‘Maths incompetence has become a bonding mechanism because it can signal warmth and relatability’: David Thomas of @axiommaths.bsky.social reflects on ways to challenge the social desirability of being ‘bad at maths’

The 'bad at maths' badge of honour holds back pupils' progress

No one would boast about being bad at reading, but inadequacy in maths has become a kind of social currency – and this is a major problem for students, warns David Thomas

tes.com

In the spirit of the World Cup, this Problem of the Month comes from our Block 8 session: ‘Tournaments’. This table shows, for example, that Team E beat Team A 4 – 3. How might the mathematicians convince you that they need 5 nodes in their network? Share your answers below 👇

Mentors old and new gathered in London this week. Inductions for new mentors ahead of autumn, reflections from mentors marking a year (or more) with us, and a set from Merry Martyn (statistician by day, comedian by night). Fancy joining our mentor community? Sign up closes soon, link below.

"You're going to have to go home." "What, the time has already gone?!" Susan Okereke brought Axiom Maths to her own pupils at St Mark's Academy - and watched the confidence they built in the circle follow them back into the classroom. Read the case study in the comments 📖

Post-SATs weeks, sorted. We've partnered with White Rose Education to create Thinking Outside (and Inside) the Box - a free 5-lesson Year 6 sequence exploring area and perimeter through reasoning, justification and investigation. Free for all schools - find the resources in the comments👇

Our problem of the month is back. 🤔 What questions will you ask to encourage systematic approaches? How will you bring out that finding the group sum is a useful strategy? We share this kind of problem every week in maths circles across England and Wales. Find out more below ⬇️

With so many young people out of employment, policymakers are keen for schools to teach more skills – but one major stumbling block is how students' acquisition of skills can be properly assessed. @jasminenorden.bsky.social goes in search of possible solutions

Why schools still can’t (easily) measure skills

Teachers and policymakers are keen to get more skills into the curriculum, but assessing how well students can learn and apply those skills remains a major obstacle. Jasmine Norden asks the experts about potential solutions

tes.com

"Your brain's a complete muddle and mess, just a big scribble… and then it's all gone. Oh, that's how I do it!" shared a Year 9 pupil in Swansea on what maths circles feel like. We had a great case study trip to Ysgol Gymraeg Ystalyfera. You can read the full case study in the comments below

We asked 600+ high-attaining KS3 pupils what actually motivates them. Three answers emerged = the buzz of cracking something hard, the grind feeling like an investment, and maths as a door-opener. Our new blog unpacks what that means for how we talk to pupils. axiommaths.com/blog/what-th...

Meet Mr Durn - Maths Specialist and Axiom Maths Mentor 🧮 He studied the maths and geometry of crystals at university. Now he spends his days working with high-attaining pupils. Swipe to find out what drew him to the role, what he loves about maths circles, and a moment that has stayed with him.

Y2s engaged superbly with their final online seminar last week. They looked at the problem with problem-solving with David Thomas from @axiommaths.bsky.social, were introduced to @meimaths.bsky.social by Sharon Tripconey & Carol Knights, and reflected on the culture of their mathematics classrooms 👏

We know that many children lose interest in maths in Year 7 – but why? @axiommaths.bsky.social did some research to find out and has now got some ideas to help schools keep enthusiasm for the subject alive

Why children stop enjoying maths in Year 7

By the summer term of Year 7, students are far less likely to say they enjoy maths than they were in Year 6, writes David Thomas, but schools can take steps to reverse this trend

tes.com

Meet the team! Our Operations team keeps the organisation moving: from IT infrastructure and finance to culture, wellbeing, and communications. We asked them what a typical day looks like, what they love about their work, and what they make possible at Axiom Maths. ➡️ Click through to read the Q&A

We can't afford to let young people think "AI does the maths now." 600+ pupils in Years 7-9 told us what actually motivates them. The message that landed? Maths gives you the edge. It builds how you think and it expands your options. Free guide in the comments. 📖 #Education #MathsGivesYouTheEdge

Last week, we published The Year 7 Moment - our first interactive research report. This week: what the data shows about how quickly the secondary school honeymoon ends - and why it hits some pupils harder than others. 📖 Read the full report and our blog using the link in the comments.

It's #WorldMathsDay and we've just launched The Year 7 Moment, our new report on the hinge point that shapes pupils' relationship with maths. High-attaining pupils facing disadvantage are more likely to enjoy maths at end of primary. By Year 7, just 22% do. Read our full report to find out more 👇

The year 7 moment — Axiom Maths

axiommaths.com

We're hiring! 🎉 Come and join the Axiom Maths team. We're looking for passionate and ambitious people to join us as School Relationship Leads. As core members of our School Partnerships Team, SRLs build the school partnerships that make our programme possible. 👇 Find out more below #EduJobs

⚡ Maths is about learning to think differently. 📹 This video captures Axiom Maths in action: pupils in maths circles talking about how the programme has changed the way they see themselves, their peers, and maths itself. Schools can sign up to our 2026 cohort right now (link in the comments!)

We couldn’t be more excited to announce that sign-ups are now open to become an official partner school in 2026! If you have Year 7 and 8 pupils with the heart and head for maths, we can support them through our extra-curricular school maths circles programme.🎉 ✨Learn more by clicking the link ⬇️

🤔 Who are the people leading maths circles? Meet Mrs Dexter, one of our wonderful Welsh school mentors. We asked her a few questions to learn about the moments that have stayed with her and what she enjoys about mentoring. Click to discover more 👉 #MentorCommunity #MeetTheMentor

👋🏼Say hello to the Schools Partnerships team! Organised regionally across England and Wales, the team grows and supports our network of partner schools with their local knowledge so high-quality maths circles can reach more pupils. Click the pics to get to know the team 👉🏼

This week, we’re proud to share Daniel’s story. Daniel joined our online programme in 2021 and graduated this year. Despite having complete sight loss, he excelled on the programme and is an inspiring example of what perseverance can achieve. You can read his story: axiommaths.com/case-study/d...

Daniel — Axiom Maths

Meet Daniel, a pupil who excelled in our inclusive online maths circles, showing what’s possible when every child can access high-level maths.

axiommaths.com

Meet Jaiyi, one of our brilliant online mentors who runs 8 maths circles with our pupils. 👉 We asked Jaiyi to share a bit about herself so swipe to discover what she loves about being a mentor and her favourite moments. #MeetTheMentor #MentorCommunity #MathsEducation #MathsCircles

In the age of AI, maths still matters but so do social skills. The greatest value sits with people who can not only “do” the maths, but explain it, justify and collaborate. This is what pupils learn in Axiom Maths circles. Maths gives you the edge because of what you know AND how you use it.

Financial Times@financialtimes.com · 9mo ago

How to AI-proof your job ft.trib.al/h88HSNN | opinion

Sweets come in packets of 12, 15 or 20. How many packets did you buy if you got exactly 86 sweets?🍬 Some pupils will guess. A few will spot structure. We explore how problem-solving skills emerge & why nurturing adventurous, articulate and accepting behaviours in the classroom matters. Link below!

⏳There’s still time to apply for our new role: Head of Professional Development and Quality Assurance!

Axiom Maths@axiommaths.bsky.social · 10mo ago

We’re hiring: Head of Professional Development and Quality Assurance We’re looking for an inspirational leader and expert pedagogue to lead our strategy for raising the quality of mentoring across Axiom Maths circles. 📍Hybrid 💷£69,552 📅Apply by: 11 January 2026 👇Apply now #EducationJobs #Charity

We’re hiring: Head of Professional Development and Quality Assurance We’re looking for an inspirational leader and expert pedagogue to lead our strategy for raising the quality of mentoring across Axiom Maths circles. 📍Hybrid 💷£69,552 📅Apply by: 11 January 2026 👇Apply now #EducationJobs #Charity

🎁 Have we jumped on the Wrapped bandwagon? Absolutely. But this was the perfect excuse to celebrate an incredible year full of brilliant people and spectacular problems. 👉 Swipe to see what we've achieved together and thanks for being part of it! #MathsEducation #SocialMobility #Teaching

❄️ December in schools can be tough: dark days, tired minds and the pressure to “lighten” maths with games. But why do we save the fun for the final week? And what does that say about maths the rest of the year? Our blog explores how joy + rigour can (and should!) coexist. Read the blog below:

Why ‘fun’ isn’t just for the last week of term — Axiom Maths

December can be a tough month in the teaching world. The days are cold and dark, end of term assessments loom and both pupils and teachers are ready for a well-earned break after the longest…

axiommaths.com

A couple of weeks ago I attended a great session on problem solving with Ian Davies @axiommaths.bsky.social I thought this was cool so I made a quick video. youtu.be/Si41SYdFtbg #MathsToday

Using only 8's, can you create a sum of 1000?

YouTube video by Jonathan Hall

youtu.be