Commenting on the Department for Education’s latest publication on the multiplication tables check (MTC) results for Year 4 pupils in England, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“Teachers, school leaders, and pupils have worked incredibly hard to master times-tables, including preparing for and undertaking the multiplication tables check (MTC) results today. But it’s clear that this test adds little value.

“Times-tables are already part of the curriculum, and every primary school teaches them. The MTC adds nothing useful for teachers, school leaders, or parents who already know which pupils need support. It’s essentially a test of memory, not application, and duplicates work already done in Year 6 reasoning and arithmetic assessments. A narrow focus on these tests also means other equally important parts of mathematics are neglected.

“At a time when schools are grappling with severe funding pressures, spending public money on unnecessary tests like this must be dropped. Children deserve a broader, more meaningful approach to mathematics, not more bureaucracy that distracts from genuine learning and support.”