Maths roadshow visiting Guernsey primary schools

A teacher from Elizabeth College is running a maths roadshow, visiting every primary school in Guernsey.

The scheme is part of the college’s Primary Partnership Programme, which works with primary schools to provide extra interactive sessions in all subjects.

The roadshow had already proved popular and had been extended to all Year 5 classes in the island, organisers said.

Duncan Loweth said he hoped to encourage resilience and perseverance and inspire pupils in all aspects of their learning.

Mr Loweth is delivering the sessions to Year 5 groups with Year 8 helpers from Elizabeth College.

He said the roadshow was designed to present pupils with problem-solving challenges and puzzles which were aimed at improving their logic and reasoning skills.

The materials for the sessions all fit into one suitcase which was unpacked and the materials spread around the room, allowing the children to move around in small groups while solving puzzles, he said.

Mr Loweth said: “Witnessing [the pupils’] curiosity and engagement with the logic puzzles is truly heartening.

"It reinforces the importance of fostering a love for mathematics at an early age.

"I’m particularly pleased when pupils realise that they are still learning about the maths and logic even when they don’t find a solution to a problem and that keeping going is in itself a measure of success.”

The project has been supported by the States Primary Learning and Development Department.

Kim Hutchison, head of Primary Learning and Development, said: “Duncan set up the roadshow in an effort to provide specialised maths expertise within the primary school and to encourage wider collaboration and partnership across the island with the goal of securing excellent maths provision for all.”

“This kind of collaborative working is hugely beneficial to our students, and making a sometimes-daunting subject such as maths into something engaging and stimulating is key to its teaching.”