The first schools in Liverpool to qualify for a new Quality Mark in maths have received their awards.
The Liverpool Counts Quality Mark is a pilot scheme which forms part of a big drive to raise standards in the subject in all schools across the city.
The Quality Mark is designed to tackle the negative attitudes which are prevalent in many areas of society towards numeracy and mathematics and is supported by the National Numeracy Challenge – an independent charity that aims to improve numeracy in the UK.
It aims to challenge widely held views and promote a culture where people readily understand the positive impact good numeracy skills and mathematics qualifications can have on the social, financial, health and employment aspects of their lives.
It also supports teachers and other adults in schools to encourage pupils to link numeracy and maths lessons with real life contexts and other areas of their school experiences.
A total of 26 schools have successfully completed the accreditation programme for the scheme and were presented with their awards at the Museum of Liverpool.
Assistant Mayor and Cabinet member for education, employment and skills, Councillor Nick Small, said: “Liverpool schools have really improved their performance over the last decade and exam results are much better, but we recognise that maths results still lag behind those in English.
“Liverpool Counts is all about challenging the stigma that not everyone can be good at maths and that you can get through life without it.
“Good numeracy skills are an increasingly important part of many skilled jobs and essential to everyday life as an adult.
“If you can’t do maths then you won’t be able to understand your payslips and bills, or get the best shopping deals.
“I am really pleased that so many of our schools have signed up to the Quality Mark and are embracing the work that we are doing.”
Schools have signed up to a number of principles around maths including:
• Challenging anyone they hear making negative comments about maths
• Discussing negative comments made by celebrities about maths with pupils
• Sharing their own enjoyment of maths and highlighting when they have used it in everyday life
• Dispelling the myth that there is a maths gene and that only a few people can be good at maths
• Encouraging parents to be positive and sharing ‘top tips’ with them including praising effort with maths not just achievement
Liverpool Counts is spearheaded by the Liverpool Learning Partnership, which represents all education sectors and all learners in Liverpool.
Elaine Rees, Chief Executive of Liverpool Learning Partnership, said: “It’s really good to see our schools are so keen to sign up to the Quality Mark.
“It’s just one of a raft of projects we have launched as part of Liverpool Counts to debunk myths about maths and drive up standards in the subject in our schools.”
The following schools have received the Quality Mark:
Primary Schools
All Saints
Beacon
Belle Vale
Blackmoor Park Infant
Faith
Florence Melly
Holy Name
Mab Lane
Middlefield
Mosspits Lane
Our Lady Bishop Eton
Our Lady Immaculate
Pinehurst
St Ambrose
St Anthony of Padua
St Finbar’s
St Michaels in the Hamlet
St Patrick’s
Stocktonwood
Wellesbourne
Secondary Schools
ESLA
Holly Lodge
SFX
St John Bosco
St Julie’s
West Derby
Childwall
Special Schools
Childwall Abbey
Millstead
Sandfield Park
