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gifted at maths can lead to many girls thinking that they are therefore not naturally gifted at maths – which is simply untrue. The growth mindset model teaches that skills can be developed and improved through regular practice, which helps to fosters a more positive outlook and attitude in lessons. This can help female pupils to recognise that they have an equal ability to do well and succeed in maths, whilst reducing feelings of anxiety and self-doubt in lessons.
Encouraging children to take ownership of their maths learning has also proved effective in building self-esteem and resilience. For example, we often ask pupils to write their own questions, which helps to remove the ‘unknown’ aspect about maths tests which knocks their confidence. We also focus on skills and knowledge mastery to ensure every child is comfortable and happy with a particular topic before they progress to the next level. This personalised approach ensures each pupil has the necessary foundational skills they require, and that no child is left behind in the lesson.
challenge facing girls when it comes to maths learning. Despite our female pupils being extremely talented and competent mathematicians, there is still a reluctance for many to put their hands up in lessons or express themselves during lessons. To tackle this, we needed to first prove to pupils, especially our girls and children from underrepresented backgrounds, that anyone can succeed in maths - including themselves. One of our most effective initiatives has been connecting pupils with real- life, relatable role models in STEM. We bring external speakers into class to talk about how they use maths in their everyday life and careers. Hearing from a diverse range of people, from fashion designers to engineers, has helped pupils to understand the real-life value of maths and the different career pathways available. Above all, it has shown female pupils that women are thriving in maths-related industries, encouraging them to pursue their own passions in the classroom. Tackling maths misconceptions as early as possible in a child’s education journey and providing exposure to role models is key to breaking down barriers to entry, paving the way for girls to pursue maths in further education and even as a career pathway.
To compliment this initiative, we sought to create an inclusive classroom environment which encourages all pupils to get involved and experience the fun that can be had with numbers. To this aim we have focused on embedding more engaging, hands-on activities in class which encouraged pupils to collaborate. Group games and competitions, such as the free 48-hour World Maths Day challenge, have proved highly effective in helping children to relax and put themselves forward for answering questions. We first heard about World Maths Day through using Mathletics – the online maths programme which incorporates gamified learning to help pupils build confidence in their numeracy abilities. Held each year in March, World Maths Day is an annual celebration of maths which sees children take part in quick-fire games and challenges with peers around the world, in real- time. The non-traditional and interactive format of the challenge appealed to me as I felt this would spark the children’s attention, and, sure enough, they loved the opportunity to play in the
May 2023
challenges with new friends across the globe! For me, the best part about World Maths Day is the positive and uplifting message behind the event. It is not about winning or losing, which is a factor that many of our pupils associate with maths, but the taking part and having fun. The competition encourages children to celebrate the maths they do know and be curious with a ‘try and try again’ approach for any topics they might not understand. Everyone can take part, and we found children were less embarrassed about answering a question incorrectly when working through the challenges with their peers. This inspired many of our female and male pupils alike to try more challenging topics, which was wonderful to see.
How have games like World Maths Day influenced other aspects of your maths approach?
Since taking part in World Maths Day and seeing the positive impact this had for children, we’re embracing more non-traditional methods to engage pupils with numbers. For instance, we now run outdoor maths lessons which has become extremely popular with the children. Outdoor learning lends itself well to many mathematical topics, for example, if we are learning about area and perimeter, we ask children to imagine they’re re-tarmacking the playground and to work out the measurements we would need to send to the tarmac company. Or we might ask children to devise the area needed to plant a new vegetable bed in our garden. Bringing the equations to life in the real- world has helped to strengthen pupils’ understanding of the various concepts, and it’s great to see the learning click for children once they have a chance to apply it themselves.
How are you building girls’ confidence in maths?
In addition to bringing role models into the classroom and using more social games, we teach the growth mindset model to help pupils build self-esteem. While this approach applies to all our pupils, it is a particularly effective framework for girls, who might feel that their mathematic ability is less than that of their male peers. The common misconceptions that boys are naturally more
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This year we are also excited to introduce the Young Enterprise programme in our school which aims to help pupils build entrepreneurial and money management skills. We are using the programme to encourage all pupils to apply their maths learning to a specific context and run their own mini business venture, to help build their confidence and careers knowledge. Our mission is to equip all children with the self-belief that they can achieve incredible things, and this is especially true for girls who face additional barriers to engagement in many subjects, including maths. Dispelling the stereotypes early on and creating an inclusive and nurturing environment are crucial ingredients for boosting girls’ engagement and self-esteem in maths. At the same time, this approach will naturally help to build all pupils’ confidence and joy with numbers, so every child feels they can become a maths child.
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