We began the spring term with a burst of excitement and curiosity as the whole school took part in our very first Maths Explorer Day. This special event was designed to inspire children and show them that maths is not just something we do in the classroom. We can us maths to explore the world around us.
Throughout the day, children worked in their new house teams to build a sense of collaboration. The aim was to give every child the chance to see maths in action through real-life challenges and creative tasks that encouraged problem solving and teamwork.
The day began with an assembly that introduced the idea of becoming a “Maths Explorer.” Children were invited to take on the role of adventurers. We talked about how maths is everywhere from nature and art to architecture and space. We shared the inspiring story of Katherine Johnson, a NASA mathematician whose work helped launch astronauts into orbit.
Each house team rotated through four exciting challenges, each led by a different teacher:
- In Shape Exploration, children went on a treasure hunt to find and classify shapes in their environment.
- Maths in Nature focused on estimation and measurement, encouraging children to use maths to make sense of the natural world.
- Maths Art gave pupils the chance to explore symmetry, pattern and design through creative tasks.
- In Maths and Maps, children used coordinates and directional language to navigate and solve problems.
These activities were carefully designed to link with our curriculum and reinforce key mathematical skills, while also showing children how maths connects to everyday life. The day supported our ongoing focus on fluency, reasoning and problem solving, and complemented our daily maths fluency sessions and keep-up interventions by building confidence and engagement in a fun and meaningful way.
Maths Explorer Day was a huge success. Children were enthusiastic, focused and proud of their achievements. More importantly, they left the day with a renewed sense of excitement about maths and a deeper understanding of how it helps us explore, understand and shape the world.