Children born in summer are '13 months behind classmates' in maths, a study has found

• Pupils born between May and August are around a third more likely to need extra numeracy tuition
• The study looked at 47,237 six and seven-year-olds who were among the weakest in their class in terms of numeracy

By Amanda Williams

PUBLISHED: 13:08 EST, 23 November 2012 | UPDATED: 17:01 EST, 23 November 2012

Pupils born in summer lag behind their older classmates when it comes to maths, a report has found. 

And children born between May and August are around a third more likely to need extra numeracy tuition, according to the findings.

The report, produced by the Every Child a Chance Trust, studied 47,237 six and seven-year-olds who were among the weakest in their class in terms of numeracy.

Children born between May and August tend to be behind in maths and are around a third more likely to need extra numeracy tuition (stock picture)

It found that many summer born children were around 13 months behind the average for their year group in maths.

It comes after a separate study found children with birthdays in the summer are more likely to be unhappy at school, have low self esteem and are less likely to be accepted into top universities.

Children who struggle with numbers are also more likely to be boys, much more likely to qualify for free school meals, to have Special Educational Needs, to speak English as a second language and to come from an ethnic minority background.

But with a short but intense tutoring scheme struggling children can catch up with their peers

After just 3.7 months of support, the children made average gains of 15.7 months.

The report showed that found that many summer born children were around 13 months behind the average for their year group in maths

Children who were tutored in pairs and groups of three appeared to make just as much progress as those taught on a one-to-one basis.

And not only did three-quarters of pupils involved achieve national expectations, but by they time they reached the end of Year 2 they sustained that progress in follow-up tests six months later.

None of these children had been expected to meet the national standard of reaching Level 2 at the end of Year 2.

The latest figures were compiled by Edge Hill University which administers and provides the training for the Every Child Counts programme.

The scheme was originally managed and funded, directly, by the Department for Education.

It is now run by Edge Hill University and has developed into two schemes, Numbers Count and 1stClass@Number.

Instead of being automatically offered to schools, head teachers now decide whether they want to buy it in as a means of helping their pupils.

John Griffith-Jones, chairman of the Trustees of the Every Child A Chance Trust (ECAC), said the scheme was a successful example of how business and community could tackle a 'persistent problem that we have in our school system: the yawning gap between the talented and less able in basic numeracy.'

 INITIATIVE FOUND CHILDREN WHO STRUGGLED WITH MATHS WERE:

• 35 per cent more likely to have been born between May 1 and August 31 (45 per cent compared to 33 per cent)
• Twice as likely to be on Free School Meals (39 per cent as compared to 19 per cent national average)
• 2 and half times as likely to be children with Special Educational Needs (51 per cent as compared to 20 per cent)
• 35 per cent more likely to be from an Ethnic Minority (37 per cent as compared with 27 per cent)
• 50 per cent more likely to speak English as an Additional Language (26 per cent as compared to 17 per cent)  
  
• Slightly more likely to be boys than girls (53 per cent compared to 47 per cent) 
  

Sophie Lee Paula Jones