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Maths

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How this topic helps your child's learning

Whether we are checking our bank account or a bill, counting our change in the shop or planning the shortest journey between two places - maths is involved. Of course, your children don't have to tackle these "grown-up" problems just now. But the time will come.

This module is designed to help young children (4-7 years) get to grips with numbers and start to understand the problem-solving process.

The activities are all targeted to the DfES National Strategies Primary Framework for literacy and mathematics, which you will find online at: www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primaryframeworks/

History of the maths project

As part of our commitment to supporting key and basic skills, Boots wanted to support a Maths project back in the year 2000 as part of 'the year of numeracy'. This also coincided with the launch of numeracy hour in schools. Working with local primary teachers, an idea was put forward to develop a Key Stage 1 (5-7 year olds) Big Book resource. The aim of the resource was to bring maths to life using our one of our main warehouses (D82) as a context for learning.

testing the big book in schoolsThe Big Book was written by three local teachers, Helen Bent, Liz Youngman and Lynda Johns. Three pilot Big Books were tested and the resource was evaluated at a national Numeracy conference organised by CRAC which was hosted by Boots. From the pilot and conference feedback the resource was redeveloped.

During redevelopment our objectives were as follows.

1. To enhance the resource based on the feedback and evaluation.
2. To distribute the Big Book to every primary school in Nottinghamshire in partnership
with Nottingham Education Business Alliance.
3. To produce a web based version on bootslearningstore.com with supporting teachers notes and downloadable resources.
4. To use the Big Book as part of an employee volunteering programme in partnership with Nottingham Education Business Alliance.

What the teachers said:-

"An enjoyable way to make maths topics relevant to everyday work and life"

Liz Youngman, Banks Road Infant School

"Making maths 'real' is very important to me. This strong link proves to be very successful"

Emma Lewis, Annesley Primary School

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Partnership with NEBA

The Nottinghamshire Education Business Alliance (NEBA) was instrumental in bringing together local teachers to discuss ideas for the maths project. NEBA facilitated teacher placement days, visits to the Boots headquarters and the workshops to produce the resource.

Working with Initial Design who helped developed the pilot, 1000 Big Books have been printed. These will be distributed to all Nottinghamshire Primary schools in conjunction with a employee volunteering programme managed by NEBA.

The aim is similar to the Literacy volunteer programmes that many businesses already participate in. Volunteers will be encouraged to go into schools to introduce the Maths In the Warehouse Big Book and work with the children in developing their numeracy skills. Volunteers from a number of Nottinghamshire businesses, including Boots, are taking part in the project.

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