Schools in Kent could ban children from using calculators until they've learned basic maths skills.

Under plans set out in the National Curriculum Review, children would have to be able to do simple sums and recite their times tables before being allowed to use a calculator in class.

A section of the SATs exam taken by 11-year-old pupils which involves using a calculator would also be scrapped.

Education chiefs at Kent County Council have welcomed the plans.

Mike Whiting, the cabinet member for education, learning and skills, said: "It's vital that children are equipped with basic maths skills and aren't reliant on technology.

"I'm sure this move will be welcomed by parents and teachers keen to make sure that children are learning skills that will take them through life."

Figures from the Department for Education show that around a fifth of pupils in England fail to make the progress expected of them in maths between the ages of seven and 11.