Early years maths education policy briefing

This policy briefing was authored by Professor Camilla Gilmore, who is Professor of Mathematical Cognition at Loughborough University's Centre for Mathematical Cognition.

The importance of maths education

Mathematics is essential, both as an intellectual discipline in its own right, and for providing the underpinning language for science, engineering and, increasingly, the social and medical sciences. Mathematics also provides individual citizens with necessary skills at virtually all levels of employment. High levels of numeracy are associated with enhanced employment outcomes for individuals and with increased economic growth: the annual cost to the UK economy of poor mathematics skills is estimated to be £25bn. It is estimated that half of UK adults have low numeracy skills, above the OECD average, and a quarter of children leave primary school without reaching the expected level of mathematics achievement.

In the UK, children who are disadvantaged due to low income, ethnicity, geography, or lack of social and cultural capital start of primary school with lower levels of mathematical skills and the gap widens as they progress through school. Negative attitudes to mathematics develop early and too many young people are opting out of mathematics study beyond compulsory education. Mathematics education policy is currently failing to provide young people with the mathematics skills they need for a successful life and thriving economy or to inspire them to value mathematics and the opportunities it can bring.

Maths education for young people

Putting research evidence at the centre of both policy and practice is key to improving education and young people’s outcomes. This vision is shared by both policy makers and the teaching profession: the Chartered College of Teaching lists supporting teachers to work with the latest evidence and research as its primary goal. The Centre for Mathematical Cognition (CMC) at Loughborough University meets this challenge in the context of mathematics. The aim of the Centre is to bridge the gap between basic research on mathematical cognition and more applied work that involves designing and evaluating research-informed pedagogical materials. The Centre has been supported by £16m funding from UKRI and has brought together over 20 internationally-recognised experts in mathematics learning and education. The ESRC Centre for Early Mathematics Learning (CEML) led by Loughborough University has a specific focus on mathematics learning in the preschool and early primary school years in response to particular concerns about the foundations of children’s mathematics.

Policy recommendations 

1. There is a need for evidence-based policy and practice that is informed by basic research on learning and the context of the classroom.

2. It is important to embed early foundations of mathematics understanding and enjoyment in the early years through developmentally-appropriate pedagogy.

3. Curriculum content and statutory assessments must reflect the breadth of mathematics including the crucial role of mathematics reasoning and conceptual understanding. While mathematical fluency is important, an over-emphasis on rote retrieval of mathematical facts at the expense of broader understanding may be counter-productive for learners' later achievement.

4. Evidence-based resources and high quality professional development should be available and accessible for teachers in schools and early years educators.

Professor Camilla Gilmore

Professor Camilla Gilmore

Professor of Mathematical Cognition

Professor Gilmore completed her undergraduate and graduate studies at Nottingham (BSc Psychology), Reading (MSc Psychology Research Methods) and Oxford (DPhil Experimental Psychology). Following this she worked as a postdoc in the Psychology Department at Harvard University and was then a Research Fellow in the Learning Sciences Research Institute at Nottingham for 5 years. I moved to the MEC in 2011.

Her main areas of research are: 

  • Mathematical cognition in adults and children.
  • Mathematical learning difficulties and dyscalculia.
  • Conceptual and procedural understanding of mathematics.

Work with us

This is one of a number of policy briefings from Loughborough University’s Policy Unit, created in collaboration with researchers at the University. The Policy Unit helps researchers at the University, who can offer high-quality research evidence, connect with policymakers to inform the policymaking process and benefit society as a whole.


Over 90% of research at Loughborough University is ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. (REF, 2021).


If you would like more information on this briefing paper please contact Loughborough University’s Policy Unit Public Affairs Manager, Paddy Smith, by emailing p.smith2@lboro.ac.uk.