In this episode of The Primary Maths Podcast, Jon and Becky explore the mathematics behind space travel, inspired by the recent Artemis mission and the return of astronauts from their journey around the Moon. Starting with the sheer scale of the challenge, they unpack the numbers, distances, and precision required to send humans into space and bring them safely home again.

The conversation compares the Apollo missions of the 1960s with today’s Artemis programme, highlighting how technology has advanced dramatically while the underlying mathematics has remained the same. From trajectory calculations and launch angles to predicting where the Moon will be, this episode brings big mathematical ideas into a form that teachers can share with their pupils.

The episode then focuses on the remarkable story of Katherine Johnson, whose calculations were critical to the success of early space missions, including Apollo 11. Her work reminds us that mathematics is far more than arithmetic. It is about reasoning, modelling, and solving real problems that matter.

Along the way, Jon and Becky reflect on what this means for the classroom, why the maths we teach in primary school matters more than we might think, and how stories like this can inspire children to see themselves as mathematicians.

If you enjoy the podcast, don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review so you never miss an episode. You can also join the conversation on LinkedIn and connect with other educators.

We are also running a free online TeachMeet on problem solving, focusing on the power of pattern spotting. You can sign up here:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/maths-problem-solving-the-power-of-pattern-spotting-tickets-1981746761912?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Get in touch with the show: primarymathspodcast@twinkl.co.uk

Follow Jon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncripwell/In this episode of The Primary Maths Podcast, Jon and Becky explore the mathematics behind space travel, inspired by the recent Artemis mission and the return of astronauts from their journey around the Moon. Starting with the sheer scale of the challenge, they unpack the numbers, distances, and precision required to send humans into space and bring them safely home again.

The conversation compares the Apollo missions of the 1960s with today’s Artemis programme, highlighting how technology has advanced dramatically while the underlying mathematics has remained the same. From trajectory calculations and launch angles to predicting where the Moon will be, this episode brings big mathematical ideas into a form that teachers can share with their pupils.

The episode then focuses on the remarkable story of Katherine Johnson, whose calculations were critical to the success of early space missions, including Apollo 11. Her work reminds us that mathematics is far more than arithmetic. It is about reasoning, modelling, and solving real problems that matter.

Along the way, Jon and Becky reflect on what this means for the classroom, why the maths we teach in primary school matters more than we might think, and how stories like this can inspire children to see themselves as mathematicians.

If you enjoy the podcast, don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review so you never miss an episode. You can also join the conversation on LinkedIn and connect with other educators.

We are also running a free online TeachMeet on problem solving, focusing on the power of pattern spotting. You can sign up here:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/maths-problem-solving-the-power-of-pattern-spotting-tickets-1981746761912?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Get in touch with the show: primarymathspodcast@twinkl.co.uk

Follow Jon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncripwell/

Hello and welcome to this interview episode of The Primary Maths Podcast, the show where we talk all things primary maths. I’m Jon Cripwell.

In this episode, I’m joined by Paula Fieldhouse for a wide-ranging conversation about financial literacy, parental engagement, and what it really means to prepare children for the financial decisions they will face later in life.

We explore what financial literacy actually is, beyond budgeting worksheets and coin recognition, and why children’s early experiences of money at home play such a powerful role in shaping their attitudes, confidence and behaviours. Paula shares insights from her research into how families talk about money, how inequality shows up long before formal financial education begins, and why schools on their own cannot solve this issue.

We also discuss common misconceptions, including the idea that financial education is something that can be bolted on later, or that it sits outside the maths curriculum. Paula explains why parental engagement matters so much, what meaningful support for families can look like, and how initiatives like Learning with Parents are helping to bridge the gap between home and school in a practical, respectful way.

This episode will be particularly relevant for teachers, maths leads and school leaders thinking about inclusion, equity and real-world application in mathematics, as well as anyone interested in how education systems can support families rather than work around them.

You can find out more about Paula’s work and connect with her on LinkedIn at

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-paula-fieldhouse-7291a6189

You can also explore the work of Learning with Parents at

https://learningwithparents.com

If you’d like to get in touch with the show, you can email us at

primarymathspodcast@twinkl.co.uk

You can connect with me on LinkedIn at

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

And you can follow me on Instagram at

https://www.instagram.com/joncripwellmaths/

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider liking, subscribing, or leaving a review. It really helps more people find the podcast.

In this Aftermaths episode of The Primary Maths Podcast, Jon and Becky return after the Easter break with a lighter, curiosity-driven conversation that blends real mathematics with everyday life.

Jon introduces a fascinating mathematical quirk known as Kaprekar’s constant. Starting with almost any four-digit number and following a simple process of rearranging and subtracting digits, you will always arrive at 6174. It is a brilliant example of how pattern, structure and curiosity can bring maths to life, and offers a simple but engaging classroom investigation.

The conversation then shifts into “Maths of Life”, as Becky shares a very relatable problem: calculating the area of an awkwardly shaped driveway. What follows is a great discussion about different ways to break down complex shapes, and how mathematical thinking allows us to approach the same problem in multiple valid ways.

Finally, Becky brings back “Etymathsology”, exploring the origins of mathematical language. This week includes the surprising Norse roots of the word “odd”, the evolution of “even”, and the historical meaning of “score” as a way of counting in twenties.

As ever, the episode is a reminder that maths is everywhere, from number curiosities to home improvements to the words we use every day.

If you enjoy the podcast, please follow, subscribe and leave a review. It really helps more people discover the show.

We always love hearing from you. If you’ve spotted some maths in your everyday life, get in touch and we might feature it in a future episode.

Email: primarymathspodcast@twinkl.co.uk

Jon’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncripwell/

Substack: https://primarymathspodcast.substack.com/

In this Easter special of The Primary Maths Podcast, Jon and Becky take a slightly lighter turn while still keeping one foot firmly in the world of maths. Recorded on Good Friday, the episode reflects on the welcome arrival of the Easter break and the importance of slowing down after a busy term.

The conversation explores a familiar classroom question: what do we do with seasonal contexts like Easter? Jon and Becky discuss the difference between simply dressing up maths with a theme and genuinely finding the mathematics within real-life situations. From hot cross buns to chocolate eggs, they consider how context can support engagement, while also reflecting on the challenge of finding time to explore it properly.

There is, of course, an Easter quiz. Jon puts Becky on the spot with a series of statistics, including how many Easter eggs are eaten in the UK each year, the scale of chocolate production and the surprisingly specific history of the first chocolate eggs in Britain. Expect a mix of sensible estimates, near misses and the occasional wildly inaccurate guess.

Along the way, the episode returns to a key idea that runs through the podcast: maths is everywhere. Even if there is not always time to build a full lesson around it, simply noticing and talking about the maths in everyday life can make a real difference.

To finish, Jon and Becky share their Easter preferences, reflect on how traditions have changed, and make a strong case for bringing back Easter eggs that come with a mug.

If you enjoy the episode, don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss one. You can join the conversation on LinkedIn and catch the Friday Takeaway on Substack for practical ideas from each episode.

Subscribe on Substack: https://primarymathspodcast.substack.com/

Connect with Jon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncripwell/

In this Aftermaths episode of The Primary Maths Podcast, Jon and Becky catch up after a short break and reflect on this week’s interview with Professor Lucy Cragg on multiplication and how children learn times tables.

The conversation turns to the Multiplication Tables Check (MTC), exploring its origins, purpose and impact since its introduction. Jon shares a short history of the check, from its announcement in 2017 through to its first full national rollout in 2022, and discusses what the latest data and Teacher Tapp findings suggest about its influence on teaching and learning.

They consider the benefits of increased focus on multiplication fluency, alongside some of the tensions around assessment, accountability and the risk of prioritising speed over understanding. The discussion raises an important question: does rapid recall alone support deeper mathematical thinking, or are we missing something?

Becky then brings this week’s Maths of Life, inspired by a real-life capybara escape near her home. Using the scenario, she explores how maths can be used to model search areas, introducing ideas around radius, area and real-world problem solving. It’s a reminder of how powerful local and engaging contexts can be in the classroom.

The episode finishes with Research in 60 Seconds, focusing on Mary Budd Rowe’s work on wait time. Increasing thinking time from one second to three seconds can significantly improve the quality of pupil responses, increase participation and deepen reasoning. Jon and Becky reflect on how this simple shift can have a meaningful impact in everyday classroom practice.

As always, the episode blends practical insight, research and a few lighter moments along the way.

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow or subscribe so you never miss a new one, and consider leaving a quick review to help others find the show.

You can get in touch with the podcast by emailing primarymathspodcast@twinkl.co.uk

Explore the free PlanIt Maths taster pack here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/free-planit-maths-taster-pack-t-m-1691485779

Register for upcoming free training on problem solving: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/maths-problem-solving-the-power-of-pattern-spotting-tickets-1981746761912?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Explore research on multiplication from the SUM Project: https://thesumproject.wordpress.com/learning-multiplication-facts/

Browse Twinkl’s MTC hub and resources: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/ks2-maths/ks2-calculations-times-tables/year-4-multiplication-tables-check-times-tables-maths-key-stage-2-year-3-4-5-6?utm_source=promo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=emex.subject-leads-11-03-2026-maths&utm_content=link1

Read more and join the conversation on Substack: https://primarymathspodcast.substack.com/

Connect with Jon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncripwell/

In this episode of The Primary Maths Podcast, Jon speaks with Lucy Cragg, Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Nottingham, about what cognitive science reveals about how children learn multiplication facts.

Lucy’s research explores executive function skills such as working memory, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility, and how these shape children’s mathematical learning. The conversation dives into how multiplication facts are stored and retrieved, why certain errors (like 6 × 7 = 42) are so common, and what this tells us about the structure of memory.

Together, Jon and Lucy explore the distinction between fluency and understanding. While more pupils are improving their scores on England’s Multiplication Tables Check, Lucy explains why improved recall does not automatically translate into stronger applied mathematical reasoning. Drawing on findings from the ESRC-funded SUM Project, she discusses how children can improve fact recall without a corresponding gain in multiplicative understanding.

The episode also tackles maths anxiety, the impact of timed practice, and why speed may matter for testing but not necessarily for learning. Lucy shares practical insights for teachers, including the benefits of varied practice, careful use of multiple-choice formats, and ensuring that multiplication facts are connected to meaningful mathematical structures rather than learned in isolation.

This is a thoughtful and research-informed conversation for teachers and leaders who want to understand not just how to help children remember their times tables, but how to help them truly understand multiplication.

SUM Project website:

https://www.sumproject.org.uk/

Further reading and related articles:

Nine-year-olds in England sit a timed multiplication test – but using times tables is about more than quick recall:

https://theconversation.com/nine-year-olds-in-england-sit-timed-multiplication-test-but-using-times-tables-is-about-more-than-quick-recall-258320

Learning, using and applying multiplication facts – insights from research:

https://my.chartered.college/impact_article/learning-using-and-applying-multiplication-facts-insights-from-research/

Connect with Lucy Cragg on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucy-cragg-b22b0a386/

Contact Lucy via email:

lucy.cragg@nottingham.ac.uk

Connect with Jon Cripwell on LinkedIn:

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

Subscribe to Jon’s Substack, The Primary Maths Podcast:

https://theprimarymathspodcast.substack.com/

Professor Lucy Cragg is a developmental psychologist based in the School of Psychology at the University of Nottingham. Her research focuses on the development of executive function skills in children and the role these skills play in learning mathematics.

She led a recent ESRC-funded project investigating the cognitive factors involved in multiplication fact learning, examining both multiplication fact retrieval and its contribution to broader multiplicative understanding. Her work bridges cognitive science and classroom practice, helping educators better understand how memory, attention and inhibition influence mathematical learning.

She is passionate about making research accessible to teachers and welcomes contact from practitioners interested in applying cognitive science insights in the classroom.

The Primary Maths Podcast is for teachers and leaders who believe primary maths can be thoughtful, ambitious and inclusive. Hosted by Jon Cripwell, the show explores lesson design, mathematical habits, maths anxiety, problem solving, curriculum thinking and the research that shapes great teaching.

In this episode of The Primary Maths Podcast, Jon Cripwell speaks with Tom Oakley about one of the most important — and often overlooked — aspects of mathematics education: belonging.

Why do some pupils decide that maths “isn’t for them”? Why do confident learners sometimes disengage from mathematics? And what can teachers do to help every child feel like they belong in the maths classroom?

Tom draws on research around motivation, self-perception and classroom culture to explore how children develop their identity as mathematicians. The conversation looks at how pupils’ beliefs about themselves are shaped over time through small classroom experiences — and how teachers can design lessons that help pupils feel successful, valued and able to contribute.

The discussion also explores the difference between behavioural engagement and cognitive engagement, why success and motivation reinforce each other, and how carefully designed routines and questioning can help pupils build confidence in mathematics.

Along the way, Tom shares practical strategies teachers can use straight away, including partner discussion routines, improving the use of mini whiteboards, and structuring lessons so that pupils experience meaningful success before encountering challenge.

If you want to create maths lessons where every child feels like they matter — and where thinking is valued as much as answers — this episode is packed with ideas you can take straight back to the classroom.

Tom Oakley is a Deputy Headteacher at a primary school in Suffolk, England. Previously, Tom worked as a lead teacher for mathematics in south-west London and later as a Local Authority Maths Adviser in Cambridge for six years. In between those roles, Tom taught at an international school on Koh Samui in Thailand. Since 2010, Tom has supported colleagues’ professional learning in a range of roles and settings. He is an enthusiastic reader of education blogs and an occasional writer, with particular interests in professional development, primary mathematics and curriculum design.

Follow Tom Oakley on LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-e-oakley/

Follow Jon Cripwell on LinkedIn

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

Subscribe to The Primary Maths Podcast Substack

https://primarymathspodcast.substack.com/

Contact the podcast

primarymathspodcast@twinkl.co.uk

Explore Twinkl’s maths resources

https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/ks2-maths

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you follow or subscribe to The Primary Maths Podcast so you never miss an interview or Aftermaths episode.

New episodes are released every week, featuring conversations with researchers, teachers and school leaders about what really works in primary mathematics.

Episode 60 of The Primary Maths Podcast is an Aftermaths episode where Jon Cripwell and Becky Brown reflect on mathematical thinking in the classroom, the hidden cost of passive maths, and why pupils’ mathematical identity matters as much as their test scores.

The episode begins with a lighter moment as Jon points out that it is Friday the 13th again, one of three Friday the 13ths in 2026, the maximum possible in a single year. The conversation then moves to this week’s interview episode with secondary maths teacher Will McLoughlin, which explored direct instruction, conceptual understanding and mathematical thinking.

Jon reflects on a moment from a recent school visit where a Year 5 pupil casually said, “I’m not really a maths person.” That comment becomes the starting point for the main discussion: what passive maths can cost learners over time. When pupils spend too much time watching maths rather than doing maths, they may complete work and pass tests, but gradually lose confidence, identity and a sense of belonging in mathematics. The challenge for teachers is that these losses are often invisible in data. Schools can measure answers on a page, but it is much harder to measure what pupils have quietly stopped believing about themselves as mathematicians.

Jon and Becky discuss how lesson design and task choice can make a difference. Starting lessons with accessible entry points, encouraging pupils to explain their thinking, and creating collaborative mathematical environments can all help build confidence and participation. While accountability measures such as the KS2 SATs arithmetic paper or the Year 4 Multiplication Tables Check prioritise speed and procedural accuracy, great maths teaching also develops curiosity, reasoning and identity as a mathematician.

The episode also includes Becky’s History of Maths segment in honour of Pi Day on 14 March. Becky explains the origins of the number π, how ancient Babylonians and Egyptians approximated it thousands of years ago, and how Archimedes later developed more precise methods for calculating it. The Greek letter π was first used to represent the number by Welsh mathematician William Jones in the early eighteenth century. Becky also explores some fun facts about π, including the world record for memorising its digits.

Jon highlights that even though π is not formally taught in the primary curriculum, sharing mathematical curiosities like this can help create a sense of wonder and show pupils that mathematics extends far beyond the classroom.

Towards the end of the episode Jon announces that Twinkl’s PlanIt Maths scheme of work is being completely refreshed, with every lesson rewritten to reflect current research and pedagogy. The new scheme builds problem solving, scaffolding and greater depth thinking throughout lessons rather than adding them as optional extras. A free taster pack is now available for teachers who would like to explore the new materials.

If you enjoy the podcast, remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode. Jon also invites listeners to continue the discussion on LinkedIn and through the podcast Substack.

Listen to the previous interview episode with Will McLoughlin (Episode 59)

https://primarymathspodcast.substack.com/

Download the free PlanIt Maths taster pack

https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/free-planit-maths-taster-pack-t-m-1691485779

Follow Jon Cripwell on LinkedIn

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

Subscribe to The Primary Maths Podcast Substack

https://primarymathspodcast.substack.com/

Contact the show

primarymathspodcast@twinkl.co.uk