To celebrate National Numeracy Day, the West Ham United Foundation joined forces with the National Numeracy charity, as well as its ambassadors – Katya Jones from Strictly Come Dancing and BBC personality Bobby Seagull – to deliver a day filled with maths-centric activities to get children across the country excited about numbers.
According to a Skills for Life survey, approximately half of UK adults possess numeracy skills equivalent to those expected of primary school children. To try and mitigate this, the National Numeracy charity designated 17 May as National Numeracy Day, hosting a day packed with fun, live streamed to schools across the country with the intention of reshaping perceptions about maths and fostering a more positive mindset towards the subject.
“It’s been brilliant to have the West Ham United Foundation involved in National Numeracy Day and supporting and promoting our initiative,” said CEO National Numeracy CEO Sam Simms. “Maths is absolutely everywhere in our lives. We’re all using it every single day, so it’s essential to show young people how maths relates to their everyday lives, whether that’s through dancing, football or any other medium. It’s crucial that we engage young people to really see the benefit and value maths can bring to their lives.”
The focus of the activities was spreading the message that talent for numbers is not something you’re born with, rather something you develop. The key is not being afraid, but embracing the challenges that maths has to offer, and taking your time to resolve problems. In other words, skills that can be applied to a multitude of subjects and professions.
“When people say they ‘can’t do maths’ or they’re not a ‘maths person’, I think that’s wrong,” noted WHUF Education Ambassador Bobby Seagull. “I think it’s just that they’ve had negative experiences at school or in their life that’s made them think they can’t do it.
“By trying more maths in daily life, you can grow to feel more confident with it, so I think it’s a skill we can all learn. I’m hoping events such as today can help children have a more positive feeling towards numbers and embrace the challenges it has to offer.”
Hosted at West Ham United Foundation’s Premier League Primary Stars partner school, Rosetta Primary, the numeracy activities kicked off with an energetic warm-up dance from Katya Jones. Adding to the excitement, the event welcomed special guests CBeebies Numberblock One, beloved by young learners, and Hammerhead, West Ham United’s mascot and impressive dancer in his own right.
“I found National Numeracy Day really entertaining,” said Bella. “The dance and the quiz were really fun and it was great to see Numberblock One and Hammerhead get involved! Today made me really excited and happy about maths.”
“We’ve been working quite closely with Rosetta Primary for the past year and a half,” added WHUF Premier League Primary Stars Manager Nick Crickmar. “We always encourage activities like these because we recognise the power and the benefits they bring to the children that take part.
"By working closely with the community, we are able to effectively instil the values of our Club and leverage its profound impact, particularly within academic environments. Numeracy holds immense significance for us, and it has been a primary focus for us in recent weeks. Harnessing the power of football and our club's badge, we've successfully spread the message we wanted to share."
Following the dance, the children got involved in Bobby Seagull’s Big Number Fun quiz, eagerly putting their maths skills to the test.
“Having numeracy skills is not just super important for schoolchildren, but also for adults,” insisted Seagull. “For schoolchildren, developing that confidence at a young age is crucial. That confidence in numbers will last them a lifetime.
“For adults, they might not be doing Pythagoras or trigonometry, but they’re managing budgets, planning their meals for their family; all these things involve maths and numbers in some way, so the younger we can get people into maths, the better. And even if you’re older, it’s never too late to start your journey with maths!”
