Times two tables: Pupils 'do better at maths facing the teacher in pairs'

Sitting in larger groups can distract children and prevent them getting to grips with their work, according to Professor David Burghes.

He is challenging a major Government-backed review of primary school maths which will recommend radical changes to teaching practice.

Schools should adopt traditional classroom layouts used in China and Russia which boast stronger maths attainment, Professor Burghes claims.

Former government adviser Professor David Burghes is urging schools to adopt traditional classroom layouts from China and Russia, where maths achievement levels are much stronger than here in the UK

He has found that youngsters are more likely to concentrate if their desks face the front rather than being arranged in groups facing one another.

The review, led by Sir Peter Williams, chancellor of Leicester University, is expected to demand intensive lessons for struggling pupils, specialist primary maths teachers and joint parent and child lessons.

It will be unveiled next week.

But Professor Burghes is calling on the inquiry to copy strategies which have succeeded in countries including China, Russia, Singapore and Finland.

'Pupils sit in pairs at tables, facing the front so they can focus on the teacher or board, and so that the teacher can have eye contact with all pupils,' he said.

'Children can easily get to the front to demonstrate solutions and the teacher can quickly reach all pupils to see work or respond to queries.

'Less able pupils are paired with more able ones, rather than grouping those of similar abilities together.'

The professor's findings, which follow many years working in teacher training colleges, deal a blow to the progressive belief that group seating plans allow pupils to learn from one another.

'I'm not against group work for some subjects, but it really doesn't work in maths - the groups become dominated by one child,' he told the Times Educational Supplement.

'I want more whole class interaction, with children coming up and talking to the class.'

He added: 'I would be relieved and encouraged if the Williams Committee adopted at least some of these strategies, but I fear it has opted for simplistic, non-challenging recommendations that will not enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics in our primary schools.'

Professor Burghes was a member of the numeracy taskforce which brought in daily numeracy lessons in 1998.

While mental arithmetic had improved, written work remained 'poor', he said.

An interim report by the inquiry called for parents to become more 'actively involved' in children's maths education.

It suggested joint lessons for pupils and parents and special classes for parents so they will be able to help with homework.

It also called for a specialist maths teacher for every primary school, meaning extra training for 15,000 teachers, and intensive one-to-one tutorials for children who fall behind.

Primary teacher training courses require candidates to get a C in GCSE maths, the report said.

They may receive only 15 days' instruction during training.

Official figures show fewer than one-in-five pupils leaves primary school without a proper grounding in maths.

Just over a half go on to gain a C at GCSE.