Mathematics Education in UK: Curriculum, Factors Affecting Learning Experience, and Recent Policies

PROFESSIONAL STUDIES

Contents
Part 1................................................................................................................................................0
Part 2................................................................................................................................................1
Part 3................................................................................................................................................1
References:.......................................................................................................................................2
Part 1
The education system in UK is facing many changes and alterations these days. The number of
schools has increased having different funding arrangements. As per the law in UK, all the
children from the age of 5 to 16 must obtain education that is full time in nature (Holmes and
Adams, 2006). Till the year of 1988, each and every school have the freedom to decide their
courses and the curriculum that needs to be taught in the school. The only compulsory subject at
that time was religious education. After the launch of Education reform Act 1988, the standard
curriculum that is The National Curriculum of England was developed and was announced in
1992. The major aim of this reform is to ensure that all the pupils can get the balanced education
and knowledge about some of the basic topics. The national curriculum defines that there are
four key stages that falls under primary education and after 11 years of age, the pupil enters the
secondary education schools (Handal and Herrington,2003). Key stage 1 and 2 falls under the
category of primary schools and key stage 3 and 4 falls under the category of secondary
education system. This National Curriculum includes some of the core subjects such as maths,
English and Science. Religious education is also taught but it has local syllabus for every school.
As far as the curriculum of mathematics is considered, it has been analysed that The National
Curriculum for mathematics is based on the content and various types of tests (Priestley and
Humes, 2010).
The National Curriculum (NC) developed simultaneously with the development of national test
(sats) at the end of the Key Stages. The NC introduced Programmes of Study (pos), Attainment
Targets (AT) levels and Statements of Attainment (soa).

The National Curriculum required all schools to address the matter of teaching merely for the
attainment of knowledge and skills in separation from the application of mathematics, and to
develop the approaches of teaching and learning to influence the work in mathematics
(Babadoğan and Olkun, 2006). This was considered as every challenging for the schools as it is
required by The National Curriculum to raise the standards of mathematics for all the students.
The National Curriculum focuses on developing the knowledge of the students to learn about the
calculating methods. It includes the mental methods as well as the methods by using calculators.
At every level, it is required by the teachers to encourage and inspire the students and pupils to
develop their own methods of calculations (Heywood, 2005). This feature of developing own
methods was established by numeracy project and framework for teaching mathematics. It has
been analyzed that even after the revisions were done frequently and so many times in
mathematics but the change is content was observed to be very little (Rowlands, and Carson,
2002). In order to supports the teachers, training materials had been released for the teachers so
that they can effectively teach the pupils properly.
The major aim of the new curriculum system development is to bring fluency, mathematical
reasoning and solving problem methods. There are basically three types of schools in UK:
 Community
 Foundation
 Voluntarily
Community schools are the one in which LEA has the responsibility for admission of the pupils.
They own the staff and the land on which the school building is constructed.
As far as foundation schools are considered, these are the schools in which the governing body
owns the building and has the responsibility for the admission of the pupils. In terms of
ownership of the school land and building it is generally off governing boys or of any charitable
trust (Marsh, 2009).

Voluntary schools are generally owned or operated by the charitable trusts. These schools are
divided into two types that are aided and controlled. These are almost always church schools and
the
In terms of evolution of mathematics in education system of different schools at UK, it has been
analysed that Math was considered as the core and necessary subject since 19th century
(Hershkowitz, et al. 2002). It has been analysed that there were many lengthy calculation under
the topics of weights and measures in math and reduction in time allotted to numerical
calculations in mathematics have made it problematic for the students to learn. Nearly in 1980’s
the development of electronic calculators raised the concern that using these devices may affect
the mental ability of the pupils to sole the arithmetic issues but eventually and gradually they
become the important tools to be used by the pupils (Mullis, et al. 2012). It has been analysed
that resolving the real life problems are very much complicated than solving the problems that
are academic. But, these issues have made the impression that maths is not relevant to the real
lives. This is the only reason that math has undergone many changes since years but the reforms
were mainly focussed on changing the teaching patterns of the subject and thus required effective
training programs to teach the teachers that how can they educate the students (Aubrey, Godfrey
and Dahl, 2006).
Part 2
Every subject the pupils learn has its impact on their personal, social, economic factors. These
factors also affect the experience of learning the particular subject. Math is considered as the
subject that is very much complicated in nature. This subject is assumed to be very different
from the real life implementation of the subject (Adam, Beck, and Van Loon, 2000). Following
are some of the factors that have their impacts on the education experience of the students
regarding math:
Personal and social factors: It has been analysed that development of negative attitude towards
maths by the pupils in UK is because of the differences in the real life problems and subject