I can Just use a Calculator

Looking back, I don’t think my family and friends ever fully understood the impact Maths had on me growing up. As a high achiever from a family that held education in high regard, failure wasn’t an option. But Maths? It was my Achilles’ heel.

The way Maths was taught in my middle school was woefully inadequate. I still remember those lessons: shelves crammed with textbooks, each of us working through questions from cover to cover. Once a book was finished, we’d take it to the teacher for marking and then move on to the next. No corrections, no discussions—just a conveyor belt of exercises. To make matters worse, the answers were in the back of the textbook, a tempting shortcut for anyone struggling. It wasn’t teaching; it was disorganised babysitting. Unsurprisingly, I ended up with significant gaps in my understanding.

In high school, it was different. The teachers were skilled and knowledgeable, and they knew that teaching was so much more than worksheets. But for many of us, it was too late. The gaps had grown, and we were streamed accordingly. That’s when the thread unraveled. I was high achieving, hardworking and well-behaved, so I was placed in the top set. Nobody realised I was high achieving in other subjects but not Maths. I scraped by and masked my lack of competence by sitting unseen in the back row where the well-behaved pupils were allowed to sit. It was a recipe for algebraic disaster! That is where I sat for three years of Maths lessons. I sat patiently and quietly and understood about 20% of what I needed to. Who needed to know what ‘n’ was worth, anyway? What even was algebra, and when would I use it?

As GCSEs loomed, I begged my teacher and parents to let me sit the foundation paper, thinking it gave me the best chance of getting a C, but (and I’m paraphrasing here) I was told no as ‘high achievers don’t do the foundation tier’.

Somehow, I got that C, but it was more a miracle than a reflection of my understanding. I moved forward with the relief that from then on, I could just use a calculator to face the rest of my life. Little did I know.

The Scale of the Problem

My story isn’t unique. According to National Numeracy, a staggering 58% of working-age adults in the UK—around 24 million people—have low numeracy skills, costing the economy £25 billion annually. For many, Maths isn’t just difficult, it’s a barrier to success.

The statistics paint a concerning picture. Pupils facing deprivation are, on average, 18 months behind in Maths by the time they sit their GCSEs. Worse still, by age 5, 43% of disadvantaged pupils have not reached a good level of numeracy (Nesta, 2022). Had my story included a lower starting point, I doubt I’d have cleared the hurdles to achieve a Maths GCSE. It’s a sobering thought.

The Solution

Today, the teaching of Maths looks very different from my school days. Thanks to initiatives like Maths Hubs, the Mastery Approach, and a wealth of resources available to pupils, there have been huge strides forward. But challenges remain. Too many children still leave school without the strong mathematical foundations they need.

The solution is twofold:

Build strong foundations from the start. Don’t move pupils forward until they are secure in their understanding.
Address gaps early and effectively. Have a clear strategy for identifying and closing gaps before they become unmanageable.

To use a building analogy: If the foundation of a house isn’t built correctly, cracks will eventually appear, and the structure will falter. It’s the same with Maths—without a solid base, the higher-level concepts simply don’t stick.

What CoachBright can do

Coaching is a game-changer for young people. I often wonder how different my experience could have been if I’d had access to a coach who understood my struggles and gave me tailored support.

At CoachBright, we’re particularly excited to expand our Peer-to-Peer Programme into more schools, in partnership with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). We have strong evidence that it not only boosts academic skills but fosters confidence and emotional resilience.

Sign up for our EEF webinar by clicking the image.

The initiative empowers older pupils to coach younger ones, unlocking leadership potential while closing learning gaps. It’s a fantastic opportunity for schools and something I know would have made a world of difference during my school years. For more information, sign up for a webinar at bit.ly/eefwebinarsignup or email us at eef@coachbright.org.

But I can just use a calculator… Right?

Wrong. Imagine my surprise when my career in teaching required me not just to understand Maths but to teach it! If someone had told 14-year-old me that I’d end up explaining fractions to 10-year-olds, I would’ve laughed (and probably panicked). But having to teach Maths was the thing that made me understand it myself. Things finally clicked, and while I might not be Archimedes, I am light years away from the girl sitting silently at the back of the classroom.

It turns out that my struggles became my superpower! Because I had found Maths so challenging, I became fiercely dedicated to ensuring no child in my classroom ever felt invisible or overwhelmed. I was relentless about addressing even the tiniest gaps in understanding, knowing firsthand how quickly those gaps can grow.

Leveling the Playing Field

Maths isn’t just about numbers; it’s about opportunity. I was one of the lucky ones—supported by family and grit—but many aren’t as fortunate.

That’s where initiatives like coaching can make all the difference, helping to level an uneven playing field.

If you want to be part of this journey, we’d love to hear from you. Help us create a brighter future for every pupil.