Best Practice

Tackling low attainment in maths: Four pedagogical principles

Mathematics Quality First Teaching Key stage 3 Curriculum Pedagogy
Why do some students struggle with maths and what can be done in the classroom to help low-attainers leave with a good GCSE grade? William Thallon offers some advice, including four important pedagogical principles
Maths attainment: One student at work in the classroom while a teacher supports another with their learning - Adobe Stock

In 2018, around one-fifth of 11-year-olds entered year 7 with a mean key stage 2 score below age-related expectations. Five years later, only around one-quarter of those students achieve a grade 4 or higher at GCSE (DfE, 2024).

There may be many reasons why such students do not achieve a grade 4 or higher, but I would argue that a lack of intelligence is not one of them. Talk to a student in a bottom maths set about something they are interested in. They will probably be able to talk knowledgeably and engagingly about it and might show their ability to reason well in their chosen context. There is nothing wrong with their “logic circuits”.

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