Geometry is an important branch of mathematics, which we use to understand the properties of 2D and 3D space such as distance, shape, size and position. We use geometry every day: cutting paper to wrap a present, calculating the area of a room to tile a floor, and interpreting pie charts and bar graphs at work. Even noticing when a picture on the wall is askew draws on our geometrical understanding.
But although children in England excel in mathematics compared to many countries, their scores in geometry are significantly below their overall mathematics scores. This pattern has held consistently for children in both year five (ages nine and ten) and year nine (ages 13-14) since 2015.
