The Primary Maths Podcast

Florence Nightingale: The Lady with the Graph

In this lighter half-term Aftermaths episode, Jon and Becky take a wander through some of the unexpected maths hiding in everyday life. First up: Samba the escaped capybara, who, at the time of recording, was still causing confusion somewhere near Hampshire. Is it a capybara? Is it a muntjac deer? Has someone accidentally taken in the world’s largest “stray cat”? Hard to say. Becky then takes us into the very British world of weather watching, comparing forecasts, choosing the one we like best, and wondering what a “40% chance of rain” actually means. Along the way, there’s discussion of probability, percentages, wind speed, temperature, 24-hour time, tide times, and the slightly chaotic business of trying to predict British weather. Jon then shares the story of Florence Nightingale, not just as “the Lady with the Lamp”, but as something else entirely: the Lady with the Graph. Through her use of statistics, record keeping and visual data, Nightingale helped show that far more soldiers were dying from disease and poor hospital conditions than from battle wounds. Her famous polar area diagram became a powerful argument for reform, showing how maths can be used not just to describe the world, but to change it. The Science Museum describes her diagram as showing causes of soldiers’ deaths across two years in Crimea, while the National Army Museum notes the dire conditions at Scutari, where the hospital was dirty, vermin-ridden and lacking basic equipment. There’s also a Derbyshire connection, as Jon explains Florence Nightingale’s links to Lea Hurst near Matlock, the Nightingale family’s Derbyshire home. IN THIS EPISODE * The ongoing mystery of Samba the capybara * Why weather apps are full of maths * What “chance of rain” really means * British weather, rounding, chaos theory and hedging your bets * Florence Nightingale’s Derbyshire connections * How Nightingale used data visualisation to argue for hospital reform * Why graphs can sometimes tell a story more powerfully than tables of numbers

Why Problem Solving Needs to be Taught - AfterMaths

In this Aftermaths episode of The Primary Maths Podcast, Jon and Becky chat about the strange, busy, slightly chaotic stretch of the school year just before half term, from transition days and sports events to staffing conversations and year group changes. They reflect on how different primary teaching can feel from one year group to another, and why every phase, from EYFS and Key Stage 1 through to Year 6, needs strong subject knowledge and careful teaching. The main discussion focuses on working systematically as a key problem solving strategy in primary maths. Jon and Becky explore why pupils are often told to “work systematically” without necessarily being taught what that actually means. They discuss how the skill develops from early sorting and ordering in Key Stage 1, through to recording possibilities, finding combinations, identifying factor pairs, proving that all solutions have been found, and eventually supporting algebraic thinking. They also consider why working systematically is not just a SATs strategy, but an important part of pupils’ wider mathematical toolkit. Topics include: * why summer term can feel particularly busy in primary schools * the challenge of year group moves and staffing decisions * why early maths teaching matters so much * how gaps in Key Stage 1 can affect later success in Key Stage 2 * what working systematically looks like in primary maths * why problem solving strategies need to be explicitly taught * using sorting, ordering and recording to support systematic thinking * factor pairs, common multiples and combinations * helping pupils prove they have found all possible solutions * the role of manipulatives, representations and talk * Twinkl’s new problem solving collection * upcoming TeachMeet CPD on working systematically and using models

Building Maths Confidence with National Numeracy

In this episode of The Primary Maths Podcast, Jon is joined by Paul Milner and Julie Pompa from National Numeracy [https://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] to talk about number confidence, family engagement and the role schools can play in helping children and adults feel more positive about maths. Paul and Julie share the story behind National Numeracy’s work, including why adult numeracy matters and how confidence can be just as important as skill. They discuss the idea that many adults carry negative experiences of maths with them, and how those messages can shape the way children see themselves as mathematicians. The conversation explores National Numeracy’s model of value, belief and persistence, and why adults need to see a reason to improve, believe that improvement is possible, and understand that mistakes and discomfort are part of learning. Jon, Paul and Julie also discuss the Schools and Families Programme [https://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/helping-children-maths/schools/schools-families-programme?utm_source=chatgpt.com], which supports primary schools to work with families so that pupils feel more positive about maths and understand the value of numeracy beyond the classroom. There is also a focus on National Numeracy Day 2026 [https://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/numeracyday?utm_source=chatgpt.com], which takes place on Wednesday 20 May 2026. This year’s theme is Count on Your Community, encouraging schools, workplaces, organisations and community groups to help children and adults feel more confident with numbers at work, at home and at school. In this episode, we discuss: * why confidence is such an important part of numeracy * how adults’ experiences of maths can affect children * the difference between maths as a school subject and numeracy in daily life * why parents and carers do not need to be “maths people” to support their children * the role of mistakes, persistence and positive talk in maths learning * how schools can engage families without adding unnecessary workload * what National Numeracy Day offers to schools and communities USEFUL LINKS National Numeracy [https://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/?utm_source=chatgpt.com] National Numeracy Day 2026 [https://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/numeracyday?utm_source=chatgpt.com] National Numeracy Day 2026 schools sign-up [https://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/numeracyday/signup-schools?utm_source=chatgpt.com] Schools and Families Programme [https://www.nationalnumeracy.org.uk/helping-children-maths/schools/schools-families-programme?utm_source=chatgpt.com] To get in touch with the podcast, email primarymathspodcast@twinkl.co.uk. Becky and Jon will be back on Friday with another Aftermaths episode.

Why Doodling Belongs in Maths Lessons - AfterMaths

In this Aftermaths episode of The Primary Maths Podcast, Jon and Becky reflect on a very maths-filled week, from Key Stage 2 SATs to International Women in Mathematics Day, with a little bit of football stadium chat thrown in for good measure. Jon and Becky begin by talking about SATs week and the difficult balance teachers face in preparing children well without making the tests feel bigger than they are. They consider the early reactions to this year’s papers, the pressure pupils can feel, and why the final memories of primary maths really matter. They also look ahead to the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check. Jon discusses why fluency with multiplication facts matters, but also why recall alone is not the whole story. Knowing a fact is useful, but pupils also need to understand how to use it. Jon then shares reflections from an early maths conference at the King Power Stadium in Leicester, including sessions on maths at home, oracy, bilingual learners and mathematical language. There is plenty to think about here for teachers and maths leads, especially around the role of families in noticing and talking about numbers in the world around them. Becky’s Maths of Life segment marks International Women in Mathematics Day by looking at the work of Maryam Mirzakhani, the first woman to win the Fields Medal. This leads to a lovely discussion about doodling, jotting, visualising and why mathematical thinking does not always need to be neat, polished or trapped inside the squares of a maths book. As ever, there are practical reflections for teachers, school leaders and anyone interested in how children come to see themselves as mathematical thinkers. Listen, subscribe and get in touch: Email: primarymathspodcast@twinkl.co.uk Jon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncripwell/ Primary Maths Podcast Substack: https://primarymathspodcast.substack.com/

Time Zones, Test Week and Teaching with Representations - AfterMaths

Becky is back from America, which means Aftermaths is back to its usual rhythm of maths chat, gentle chaos and slightly overconfident linking between topics. In this episode, Jon and Becky begin by looking ahead to Key Stage 2 SATs week, reflecting on the pressure pupils, parents and schools can feel, while also remembering some of the stranger moments from past SATs papers, including giraffes, warthogs and the famous “bewilderment” question. Jon then shares a staff meeting idea about representations in maths, using improper fractions, mixed numbers and counters to explore when manipulatives help children see the structure of the mathematics, and when they can become an inefficient crutch. It leads into a wider discussion about fluency, efficiency, conceptual understanding and the importance of moving pupils intentionally from representation towards more efficient methods. For this week’s Maths of Life, Becky brings back some travel-inspired mathematics from her trip to Washington State. A flight from London to Seattle leads to a conversation about time zones, longitude, negative numbers, the international date line, China’s single time zone, and why France technically has more time zones than Russia. Finally, Jon and Becky return to the recent EEF and UCL research on mixed attainment grouping and setting. They discuss why the headline findings need careful interpretation, the importance of what actually happens in the classroom, and why access to high-quality teaching matters for all pupils, particularly those with gaps to close. You can find the updated Twinkl PlanIt Maths time units here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/dltpv [https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/dltpv] You can connect with Jon on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncripwell/ You can subscribe to the Primary Maths Podcast Substack here: https://primarymathspodcast.substack.com/ And you can get in touch with the show by emailing: primarymathspodcast@twinkl.co.uk