Becky is back from America, which means Aftermaths is back to its usual rhythm of maths chat, gentle chaos and slightly overconfident linking between topics.

In this episode, Jon and Becky begin by looking ahead to Key Stage 2 SATs week, reflecting on the pressure pupils, parents and schools can feel, while also remembering some of the stranger moments from past SATs papers, including giraffes, warthogs and the famous “bewilderment” question.

Jon then shares a staff meeting idea about representations in maths, using improper fractions, mixed numbers and counters to explore when manipulatives help children see the structure of the mathematics, and when they can become an inefficient crutch. It leads into a wider discussion about fluency, efficiency, conceptual understanding and the importance of moving pupils intentionally from representation towards more efficient methods.

For this week’s Maths of Life, Becky brings back some travel-inspired mathematics from her trip to Washington State. A flight from London to Seattle leads to a conversation about time zones, longitude, negative numbers, the international date line, China’s single time zone, and why France technically has more time zones than Russia.

Finally, Jon and Becky return to the recent EEF and UCL research on mixed attainment grouping and setting. They discuss why the headline findings need careful interpretation, the importance of what actually happens in the classroom, and why access to high-quality teaching matters for all pupils, particularly those with gaps to close.

You can find the updated Twinkl PlanIt Maths time units here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/l/dltpv

You can connect with Jon on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joncripwell/

You can subscribe to the Primary Maths Podcast Substack here: https://primarymathspodcast.substack.com/

And you can get in touch with the show by emailing: primarymathspodcast@twinkl.co.uk

In this episode of The Primary Maths Podcast, Jon is joined by Bryn Llewellyn from Move and Learn, Paula Manser, headteacher at Birkby Infant and Nursery School, and Danielle Laramie, maths lead and assistant headteacher at Birkby.

Together, they explore what active learning really means in primary maths and, just as importantly, what it does not mean. This is not about children running around the classroom for the sake of it. It is about purposeful movement that supports attention, participation, memory, oracy and mathematical thinking.

Paula and Danielle share how active learning has become part of the everyday culture at Birkby Infant and Nursery School, a large, diverse school with high levels of EAL, SEND and pupil mobility. They explain how carefully chosen games and routines help children engage with mathematical ideas, demonstrate understanding, talk in full sentences and take part without always relying on spoken answers.

Bryn explains the thinking behind Move and Learn, including how movement can support retrieval, modelling, connection and creation. He also discusses the importance of simple routines, low-cost resources and building a classroom culture where children understand why movement is being used to support learning.

The conversation includes practical examples such as cone games, tick and cross activities, yoga poses for multiple choice answers, partner talk and sentence stems. It also explores how active learning can fit naturally within a mastery approach, supporting small steps, rehearsal, reasoning and whole-class participation.

This episode is especially useful for primary teachers, maths leads, senior leaders and anyone interested in making maths lessons more active, inclusive and engaging without losing sight of the learning intention.

You can find out more about Move and Learn here:

https://moveandlearn.co.uk/

Bryn also mentions the book How to Move and Learn, written by Ian Holmes, Bryn Llewellyn and Rich Allman, published by Crown House. https://www.crownhouse.co.uk/how-to-move-learn

TEDx Talk with Prof Andy Daly-Smith - https://youtu.be/tARSCzHLF5g?si=4tH_WZEYtkgLgzEo

Birkby Infant & Nursery School (Centre of Excellence video) - https://moveandlearn.co.uk/case-studies

You can get in touch with the podcast by emailing:

primarymathspodcast@twinkl.co.uk

You can connect with Jon on LinkedIn here:

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

And you can subscribe to the Primary Maths Podcast Substack here:

https://primarymathspodcast.substack.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe or follow the podcast wherever you listen, leave a rating or review, and share it with a colleague who might be interested in making maths lessons more active, purposeful and engaging.

In this Aftermaths episode of The Primary Maths Podcast, Jon is joined by returning guest Ash Morris for a Friday conversation that begins with National Space Day and ends with one of the most talked-about education reports of the week.

Ash shares some suitably mind-bending space facts, including moon rocks, sunlight, Apollo, Artemis and why the Moon might be thought of as Earth’s child. Jon also remembers the author he forgot during the episode: Andy Weir, who wrote The Martian and Project Hail Mary, both brilliant examples of science-rich storytelling.

The second half of the episode turns to the new Student Grouping Study from the Education Endowment Foundation and UCL Institute of Education. The study looked at Year 7 and Year 8 maths classes, comparing pupils taught in mixed attainment groups with those taught in sets by prior attainment.

Jon reflects on what the findings might mean for primary maths, especially for teachers and leaders thinking carefully about mixed attainment teaching, challenge, lesson design and pupil confidence. The episode does not treat the report as a simple argument for or against setting. Instead, it asks a more useful question: what does any grouping model require teachers to think about?

If mixed attainment teaching is going to work well, pupils need access to the lesson, but they also need sufficient challenge. That means thinking carefully about pitch, representations, questioning, task design and how deeper thinking is built into the learning, rather than added on as a disconnected extension task.

The episode also considers the impact that grouping can have on pupils’ mathematical identity. In primary classrooms especially, children are often very aware of who is seen as “good at maths” and who is not. So the way we group pupils is never just a logistical decision. It can shape confidence, opportunity and how children see themselves as mathematicians.

You can read the EEF Student Grouping Study here:

https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-and-evaluation/projects/student-grouping-study

You can find Ash on STEM Conversations, another Twinkl podcast, available on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you usually get your podcasts.

You can find Jon on LinkedIn here:

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

You can subscribe to the Primary Maths Podcast Substack here:

https://primarymathspodcast.substack.com/

And you can listen to The Primary Maths Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube or wherever you usually get your podcasts. If you enjoy the episode, please subscribe, leave a rating or review, and share it with a colleague who is thinking carefully about grouping, challenge and mixed attainment teaching.