Rishi Sunak recently said that the economy is being hindered by an “anti-maths mindset.” As a solution, the Prime Minister announced a comprehensive review of the maths curriculum in England.

Sunak further noted that the prevailing “cultural sense that it’s OK to be bad at maths” is resulting in the UK lagging behind other developed countries in terms of numeracy.

Negativity towards maths is often brought on by anxiety and a lack of confidence in the subject, and it is commonly transferred from parents to their children.

This issue has been identified by several SHINE-backed teachers as a particular problem among children and parents from disadvantaged backgrounds.

SHINE has provided funding for various projects that seek to combat maths anxiety by developing engaging maths-oriented games or organising parental workshops. These initiatives have proven to be highly effective in positively impacting children’s mathematical learning and overall academic performance.

To make maths more accessible, Roy Clutterbuck set up a social enterprise called “Lightning Maths” which develops engaging maths games that enhance fluency and problem-solving skills whilst simultaneously reducing maths anxiety.

Roy recognised that many children struggle with basic maths skills due to anxiety towards maths. In response, he created the game Lampogo 3 to address this issue and support children who are behind age-related expectations, including those with special needs or disadvantaged backgrounds.

Roy said, “By taking a unique approach to teaching maths that moves away from traditional worksheet-based learning, Lightning Maths fosters an environment that encourages discussion and demonstration of mathematical concepts, rather than writing them down, which can be a barrier to learning.

“Without funding from Let Teachers SHINE, I feel I would just be testing out my games in my own class. Instead, I am able to develop and produce them on a much larger scale and reach more children. I have then been able to gather valuable evidence that my game increases confidence in maths and help children overcome their anxiety towards the subject.”

Antoinette Hunte, a Higher-Level Teaching Assistant from Fossdene Primary School, attested to the effectiveness of Lightning Maths, saying, “Lampogo 3 is a great game that builds confidence and provides children with the opportunity to say, ‘Guess what? I can actually do this.'”

Nicol Winfield, a Maths Lead and Year 6 teacher at Wyndham Primary School in Derby, as well as a Mastery Specialist for the East Midlands West Maths Hub, understands the importance of engaging and empowering parents to combat maths anxiety in children.

She said, “Many children believe that they are incapable of excelling in maths, and unfortunately, this attitude is often shared by their parents who suffer from maths anxiety, making it extremely challenging to overcome.”

To try to solve this, Nicol organised maths masterclasses for parents, where they were invited into school to gain a better understanding of the subject and find ways to support their children at home.

Nicol said, “One of the most crucial aspects of planning the project was addressing the parents’ anxieties and discovering methods to overcome them. I provided plenty of practical examples and time for parents to plan activities they could try with their children, breaking down the way maths is taught to help demystify the subject.

“The results of the programme were remarkable, with a survey of participating parents showing improvements in their subject knowledge and ability to support their children at home.

Moreover, 80% of children reported that their increased confidence in mathematics was due to working on maths with their parents at home and they were feeling less anxious. Class teachers also noticed a more positive attitude towards maths among their pupils as a result of the programme.”

Laura Jarvis, an early years teacher at East Ward Community Primary school in Bury was awarded a grant by SHINE in 2021. Her project aims to tackle maths anxiety between parents and teachers in order to improve the engagement and attainment of reception-aged children.

Laura said, “One of the main benefits of these workshops is that they allow the parents to become more confident with counting and mathematical concepts, especially if they don’t speak English as their first language.

“The workshops also introduce subitising and other maths games, which can be challenging for parents, but by building up their understanding of maths vocabulary, they can better support their children at home and counteract any anxieties surrounding their maths skills.

The programme has seen a significant increase in parent engagement, with 30% of parents initially attending workshops, increasing to 50% by the end of the year.”

By getting parents involved in the learning process, the programme helps to tackle maths anxiety by building positive experiences and relationships between parents and schools, ultimately leading to better academic outcomes for children.

SHINE Interim CEO, Helen Rafferty, says, “What may appear as an ‘anti-maths mindset’ on the surface often obscures a deeper set of anxieties which can appear early in life and often persist well into adulthood.

At SHINE we support teachers to help tackle maths anxiety by providing the right support to children and families to be able to succeed. Rather than simply prescribing more maths, we help teachers adopt creative approaches to the subject that build confidence and help unlock new access to learning.

We also support innovative approaches to learning that address barriers to achievement across all core subject areas, knowing that confidence and attainment in one subject cannot be seen in isolation from the child’s overall educational experience.

We hope very much that the review commissioned by the Prime Minister will address the full range of barriers that children and families face in succeeding in maths, and that this review will focus in particular on the parts of the country where the challenge is greatest.”

SHINE Interim CEO, Helen Rafferty, says, “What may appear as an ‘anti-maths mindset’ on the surface often obscures a deeper set of anxieties which can appear early in life and often persist well into adulthood.

At SHINE we support teachers to help tackle maths anxiety by providing the right support to children and families to be able to succeed. Rather than simply prescribing more maths, we help teachers adopt creative approaches to the subject that build confidence and help unlock new access to learning.

We also support innovative approaches to learning that address barriers to achievement across all core subject areas, knowing that confidence and attainment in one subject cannot be seen in isolation from the child’s overall educational experience.