Pearson Schools Blog

by Dr Ems Lord, NRICH

Although maths is the most popular A Level choice among teenagers (JCQ, 2023), we must address the negative attitudes surrounding a subject where it’s socially acceptable to claim to be ‘no good with numbers’, that ‘maths has no uses in the real-world’ or that ‘maths is boring.’ 

As someone who loves the subject I chose to study and teach, I’m focusing my efforts on challenging those negative beliefs and I hope that the ideas in this article encourage you to do so too. 

Power of Maths Spotlight with Dr Ems Lord, NRICH 

Two teachers share their stories of how they’re tackling the digital divide in their schools. 

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

Young people share their hopes for the future and the environmental actions they're taking now.

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.

A False Binary 

Grime is a style of British rap music that emerged from the UK Garage scene during the early 2000s. The genre is defined by complex syncopated raps over fast beats, initially made famous by a generation of East London artists such as Wiley and Dizzie Rascal, and more recently, revived by the likes of Stormzy, who became the first British black solo artist to headline Glastonbury in 2019. On paper, Grime is perhaps not the natural bedfellow of Classical music. Grime Opera strives to challenge this assumption, uniting young people from a diverse range of backgrounds in pursuit of an authentic musical experience.  

Through her work with the Royal Meteorological Society, Sylvia Knight has discovered a hunger for revised climate teaching within the secondary curriculum. She introduces the key issues facing schools and students today, and turns to tech teacher Michael Noonan for his thoughts from the frontline of teaching design and technology (D&T).

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.