An exciting volunteering scheme bringing maths to life in primary schools

An exciting volunteering scheme bringing maths to life in primary schools 2 3 Why Number Partners? “Being a Number Partner has helped me be more pa...
Author: Caitlin George
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An exciting volunteering scheme bringing maths to life in primary schools

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3 Why Number Partners? “Being a Number Partner has helped me be more patient, write more clearly and take less for granted.” Number Partner volunteer, KPMG “For the first time these kids experienced success, and had positive associations with maths.” Class teacher, Islington “Pupils are more willing to answer questions in lessons. They show increased confidence in knowledge of basic number facts.” Maths co-ordinator, Tower Hamlets “People here say the scheme is brilliant. The relationship with the school is good, the partners love the games and many participants say that it is an enjoyable break in what can be an intense and busy day.” Number Partners co-ordinator, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein

In September 1999, the Government introduced the National Numeracy Strategy with the aim of improving standards in maths. Under the strategy, the way maths is taught in primary schools has changed. At the heart of this change is the emphasis on children’s ability to calculate maths mentally. The Government actively encourages community and business involvement in education, with schemes such as Reading Partners and Partners in Leadership. However, despite schools’ need for support with the implementation of the National Numeracy Strategy, there is no comparable nationwide scheme for maths. Over the last three years, Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, Educational Communications, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, HSBC and KPMG have been running Number Partners volunteering schemes in London, working with schools to improve standards in maths. Over 400 volunteers from these companies and others have played an important part in boosting the confidence and performance in maths of hundreds of children. Now these organisations have formed a consortium to encourage the adoption of the scheme throughout the country. We aim to encourage businesses and schools to work together, to make maths more fun for a generation of school pupils. The more organisations join the scheme, the greater the potential for more children to reach the standard of maths expected of them when they leave primary school.

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What is Number Partners? Number Partners is a volunteering scheme that brings together business volunteers and schools. The scheme provides extra help with maths for children aged from 7 to 11, as well as giving them added confidence and access to additional adult role-models from outside their usual circle.

Mechanics of scheme

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Education Business Partnership or other education partner (Education Action Zone, Local Education Authority advisory team, Numeracy Strategy team) matches local companies with schools and/or

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Company registers for the scheme, makes links with school and receives handbooks for co-ordinator and volunteers

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Company co-ordinator recruits volunteers

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Volunteers briefed about the scheme by education partner and trained as Number Partners

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Games and other materials supplied to the school

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Schools select appropriate pupils

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Volunteers meet teachers (e.g. maths co-ordinator or headteacher) and children, for introduction to the school’s background and aims

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Volunteers go into schools once a week to work with up to two children

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Co-ordinator checks scheme is running smoothly

Roles and responsibilities The education partner’s role

The company co-ordinator’s role

The volunteer’s role

Volunteers can use various games in their sessions with the children. Games produced by BEAM Education* were trialled extensively by Number Partners, and are well adapted for use as part of the scheme, although there are many other games that would be useful, such as the 24 Game® from Summus*. Every volunteer will receive a handbook giving them guidance on how to work with children, a code of conduct, activity and game ideas, vocabulary terms that are used in maths teaching and a diary to record children’s progress.

What happens in a typical visit to a school?

“I usually arrive at the school 5 or 10 minutes before my session starts, so I can have a quick chat with the teacher and catch up on what’s been going on with my kids. Pamela and Abdul collect me from the main corridor and we go along to the library. It usually takes a while to get them going, so we have a chat about what they’ve been doing in class in the past week. Sometimes we do some work with number lines or cards, then we choose a game which we play together for about twenty minutes. I try to get them to tell me how they arrive at their answers, and they’re sometimes not very confident, but now that I’ve been working with them for three months, they’re getting better. At the end of a session, we fill in their diaries which I leave for their teacher, before heading off back to the office.” Number Partner, Lambeth

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*BEAM Education 020 7684 3323; Summus 01788 551441

An EBP or other education partner wishing to set up the Number Partners scheme in their area will know of lots of schools that would benefit from, and are seeking, added help with maths. It is therefore a case of finding companies to pair with the schools, and promoting the scheme. An education partner should also become involved in the delivery of briefings to a number of volunteers in their area.

A company joining the Number Partners scheme needs an in-house co-ordinator, whose role is to liaise with the partner school or schools, publicise the scheme within the company, recruit volunteers and arrange for them to be trained. They arrange suitable dates and times for the visits and act as a point of contact for the teachers and volunteers. Once the scheme is up and running, it is the co-ordinator’s job to ensure that all the questionnaires are completed once a year and forwarded to the Number Partners central co-ordinator for evaluation.

Number Partners volunteers needn’t be mathematical geniuses, accountants or bankers. They just need to like children, be good listeners and be enthusiastic about learning. It’s also important that they can commit to giving the time needed for travel to and from the school, plus around half an hour with the children, on a weekly basis, and that they don’t let their partners (the children) down. Regularity and continuity of visits is very important for the progress of the children involved in Number Partners. Volunteers attend a briefing session and/or receive a training pack and visit the school to meet their partner children and the teachers. They then spend around half an hour a week, preferably either at the start of the day or at lunchtime, in school working and playing with the children, using board games and any other resources the school has to hand. Regular catch-ups with the children’s teacher help the sessions go as well as possible for everyone.

10 Questionnaires completed regularly by all involved

Support materials

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The school’s role

The scheme is targeted at 7 to 11 year olds (Key Stage 2, or P4 to 7 in Scotland), and most appropriately involves children who may not be fulfilling their potential, or who would benefit from additional support. Class teachers or maths co-ordinators choose the most suitable pairings of children for the scheme. An important part of their role is liaising with the volunteers as often as possible to keep up to date with progress, and to advise on children’s performance and behaviour. They can also select the games which they feel might be most appropriate for the Number Partners to use. Teachers might also like to inform parents that their children are working with a Number Partner. On a practical level, they need to arrange a suitable space for the sessions to take place and ensure that other staff know who the volunteers are.

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Benefits of Number Partners

Summary of evaluation

Evaluation of the Number Partners scheme has proved beneficial for all involved:

Joining the scheme



Children gain in confidence and skills when it comes to their maths work, and their work with an adult who isn’t a teacher boosts their attitude to learning.



Volunteers report great personal satisfaction from their involvement in the scheme, as well as improved communication skills. Some even improve their maths skills!



A company joining the scheme can expect their staff to develop a better attitude toward them as an employer. Volunteers feel good, working for an organisation that ‘gives something back’. And in some instances, joining Number Partners can lead to permanent links being forged with a local school, with added opportunities for PR.



Schools value the extra support and benefits brought to the children.

When a company joins the Number Partners scheme, some financial contribution will be required for handbooks, games and for the support network that the scheme provides, including annual evaluation of the scheme. This cost is dependent on the scale of a company’s involvement and the number of volunteers. The founding partners are also interested in hearing from other key participants who would contribute towards the development of the scheme, to publicise it and assist with the development of other resources to support Number Partners around the country. Whether you are an EBP or other education partner looking for a new scheme for your area, a large or small company interested in adopting the scheme or a potential volunteer who feels their employer might like to join Number Partners, please register with the Number Partners central co-ordinator for further details. By the autumn term 2001 Number Partners could be working in a school near you!

Since Number Partners started in 1998, it has been evaluated regularly and improved to ensure that all those involved are benefiting as much as possible. Volunteers, teachers, partner companies and even children complete questionnaires and the results are fed back to participants.

Number Partners Information Officer

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The Number Partners scheme is effective in terms of:

tel: 020 7566 8735 email: [email protected] Please ensure you give your name and the name of your organisation, and a contact telephone number.

Benefits for volunteers

Benefits for employers

Benefits for children

its child-centred approach meeting specific educational needs providing a unique and valuable service to schools. improved interpersonal and communication skills increased motivation at work and improved attitude towards employers increased self-confidence enjoyment from collaborating with colleagues on a worthwhile project. raised motivation and morale among employees positive image of the company externally employees feel more positive working for a company involved in this type of scheme



development of time management and communication skills in volunteers.

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increased motivation and interest in maths improvement in mental calculations and strategies greater confidence in classroom.

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Some people call it a learning curve. We call it a smile.

Number Partners is an innovative scheme which promotes the enjoyment of maths amongst children in primary schools. It supports the Government’s National Numeracy Strategy, focusing on those youngsters who need extra support with maths. This partnership between business and local communities recognises the importance of numeracy to every child’s long-term prospects. The Number Partners scheme has been implemented in Tower Hamlets, Lambeth, Islington and Newham boroughs, involving a large number of business volunteers. A voluntary, public and private sector consortium is working to promote the scheme to a wider audience. As the scheme goes nationwide:



More children will improve their ability and confidence through the use of child-friendly games and puzzles and the dedicated attention of their Number Partner

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More teachers will enjoy the extra support that Number Partner volunteers bring



More positive relationships will be formed between adults and children in the community, from which everyone will benefit.

More volunteers – from all areas of business – will develop their personal and business skills through their weekly visits to schools

Number Partners involves motivated people giving up a few hours per month. Equally importantly, it involves a company providing them with the time and resources to do so. If you’d like to find out how you can help and why everyone will benefit if you do, please contact the Number Partners Information Officer on 020 7566 8735, email [email protected]. Founder Number Partners comprise Business in the Community, Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, Educational Communications, Freshfield Bruckhaus Deringer, HSBC, KPMG and Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership.