Pupils at Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi in Holyhead are celebrating Pi
Day, Friday 14 March, by decorating a giant Pi symbol on the
playground and competing in the annual Pi memory competition
(last year's winner recited pi to 120 digits from memory).
At the school the Mathematics Support Programme
Wales (MSPW) are supporting the maths department with a range
of exciting maths activities, inspiring pupils and raising
standards.
A popular lunchtime maths club has been established, giving
pupils the opportunity to explore maths outside of the regular
curriculum through problem solving, group work and games. The
school runs transition sessions with pupils from the feeder
primary schools and additional maths sessions are delivered for
pupils in year 10 and 11.
As well as pupils, maths teachers at the school benefit by
regularly attending the MSPW's teaching conference to learn about
innovative methods of teaching maths. Also non-maths specialists
are supported by MSPW with high quality staff training, helping
with teacher recruitment which can be an issue in the area.
The work taking place at Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi is just one
example of new and expanded schemes happening across Welsh
schools to improve standards of maths, help develop numeracy
skills and increase confidence in maths.
Paul Bedingfield, Head of Maths said:
“MSPW have supported us every step of the way towards our goal of
offering a full and enriched curriculum to all pupils studying
mathematics at Ysgol Uwchradd Caergybi.
“Through MSPW's staff training and promotional talks, the number
of pupils now taking Additional Maths in years 10 and 11 has
increased, and as a result we are now hopeful of offering Further
Maths A-level to pupils for the first time from Sept 2025.”
Speaking on Pi Day, the Cabinet Secretary for Education, , said:
“A sustained improvement in maths attainment is an absolute focus
for me, alongside raising standards in other basic skills such as
literacy. This is why we are delivering a range of schemes to
support pupils in all stages of their maths learning.
“In 1706 Welsh mathematician , also from Anglesey,
introduced the Pi symbol to the world. I'm determined to inspire
our next generation of mathematicians helping them to develop
skills, confidence and a passion for maths.”
Our Maths and Numeracy
Plan has identified the support needed for learners to build
their maths skills and confidence in maths. A contract for
the development of national level intensive support for maths for
learners aged 3-16 has been awarded to Swansea University
following a competitive procurement process.
Since 2023, 146 secondary schools and more than 5,000 learners
(including more than 2,300 girls) in primary and secondary
schools in Wales have taken part in activities delivered
by MSPW.
The scheme, managed by Swansea University, is backed by £450,000
of Welsh Government funding, has benefitted from an extra £60,000
this year as the programme widens to include masterclasses for
secondary school age learners.
To evaluate the improvement in maths and numeracy, schools in
Wales will participate in TIMSS (Trends in International
Mathematics and Science Study) in 2027. This will provide
detailed national level data on the achievements of our learners
at an earlier stage and will be used to support teaching and
learning.
Notes to editors
Alongside the Mathematics Support Programme Wales, a range of
maths schemes are being rolled out in schools across Wales.
They include:
Since September 2024, 38 schools across Wales have partnered with
Axiom Maths to deliver an additional
super-curricular maths programme to Year 8 Seren
learners. Learners work through a structured
curriculum of challenging problems, in a supportive and
encouraging group setting, to help them realise the power of
their potential. Axiom Maths provide all the resources and
training needed, as well offering schools funding towards the
staffing time for this work.
Thanks to a partnership between Welsh Government and the Money
and Pensions Service pupils aged 3-19 are benefitting
from financial
education materials. The guides give real world
examples of financial tasks such as budgeting, borrowing, and
managing money and are aligned to the curriculum.
The Young
Money textbook, supported by of Money Saving Expert, which
has been developed for Welsh schools to support learners aged 14
to 16. It covers spending and saving, borrowing, debt, insurance,
student finance and future planning.
Enterprise
Troopers is an annual digital competition open to
all primary schools in Wales, giving learners real-world
experiences by bringing a business idea to life and developing
their numeracy skills at the same time.
