At The Henry Beaufort School, we know the importance of developing a student’s confidence in their numerical ability. Being numerate is the ability to apply number skills learnt in lessons to everyday life and is linked to an increased likelihood of employment, higher salaries and even improved health and social wellbeing. For that reason, numeracy is not only a key focus of our mathematical lessons, but in many areas across our school curriculum.

We ensure our students develop their numeracy skills throughout their five-years with us through engaging, real-world material. Our ultimate goal is for a student to leave The Henry Beaufort School feeling confident enough to tackle real-life math situations.

Here are just a few ways that we do this:

• A cross-curricular approach - Teachers across all subjects work together, using a common language, to improve students’ confidence and encourage a ‘can do’ attitude towards all aspects of numeracy.
• Designated tutor time – During tutor time, on a Thursday (week A), students have the opportunity to learn about how an aspect of maths affects the world. These sessions range from topics such as mathematical careers to the impact of maths in the world around us. We also spend time discussing personal finance beyond the Maths GCSE curriculum (Martin Lewis, Money Saving Expert, talks about the importance of financial education in schools). 
• Outside speakers and experiences – Students have the opportunity of listening to outside speakers who look at all areas of maths in real life, such as finances and careers. Every year, Year 10 students spend time with a financial expert, looking at the importance of saving, how to save, and factors that may affect this. In year 8, students have the opportunity to visit Legoland and apply maths to real life, exciting situations.
• Competitions – Our year 7 and 8 students get to take part in numerous competitions throughout the year. Our year 8 students take part in weekly Numeracy Ninja competitions - a resource that has been developed to close gaps and encourage numerical fluency. The year 7 annual Times Table Rockstar competition, featuring the infamous HB air guitar competition, encourages the students to memorise their times tables.

If you would like to support your child with their numeracy skills beyond the classroom, here are two fantastic resources to help support your child develop their skills at home:

• Times Table Rockstars – “Having a […] fluent recall of times tables, is crucial for children’s success in moving on to more complex maths” (Department of Education – 2020). All students have a login to the ‘Times Table Rockstar’ website. We encourage students to ensure that they can recall their times tables easily, as this removes a barrier when facing more complicated problems. It is also a fun website where students can collect coins and become a Times Table Rockstar!
• The National Numeracy Charity - The National Numeracy Charity aims to improve the level of numeracy amongst adults and children in the UK. It provides an online challenge that assesses every day maths skills and then helps improve your skills using manageable steps and many online resources. This may be useful to look at with your child to build their confidence in numeracy. Please click here to visit the page.

If you have any further questions about numeracy in school or further supporting your child, please feel free to contact our Numeracy Lead – Mrs Wilson (Bekah.wilson@staff.beaufort.hants.sch.uk).