Pearson Schools Blog

Creating safe spaces, triggering engagement, and challenging anti-maths mindsets.

Sharon Davies, CEO of the national financial and enterprise education charity Young Enterprise, has spent years championing the power and positive impact of teaching young people financial skills.

Following her recent appearance on Pearson’s The Right Angle podcast, she shares her thoughts on why integrating consistent financial education in UK schools is a goal worth striving for. Although financial education crosses over many areas of the curriculum, such as PSHE, business studies or science, many would argue that maths is its natural home. Here, Sharon outlines her top tips on embedding the subject in maths.

The role of new digital learning technologies is not a vision of the future; it is now firmly embedded in education systems from the nursery to the university. The development of digital resources is fast-paced and it can seem overwhelming to navigate the tsunami of sales pitches promising everything from reduced workloads to perfect assessment. However, step back and remember the wise words of educationalist Dylan Wiliam that “everything works somewhere; nothing works everywhere – so we need to ask ourselves, under what conditions does x work?”

I rarely meet a teacher these days who isn’t concerned about the growing number of children with speech, language and communication needs. 

It isn’t likely to get better any time soon if we look at what is happening in the cohort of children who will soon be working their way through the school system. In a recent survey 82 per cent of health visitors reported seeing a year-on-year increase in children with speech, language and communication delays in their pre-school caseloads. And last year, Speech and Language UK estimated that at least 1.9 million primary- and secondary-aged children were struggling with talking and understanding words. That equates to one in five school-aged children – the highest number ever recorded.

What gets measured tends to get done. In primary schools this means a curriculum driven largely by English and maths.

But perhaps assessment needs to help us look below the surface of these headline measures. Why? Consider these research findings:

• Children with poor language at age five are six times less likely to reach the expected standard in literacy at age 11 than those with good language, and 11 times less likely to reach the expected standard in maths.
• Children’s reading ability is dependent on their oral language skills – their vocabulary and language structures. The contribution of spoken language skills to reading is not confined to reading comprehension; it also predicts how easily they will learn phonics.

Building independence through maths for every student

By Karen McGuigan

I was one of these children who just loved maths – even now I see it everywhere in life – but I know that’s not a talent most people have. Maths is so important. It helps us understand money, unpick practical things like our shopping and phone contracts, and make informed decisions.

Yet the way most schools teach maths, especially to learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and additional needs, means many children are leaving education without the key maths skills they’ll need to live independently.

In 2019, after working on maths with my then 7-year-old son who has Downs Syndrome, I started a programme called Maths For Life with the aim of creating a differentiated approach to the current maths curriculum; one that delivers essential maths that all children need for life. I believe what I’ve learned could really improve maths accessibility for every child, whatever their needs and ability.

Q: What are some of the underlying causes or factors that contribute to maths anxiety in students in your opinion? 

For teachers, a key part of our roles is sharing our love for our subject and inspiring the new generation, yet we’re faced with many students struggling with maths anxiety. Although causes vary from student to student, there do seem to be some common trends. 

Key considerations include attitudes towards maths at home, in the classroom and on social media. For example, how do their teachers and families respond to making mistakes in maths? It’s also important to consider the mathematical experiences of students at home and in the classroom; is the focus on numbers and recall or exploration and discovery?

Maths is really everywhere, I think, and there are lots of ways to access it. Many problems in our society now require maths to be solved.  

Maths can also help students understand the world more, for example when they’re thinking about finances; budgets and taxes. Even for life at home, it helps develop problem-solving skills and increase creativity.  

Jo Ledbury gives her top tips on encouraging children to be passionate about maths including highlighting some aspects of Pearson's whole-school mastery programme, Power Maths. She also talks about her experience with the local maths hub and mentions barriers her learners face that impact their ability to love maths.