Tackling the Challenge of Low Numeracy Skills in Young People and Adults

This resource from Ofsted is a full report and summary of the findings, published in April 2011, which evaluates the quality of numeracy provision for young people and adults seen in visits between May and November 2010, to 59 providers including colleges, independent learning providers, local authority providers of adult and community learning, prisons and Probation Trusts.

During visits, inspectors explored four aspects of provision: identifying and meeting needs; curriculum management and quality assurance; classroom practice; and outcomes for learners.

The report highlights common features of effective numeracy teaching and learning which include:

*developing learners’ ability to tackle numeracy-related problems by setting them in purposeful contexts

*showing learners how to build on their previous knowledge and skills to develop their understanding

*providing opportunities for learners to work out the most appropriate approaches to problems individually and with other learners

*encouraging learners to tackle their misconceptions by analysing incorrect answers

*developing learners’ conceptual understanding of numeracy through activities which helped them reach the stage where they could explain why a specific method worked

*enabling learners to apply mathematical techniques in their training, at work or in their personal lives.

Key features of effective practice and the most commonly identified reasons for underperformance are explored in detail. The report also presents the main challenges faced by providers in securing further improvement.