A distinct approach to maths education that is popular in Singapore can lead to a “small but welcome improvement” in English children’s mathematics skills, according to new research.

The study, from the Institute of Education at University College London (UCL) and the University of Cambridge, noted that the Maths Mastery programme - as it is known - delivers return on investments after a year.

While the gains are relatively small, the paper nevertheless states that if improvements are made in pupils when they are around ten years of age, there can be “long-term economic benefits for individuals and the economy”.

The team behind the study worked with 10,000 pupils in Year 1 (five to six-year-olds) and Year 7 (11 to 12-year-olds) for a period of 12 months.

At the end of the experiment, they found that youngsters in both Year 1 and Year 7 who were taught using Maths Mastery techniques performed better than those who didn’t.

Lead author Dr John Jerrim, reader of social statistics at the UCL’s Institute of Education, said: "Maths Mastery shouldn't be seen as a 'silver bullet'; there is no escaping that the effect of the programme was relatively small, though welcome. Yet, given the low cost per pupil, it may nevertheless be a programme worth pursuing."

He added that more research needs to be carried out because the full impact of Maths Mastery are usually evident five years after it was first implemented.

"The programme should now be tested over a longer time period with a greater number of schools," Dr Jerrim continued.

"More evidence is needed on its impact after teachers have become familiar with its novel approach, and after children have been exposed to the programme for a prolonged period of time."