St Aloysius RC Primary School, Camden, partnered with Faithfull & Gould
"It's good it helps us get better. Before I was struggling a
bit. I feel more confident in numeracy." Year 5
pupil
"I'm learning. I want it to continue because before I was
rubbish and now I'm getting better and better at division."
Year 5 pupil
Background to the scheme
The school became involved in Number Partners with Faithfull
& Gould two years ago. Pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 take
part in this scheme (8 -11 year olds). Partners attend the
school weekly for sessions of 30 minutes. There are currently six
Number Partners providing input for the school each working with
two pupils.
Faithfull & Gould have paid for resources (mathematical
games) which address key mathematical skills.
What do they do in a typical session?
Partners are provided with areas for development for each pupil
and work with them through games which will support pupil
progress. Each session provokes plenty of discussion and
misconceptions can be addressed in a relaxed setting.
Feedback from pupils and partners show that these sessions are
mutually enjoyable. Our pupils respond well to the 1:2 adult
input.
What impact do the Number Partners sessions have on the
students' numeracy skills?
Class teachers report that pupils are more confident and
contribute more in discussion. Our pupil progress data shows
that pupils who have received input in Number Partners have reached
their targets and some have exceeded them.
Do you think there are additional benefits for the
students taking part?
A huge factor for our pupils is the relationship with the
Partner usually lasts across the whole year. Children enjoy
the interaction and are open to learning. They gain
confidence and learn to correct mistakes without feeling under
pressure. The Partners are friendly and fun.
Partners have attended whole school occasions such as Christmas
plays and assemblies where children have received certificates for
being part of the scheme. Our children feel special when they
are involved in Number Partners.
Ways in which the Number Partners programme has
benefited the volunteers involved
Comments from volunteers include the following:
"I thoroughly enjoy the volunteer work and am genuinely
disappointed when I have to miss a session due to work
pressures."
"Working as a Number Partners volunteer really makes a
positive difference to my Tuesdays. The nature of working
with the children requires me to move away from my usual
environment and 'think outside the box' to help the children with
their maths whilst chatting and encouraging them to work through
the problems. It is a very rewarding experience, not only
from the point of view of them looking forward to your visit, but
to seeing them improve and fire back answers to you which each week
gets quicker and quicker so that you challenge yourself to come up
with harder questions."