A question I am often asked is how schools can keep mathematics visible, valued and talked about beyond the exercise book. That question sits at the heart of my continued partnership with TrilbyTV , and it is why I am pleased to share the latest phase of our work together. Why TrilbyTV? Digital signage is now a familiar feature in many primary schools. Screens in classrooms, corridors and shared spaces have the potential to support learning, but only when they are used with purpose. From the...

Over the past few years, there has been a strong and welcome focus on improving the teaching of number in the Early Years. Schools have invested time, training and thought into how children develop strong number sense, and this work has undoubtedly made a difference. But mathematics in Reception is broader than number alone. Geometry - including spatial reasoning, shape, space and measure - plays a critical role in children’s mathematical development. It supports how children make sense of...

Subtraction often feels straightforward until you face a problem like 7 minus 9. Many people immediately say, "You can’t do that," because it seems impossible to take away more than you have. But this common belief limits how we understand subtraction. The truth is, 7 minus 9 equals –2, and this result makes perfect sense when we rethink subtraction beyond just "taking away." This post explores why 7 − 9 is not only possible but also a useful way to understand numbers on a broader scale. We...