31/03/2025Numeracy
Welcome to the numeracy page. The aim of this page is to provide you with the tools and knowledge to support your child's numeracy needs. Here is a mix of resources and links to support you and your child. These will aid numeracy for all curriculum subjects (with a focus on what is needed for subjects other than maths), careers and for use in the wider world.
What is Numeracy?
It’s not:
- Mysterious Equations on black boards
- Abstract Ideas
It is:
- Skills used every day at home and in the work place
- Vital to learning in all subjects, not just maths
- Used to make the best decisions we can
It includes:
- Reading timetables,
- Picking the best offers for products,
- Understanding Tax, Pensions, Interest Rates
To improve numeracy; you need to see the value in improving numeracy, you must believe that you can improve, and be willing to put in some effort.
Improving numeracy is a challenge and everyone, whether they’re a beginner, or a high-level mathematician, struggles at some point.
This is a natural feeling and does not mean that you are no good at maths.
Where to Start?
Best place to start is to sign up and take the National Numeracy Challenge. Both you and your child could do this, or you could do it together. The website is full of useful information and, once you have completed the challenge, can point you in the direction of resources to help improve your Numeracy.
Regular Practice Activities
For students in KS3 it is most important that they have a solid numerical ability and are confident with numbers. This will students to easily access more Numeracy problems.
To improve numerical ability, we would recommend a little and often approach. Doing either of these free numerical actives three times a week would be ideal:
Tips- This page is best used with your child online. Do not feel you need to stick to the 30 second limit. Start on the easiest level!
Tips- This page is best if you can print of resources and then mark your child’s work.
Further Support
At the bottom of this page you will find a growing selection of PowerPoints that cover key Numerical topics used across the Curriculum (and beyond). These are here for student to use as reference to help recall work done in school.
For more detailed break downs and examples, we recommend that they login and use the video tab on Mathswatch to review and practice the topic (Login details are given out via the Maths Department).
Numeracy Skills Required by the Workforce
There are many numeracy skills that are needed across many careers, including;
- The use of percentages and subtraction when giving a discount
- Calculating fuel consumption
- Understanding tables in reports and interpreting graphs
Further information, examples and support for been numerically career ready can be found here.
