The Maths Champions programme aims to support the development of three- and four-year-olds in early years settings through training one member of staff to act as a ‘Maths Champion’ and support colleagues to improve maths teaching practices.
The Education Endowment Fund's analysis, undertaken by a team from Durham and York universities, found that children in early years settings who took part in the programme made, on average, two months’ additional progress in mathematics and language attainment by the end of reception, compared to a group of similar children in settings who did not take part.
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Children eligible for EYPP made on average the equivalent of six months’ additional progress in maths attainment.
The programme was found to be cost £28 per child, which has been noted as low-cost option for maths education by the EEF for early years settings to implement.
This comes as the newly-elected Labour government pledged to improve maths teaching across nurseries.
On the analysis, minister for early education, Stephen Morgan, said: “Improving educational outcomes for children is at the heart of our plans to transform early years. A good early grounding in skills like communication and maths ensures children arrive at school ready to learn, and we start to level the playing field between disadvantaged pupils and their peers.
“We will be looking closely at this research as we develop our approach to reform, and it is brilliant to see that disadvantaged children who took part in the programme made on average six months’ additional progress.”
Purnima Tanuku, chief executive of NDNA, said: “The potential impact on children from disadvantaged backgrounds could be even greater and that could see us making significant progress in closing the attainment gap. If we get this right in the early years it will make a difference to children throughout their education and improve their life chances.
“The new government is committed to improving maths teaching and increasing the numbers of children hitting the early learning goals. The research is clear; improving practitioners’ skills and confidence in their maths practice through Maths Champions really makes a difference. This programme delivers high-impact and represents good value for money, the new addendum to the report clearly demonstrates that this can be sustained.”
Meanwhile, young children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are facing the ‘widest attainment gap on record’, according to the Education Policy Institute’s latest annual report.
