then roll out to other areas. 

“The Government wants every school to have its own business partner. We are calling on all companies in the West Midlands to join us to help improve numeracy for the most disadvantaged children and give them the best start.”

Playing shops has been a primary school pastime for generations but for the children of the credit crunch it has just turned serious.

Schools are setting up banks and allowing pupils to deposit real money and earn interest with the help of staff from high street and investment banks, The Times has learnt.

Pupils who struggle with maths will also get a bank manager or clerk as a mentor to help them to learn how to handle money and improve their arithmetic skills.

Jean Gross, director of the Every Child a Chance Trust, which is running the scheme in connection with Barclays and Deutsche Bank, said that some seven-year-olds could not count beyond two. “After two years in school some children have no idea of maths,” she said.

Eligible children will have qualified for the Every Child Counts programme, which aims to give one-on-one support for those who find maths especially difficult at an early age.

“We want them to see that maths is fun, maths is good and helps you get on in life. These volunteers from Barclays will give them high aspirations. The pupils in the scheme may think to themselves, ‘Maybe I’ll work in a bank one day’.

“It’s important that children become financially literate. So many people don’t know how to manage money,” Ms Gross added. She denied that the banks were trying to secure future customers through the scheme.

“The more financially capable people we have in the future the better it is for banks,” she added.

Barclays has pledged £1.4 million to providing maths kits and mentors for 1,440 children over three years in the Midlands but the scheme will be extended across the country.

The maths kits include games such as snakes and ladders, dominoes and jacks. “We are trying to get families confident to help their child with maths. There is a big problem with adults who feel that they can’t do maths. But it’s not just pages of sums, it’s used when you’re shopping, or playing board games,” Ms Gross said. Government statistics suggest that children can increase their maths skills by 15 per cent if they are helped at home.

At Russells Hall primary school in Dudley, pupils are setting up a bank, shop and a travel agency this term. They will save money for their school trips and get 10p of interest for every £1 they deposit.

Volunteers from the local branch of Barclays will help children to learn about financial ideas and real-life situations of saving and buying things. “They will be thinking about saving and learning some of the words that go with money and about the need to be prudent with money,” said Jen Brown, the school’s maths coordinator.

Mike Amato, chief distribution and product officer of Barclays, said: “In the current highly risky and complex financial climate, it makes economic sense to intervene early with seven-year-olds to stop them costing the public purse billions later.”

• A poll for the Sutton Trust education charity suggests that more than three quarters of the population think that the recession has limited their chances to improve their standard of living. Only one in three people believes that there are equal opportunities to get ahead in the UK — compared with 50 per cent who thought so when surveyed earlier this year.

The poll of 2000 people, conducted by MORI on behalf of the trust, also found that 70 per cent think children’s chances in life are too dependent on their parents’ income.