We all use maths every day, often without realising it. 

Helping your child feel confident about their maths abilities gives them a head start in life, where numeracy skills are essential to becoming a responsible and confident adult. 

Numeracy skills are crucial for everyday life: they empower us to apply mathematical concepts in real-world situations, helping with responsible decision-making and effective problem-solving. 

Many children and adults, however, experience discomfort or anxiety when it comes to numbers, often avoiding everyday situations involving maths at home or at work. 

Here at LEO, our vision is to prepare all children for the future ahead of them, ensuring that the tools we give them will help them navigate life with full confidence – including maths confidence! 

Maths at LEO Academy Trust 

LEO schools follow a Teaching for Mastery approach, underpinned by the ‘Maths — No Problem!’ scheme, to help learners become confident in their numeracy skills. 

This high-quality curriculum helps children build a deep, lasting understanding of maths through a structured, spiral model. We revisit key concepts regularly, allowing pupils to make connections and grow in confidence as they revise and apply their learning to different contexts. 

The core features of maths teaching at LEO include: 

• A strong emphasis on fluency, retention, and recall. 

• The Concrete–Pictorial–Abstract (CPA) method, embedded across all year groups. 

• Opportunities for mathematical reasoning and problem-solving. 

• Rich dialogue, peer discussion and collaborative learning. 

• Use of workbooks and maths journals to demonstrate thinking, model solutions, and track progress. 

Extracurricular activities 

LEO Academy Trust is proud to engage with a wide range of external maths initiatives and events throughout the year. 

Each year, our pupils and teachers take part in BARVEMBER, applying bar modelling techniques across all areas of maths. We also participate in the Wondermaths Challenge, supported by the Mayor’s Fund for London, offering pupils a platform to explore creative mathematical thinking. 

As official ambassadors for Maths Week London, we actively contribute through resources, virtual lessons and live events that are shared across the Trust. 

Supporting Maths learning at home 

At LEO Academy Trust, we believe that parents and carers play a vital role in supporting children’s mathematical development beyond the classroom. 

Whether you’re helping with homework, practising times tables, or exploring numbers in everyday life, your support can make a big difference, especially during school breaks! 

Here are some tips from our teachers on how to support maths learning at home, modelled after our in-class approach. 

1. Get familiar with digital manipulatives 

Physical manipulatives are hands-on tools that help make abstract maths concepts more intuitive and easier to understand, such as building blocks, fraction tiles, rods, buttons and even small toys. 

Similarly, digital manipulatives are designed to help students visualise and interact with abstract concepts. They provide a virtual, interactive, and often more flexible alternative to physical manipulatives. 

LEO's use of digital manipulatives in classrooms, such as Polypad, has increased classroom efficiency by 23%. Pupils have developed a higher capacity for learning, as they can now complete tasks and transition from input to task more quickly – all while being fully in charge of their digital tools. Still, because we know that children prefer to have the choice of using virtual or physical materials for their learning, we ensure that both physical and digital manipulatives are available. 

2. Learn through online maths tools 

We use a variety of online maths resources to help learners visualise and explore mathematical concepts in a more practical and accessible way, supporting various learning styles and student needs. 

Websites like Polypad, Mathsbot, Topmarks and Oak National Academy offer many free resources and tools for practising maths skills at home. These include digital manipulatives, printable sheets, general practice questions, quizzes, and other interactive activities. They are free, do not require a login, and can be accessed from a variety of devices.  

3. Create daily opportunities for learning 

It’s important not to see maths as a separate or standalone activity but rather as something which can be incorporated into everyday games, stories, conversations, or even chores. 

Try incorporating maths into everyday routines and activities. For younger children, tidying up and meal times can create plenty of opportunities for conversations about counting and comparing. To support older children, you can create a daily routine for maths practice reinforced by praise and rewards. This can increase the amount of time spent ​‘on task’ and improve the effectiveness of how that time is spent. 

Learn more about the LEO Maths Curriculum 

All LEO schools are happy to offer parents and carers guidance and additional information on how maths is taught, including workshops, homework support, and regular updates through newsletters and online platforms. 

We encourage open communication so that families feel confident in helping children enjoy and succeed in maths. By working together, school and home can build strong mathematical foundations that will benefit your child for life! 

Follow our LEO Maths X account to keep up with our work, news and upcoming events.