Children from disadvantaged backgrounds who show strong mathematical ability at primary school don't progress at the same rate as their equally skilled but more advantaged peers, finds a UCL study, raising social mobility concerns, particularly among underprivileged white boys.
The working paper, which was funded by the Nuffield Foundation, found that only 9% of children from disadvantaged backgrounds who displayed strong mathematics skills at primary school went on to achieve a grade B or above in A Level maths. This compares to 20% of high achievers from all backgrounds. Just 3% of these once promising disadvantaged young mathematicians ended up studying a maths-focused degree, while the figure stands at 7% for their high-achieving peers more generally.
The researchers also examined the role of gender and ethnicity and found that it is disadvantaged white boys whose early mathematics potential is most likely to go unfulfilled.
They say that England is "missing out on far too much of home-grown mathematical talent" and are calling for the Government to consider making studying maths compulsory up to the age of 18.
Professor John Jerrim and Dr Maria Palma Carvajal (both UCL Social Research Institute) studied the 'mathematics pipeline' in England, whereby children with an aptitude for maths at primary school should go on to achieve high grades at GCSE maths, with many pursuing further mathematic study at A Level and university.
Using data from the National Pupil Database and the Higher Education Statistics Authority, the researchers found the 'mathematics pipeline' in England to be 'leaking' gifted mathematicians from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds long before university, as they disproportionally opt-out of maths education.
The researchers tracked the outcomes of over 30,0000 pupils who had shown a talent for maths at primary school1 and who came from lower socio-economic backgrounds2.
Tracking this group through secondary school, the researchers found many of the pupils struggled to maintain their earlier maths attainment. Just 61% of the group secured a grade B or above in GCSE maths and only one in four (26%) chose to continue studying maths post-GCSE. This contrasts with the 82% of high achievers from all backgrounds who achieved a grade B at GCSE and the 35% who continued their studies to A Level.
Co-author Dr Palma Carvajal said: "It is clear that the status quo does not support budding mathematicians from disadvantaged backgrounds to meet their potential. Even when high-achieving pupils do meet the qualifications needed to study A Level maths, they are less likely to do so than their more advantaged peers."
These trends continued as the researchers followed the group through college and sixth form. Fifty-five per cent of the high achievers from disadvantaged backgrounds who studied A Level maths achieved a grade B or above. Only half of this group then chose to study a mathematics-focused degree at university.
Dr Palma Carvajal said:
""Only 3% of the disadvantaged young people who showed an early flair for maths at primary school went on to study a maths-focused degree, which is less than half the rate of 7.4% among high-achieving students overall."
The researchers identify three main loss points in the mathematics pipeline. First, GCSE attainment. Second, selection of A Level subjects. Third, selection of university subject.
Lead author Professor Jerrim said: "Clearly, greater public investment would help encourage more young people to study maths beyond GCSE. Introducing compulsory maths to age 18 could help plug one of the leakiest parts of the 'mathematics pipeline'".
Nonetheless, the researchers warn against hoping for a silver bullet, instead pointing to important differences across genders and ethnicities.
Among the disadvantaged high achievers, different groups disengaged from maths at different points. White pupils, particularly white boys, were the most likely to see early promise erode during secondary school. Other groups, notably Asian and black pupils, were substantially more likely to convert strong Key Stage 2 mathematics performance into high GCSE mathematics grades. But when it came to degree selection, high-achieving disadvantaged white boys were the most likely to study maths at university.
There were also clear gender differences, with boys more likely to study maths post-16 than equally high-achieving girls.
Lead author Professor John Jerrim said:
""Our evidence shows England is losing out on far too much of home-grown mathematical talent. Many children from disadvantaged backgrounds show clear ability at age 11, yet far too few keep developing those skills. Interventions that help them maintain attainment through secondary school - and encourage continuation into A‑levels - would both improve social mobility and help meet demand for mathematically-skilled graduates."
