Numeracy Support
The importance of Numeracy
At Harris Academy Morden we believe numeracy is one of the most important life skills. We ensure that our students can develop their understanding of cross-curricular Mathematics. Numeracy is the foundation of mathematics, and as such the concepts learnt in school are necessary for understanding more advanced mathematics, such as quadratic equations, statistical analysis and calculus.
Modern life is increasingly digital, presenting us with more numerical data. Although computers and calculators can carry out many of the necessary calculations for us, we need to know which order to enter the numbers, and whether the answer we get is reasonable. Numeracy skills are those you need to do a job (for example, using spreadsheets, calculating invoices) or to be an engaged citizen (for example, making sense of statistics reported in the media). Numeracy is also the ability to perform simple number calculations - a subset therefore of wider mathematics.
Did you know?
- Maths helps your child continue with his/her studies in other subjects.
- Maths A level keeps options open when applying to university.
- Approximately 90% of graduate jobs require a high level of digital skill.
- Maths graduates have the lowest levels of unemployment.
- Maths is used extensively in some of the best paid jobs: Finance – accountancy, banking, actuarial work; Computing – software, internet, telecommunications; Engineering – manufacturing, surveying, architecture
At Harris Academy Morden, we run numeracy interventions 5 days a week during tutor time for KS3 students. The interventions are run by Maths specialists. The Year 7 students are invited to attend based on their year 7 CATs exams and the Year 8 and 9 based on their end of year math assessments in June.
Students study and master the 4 main operations and explore the hierarchy of operations as well as basic shape properties and Statistics. These interventions are based on the “Numeracy warm up” online program, and students are set specific tasks aimed at consolidating their numeracy skills.
What can you do to support Numeracy at home?
At Harris Academy Morden, we work hard to support your child’s Numeracy development in all subjects, and we would welcome any time you could devote to this at home.
We have already added to our website (see links) some materials for you to use with your son/daughter. It would be useful if you would also:
- Show them how we use Maths skills in our everyday lives and to involve your child in this.
- Identifying problems and solving them can also help your child develop Maths skills; If you see him or her puzzling over something, talk about the problem and try to work out the solution together.
- Don't shy away from Maths if you didn’t like it at school. Try to find new ways to enjoy the subject with your child.
- Take your child shopping and talk about the quantities of anything you buy.
- Let your child handle money and work out how much things cost.
- When taking transport, work out the journey times and encourage them to plan journeys together
MathsPad and SparxMaths
Each student at Harris Academy Morden has access to our new online maths facility, SparxMaths were they do their homework and MathsPad for numeracy interventions.
Student can view over 1000 mathematical video tutorials to learn new skills or simply refresh old ones!
Each student has their own unique user and password so that they can keep track of their results and keep in contact with their teacher using the Sparxmaths website
Numeracy Celebrated Days At HAMD
- Pi Day/Date:14 March 2026
Pi Day is celebrated on March 14th to honour the mathematical constant π (pi) because its first three digits are 3.14, matching the date. The holiday, started by physicist Larry Shaw in 1988 at the Exploratorium, aims to raise awareness and appreciation for mathematics, its beauty, and its importance in science, technology, and daily life. Celebrations often involve eating pies (a homophone for pi), math competitions, and educational activities.
- National Numeracy Day in 2026 will be on Wednesday, May 20th
This day is celebrated to raise awareness and improve numeracy skills by highlighting the many ways numbers are used in our daily lives, from money and cooking to technology and health.
- Number Day /Date: Friday, 6th February 2026.
It is celebrated to make maths enjoyable for children, improve their numeracy skills, and show the real-world applications of numbers, all while raising money for the NSPCC.
