Children at Fair Field Junior School in Radlett are being taught maths using a pioneering new teaching technique developed in Switzerland.

The teaching scheme, called Improving Primary Mathematics, has already been successful in other schools, and teachers from Fair Field visited a school in Dagenham, east London, to see it being used before adopting it.

Under Improving Primary Mathematics, lessons are given using an overhead projector, and children learn to carry out mental arithmetic quickly and accurately.

Headteacher Doug Helsby said: "For several years now our SATs results at Key Stage 2 have stayed the same, with about 83 per cent of our pupils gaining level 4 or above in maths.

"Whereas this is a higher percentage than both the national and county averages, we believe that our pupils can do better."

October 1, 2002 17:00