In this episode of The Primary Maths Podcast, Jon is joined by Bryn Llewellyn from Move and Learn, Paula Manser, headteacher at Birkby Infant and Nursery School, and Danielle Laramie, maths lead and assistant headteacher at Birkby.

Together, they explore what active learning really means in primary maths and, just as importantly, what it does not mean. This is not about children running around the classroom for the sake of it. It is about purposeful movement that supports attention, participation, memory, oracy and mathematical thinking.

Paula and Danielle share how active learning has become part of the everyday culture at Birkby Infant and Nursery School, a large, diverse school with high levels of EAL, SEND and pupil mobility. They explain how carefully chosen games and routines help children engage with mathematical ideas, demonstrate understanding, talk in full sentences and take part without always relying on spoken answers.

Bryn explains the thinking behind Move and Learn, including how movement can support retrieval, modelling, connection and creation. He also discusses the importance of simple routines, low-cost resources and building a classroom culture where children understand why movement is being used to support learning.

The conversation includes practical examples such as cone games, tick and cross activities, yoga poses for multiple choice answers, partner talk and sentence stems. It also explores how active learning can fit naturally within a mastery approach, supporting small steps, rehearsal, reasoning and whole-class participation.

This episode is especially useful for primary teachers, maths leads, senior leaders and anyone interested in making maths lessons more active, inclusive and engaging without losing sight of the learning intention.

You can find out more about Move and Learn here:

https://moveandlearn.co.uk/

Bryn also mentions the book How to Move and Learn, written by Ian Holmes, Bryn Llewellyn and Rich Allman, published by Crown House. https://www.crownhouse.co.uk/how-to-move-learn

TEDx Talk with Prof Andy Daly-Smith - https://youtu.be/tARSCzHLF5g?si=4tH_WZEYtkgLgzEo

Birkby Infant & Nursery School (Centre of Excellence video) - https://moveandlearn.co.uk/case-studies

You can get in touch with the podcast by emailing:

primarymathspodcast@twinkl.co.uk

You can connect with Jon on LinkedIn here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncripwell/

And you can subscribe to the Primary Maths Podcast Substack here:

https://primarymathspodcast.substack.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe or follow the podcast wherever you listen, leave a rating or review, and share it with a colleague who might be interested in making maths lessons more active, purposeful and engaging.

In this Aftermaths episode of The Primary Maths Podcast, Jon is joined by returning guest Ash Morris for a Friday conversation that begins with National Space Day and ends with one of the most talked-about education reports of the week.

Ash shares some suitably mind-bending space facts, including moon rocks, sunlight, Apollo, Artemis and why the Moon might be thought of as Earth’s child. Jon also remembers the author he forgot during the episode: Andy Weir, who wrote The Martian and Project Hail Mary, both brilliant examples of science-rich storytelling.

The second half of the episode turns to the new Student Grouping Study from the Education Endowment Foundation and UCL Institute of Education. The study looked at Year 7 and Year 8 maths classes, comparing pupils taught in mixed attainment groups with those taught in sets by prior attainment.

Jon reflects on what the findings might mean for primary maths, especially for teachers and leaders thinking carefully about mixed attainment teaching, challenge, lesson design and pupil confidence. The episode does not treat the report as a simple argument for or against setting. Instead, it asks a more useful question: what does any grouping model require teachers to think about?

If mixed attainment teaching is going to work well, pupils need access to the lesson, but they also need sufficient challenge. That means thinking carefully about pitch, representations, questioning, task design and how deeper thinking is built into the learning, rather than added on as a disconnected extension task.

The episode also considers the impact that grouping can have on pupils’ mathematical identity. In primary classrooms especially, children are often very aware of who is seen as “good at maths” and who is not. So the way we group pupils is never just a logistical decision. It can shape confidence, opportunity and how children see themselves as mathematicians.

You can read the EEF Student Grouping Study here:

https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-and-evaluation/projects/student-grouping-study

You can find Ash on STEM Conversations, another Twinkl podcast, available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you usually get your podcasts.

You can find 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 listen to The Primary Maths Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or wherever you usually get your podcasts. If you enjoy the episode, please subscribe, leave a rating or review, and share it with a colleague who is thinking carefully about grouping, challenge and mixed attainment teaching.

In this episode of The Primary Maths Podcast, Jon is joined by Kate Henshall and Kat Martin from Rethink Maths for a conversation about lesson design, task design and how we help children move beyond simply completing work towards deeper mathematical thinking.

Kate and Kat share their own experiences of maths at school, including how conceptual understanding, representations and manipulatives transformed the way they thought about the subject. The conversation then explores what we really mean by foundational knowledge in maths, and why that phrase needs careful thought if it is to be useful in classrooms rather than just another piece of educational terminology.

They discuss the importance of knowing what we want children to notice, how teachers can adapt schemes and resources without losing sight of the underlying principles, and why intellectual preparation matters even when high-quality materials are already available. There is also a strong focus on slowing down, asking better questions, choosing representations carefully and creating space for pupils to reason, explain and explore.

Along the way, Jon, Kate and Kat consider the tension between coverage, accountability and deep understanding, as well as the role of oracy, manipulatives, scaffolding and authentic questions in helping children engage more meaningfully with mathematics.

If you are interested in helping pupils think more deeply, make connections and experience maths as something to explore rather than simply complete, this episode is well worth a listen.

Kate Henshall is Education Director at Rethink Maths. She has previously worked as Deputy Director of Education and has experience as a primary teacher, maths leader and mastery specialist.

Kat Martin is Director of Foundations at Rethink Maths. She has previously worked as Head of International Development, supporting foundational numeracy work internationally, and has a background as a primary teacher and senior leader.

You can find out more about Rethink Maths at rethinkmaths.co.uk.

You can connect with Jon on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncripwell/

You can subscribe to the Primary Maths Podcast Substack at https://primarymathspodcast.substack.com/

To suggest a topic or guest for the podcast, email primarymathspodcast@twinkl.co.uk