greenbrown:
Not sure about all these programmes, but before I go on about what we've had success with - others parents recommend here (e.g. Mathletics, maths whizz, kumodo) - but...
I can assure you that mathsfactor (www.themathsfactor.com/) starts 97% of sessions with a short video from Carol Vorderman clearly explaining a basic maths concept, then a quick warm up (so reviewing simple addition/ subtraction/ multiplication/ etc... progressively getting harder in a fixed amount of time - 60 seconds I think) or a game reinforcing the concept you'll be working on and then exercises to work within that skill concept and bed down skills.
have a look at some of the sample lessons here: www.themathsfactor.com/arithmetic.aspx
also there is a summer school (opens this Friday I think - just one payment of £14.99 - and runs until late September).
We use the arithmetic school and have been working on that since May of Y2 for DD1 (now Y5) - she finished Y1 at KS1 SATs on 1b for math (was barely able to subtract) and she's flying now - streets ahead of her peers. I don't totally feel it is how the school teaches maths - but there is rarely homework so little opportunity to practice. I'm also clear that DD is very visual; so learns best by seeing someone do it, rather than reading instructions or listening to them. Finally - the slow and steady, good old fashioned building block approach means DDs sense of number patterns and short cuts to answers (like knowing 7200 divided by 900 is the same as 72 divided by 9) is solid, with firm understanding of number pattern and alternative solutions/ methods to solving problems.
Have a look before you write something off. Most of these on-line tutorials have free trials - so you really do have nothing to lose. It's a commitment of between 30 minutes to 1 hour a week - and month on month you can gradually see the difference it makes in confidence and then ultimately skills/ achievements in mathematics.
We went the mathsfactor route greenbrown and sincerely, we've never looked back and I just completely ignore what the school is or is not doing now. DD1 literally wipes the floor with the 'home grown' talent in the school and I personally think I've made my point with a HT who told me at start of Y2 when I raised my deep concern about a 8 year old unable to add numbers above 20 and subtract 1 from 10 - that "What you need to understand Mrs. PSBD is that your DD1 is just a bit dim, she's never going to be good at maths".
I personally believe unless there's an underlying issue it's totally possible to build firm maths skills - but it takes work & practice. Mathsfactor just makes it easy for us busy parents - turn on the computer & go (you get updates on your child's progress & previews of what they'll be doing next) - simple and successful.
You may have to help type in answers at first - but eventually your DD will think you're too slow and take over (after about 8 months for DD1) - and then you just marvel at their facility with numbers, genuinely.
HTH