Numeracy

At Harris Academy Purley we believe numeracy is one of the most important life skills

We ensure that our students are able to develop their understanding of cross-curricular Mathematics. Numeracy is the foundation of mathematics, and as such the concepts learnt in school are necessary for understanding more advanced mathematics, such as quadratic equations, statistical analysis and calculus.

Modern life is increasingly digital, presenting us with more and more numerical data. Although computers and calculators can carry out many of the necessary calculations for us, we need to know which order to enter the numbers, and whether the answer we get is reasonable. Numeracy skills are those you need to do a job (for example, using spreadsheets, calculating invoices) or to be an engaged citizen (for example, making sense of statistics reported in the media). Numeracy is also the ability to perform simple number calculations - a subset therefore of wider mathematics.

Did you know?

• Maths helps your child continue with his/her studies in other subjects;
• Maths A level keeps options open when applying to university;
• Approximately 90% of graduate jobs require a high level of digital skill;
• Maths graduates have the lowest levels of unemployment;
• Maths is used extensively in some of the best paid jobs: Finance – accountancy, banking, actuarial work; Computing – software, internet, telecommunications; Engineering – manufacturing, surveying, architecture

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What can you do to support Numeracy at home?

At Harris Academy Purley, we work hard to support your child’s Numeracy development in all subjects and we would welcome any time you could devote to this at home.

It would be useful if you would also:

• Show them how we use Maths skills in our everyday lives and to involve your child in this
• Identifying problems and solving them can also help your child develop Maths skills; If you see him or her puzzling over something, talk about the problem and try to work out the solution together
• Don't shy away from Maths if you didn’t like it at school. Try to find new ways to enjoy the subject with your child
• Take your child shopping and talk about the quantities of anything you buy
• Let your child handle money and work out how much things cost
• When taking transport, work out the journey times and encourage them to plan journeys together

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Numeracy Action Plan

	Action/Strategy	Timescale	Staff Leading
Numeracy Intervention Club for Year 7	Weekly sessions providing extra support for identified students to ensure they are secondary school ready	November to December	CDO / NBO
Numeracy Intervention Club for Year 8	Weekly sessions providing extra support for identified students to boost their numeracy skills	January to February	CDO / NBO
National Numeracy Day	Follow the national programme where students are engaged in numeracy related activities throughout the day.	May	All Staff / CDO