More than 25,000 Essex pupils have improved their maths skills, thanks to Essex Year of Numbers.
We launched the £1.5 million programme back in 2023. It came following evidence showing a link between low numeracy skills and debt, unemployment and poor health.
Since then, we have worked with schools and partners to improve pupils' maths skills. We have done this by providing new opportunities and resources in and out of school. This includes enabling pupils to discover a love of numbers through fun activities.
One initiative alone – ‘Number Stacks’ - resulted in an average increase in numeracy age of over nine months. Other activities include maths-based theatre shows and DJ performances. We have also worked with key advocates and businesses.
Bobby Seagull helped to launch the ‘Everyday Magic of Maths’ campaign during the year. This followed research that showed 44%* of Essex parents did not feel confident helping children with maths homework.
Bobby helped families across Essex to embrace the fun and magic of maths in everyday life. This included understanding football results and writing rap lyrics, to baking a cake and learning a new dance.
Councillor Tony Ball, Cabinet Member for Education Excellence, Lifelong Learning and Employability, said: "It’s been a brilliantly busy year, with the Essex Year of Numbers team successfully integrating maths into a wide range of fun activities and adventures for children across the county. Together with our partners, we’ve tackled what we set out to do when we launched the initiative - enhance numeracy skills and inspire a lifelong passion for learning among young people in Essex.
“Across the year, we’ve inspired young people and their families to embrace the magic of maths and identify new and fun ways to strengthen numerical skills in their everyday lives. I’m hopeful this is something they will all carry with them to the next chapter of their lives.”
Other key Essex Year of Numbers highlights across the year, included:
- pupils launching eco-refill shops at 40 primary schools, gaining the skills needed to run the shops themselves
- ‘Count Me In’ DJ and music sessions to show pupils the intrinsic link between maths and making music
- a partnership with HSBC to make discussions around money less daunting for 14 to 18-year-olds
- delivery of a Key Stage 3 programme to boost number skills in children who need a helping hand
- performances of ‘No More Numbers’, a show produced by the Mercury Theatre, which helped over 1,000 students discover the wonder of maths
- a baking workshop which taught pupils how to weigh and measure ingredients, and calculate baking times
- summer, Easter, Halloween and festive trails in Country Parks to engage children in maths outdoors
- activities in Essex Libraries, including Lego Education workshops to build STEM skills
- ‘Read and Count with Me by the Sea’ and ‘Read and Count with Me Under a Tree’ activity bookbags for pre-school children
Find more information about Essex Year of Numbers.