Confidence for all

We want every learner to engage with the power of maths so they can develop the skills and confidence to achieve and progress throughout their lives.

That's why our unique and innovative approaches help to build confidence in maths at every age and stage of learning. We believe every learner can be a confident mathematician.

Image of Maths Confidence Stat-Shot

Maths Confidence Stat-Shot

Our Power of Maths Stat-Shot series highlights headline insights into different aspects of maths education based on the views of over 2,000 primary teachers and secondary maths teachers who took part in our Teacher Tapp survey in the 2020/21 academic year.

Here’s what teachers told us about maths confidence among pupils, staff and parents:

Download the Stat-Shot (PDF | 0.24 MB)

Efficacy studies

Read Boosting Number Confidence (PDF | 2.1 MB)

Boosting number confidence with free National Numeracy Day support

As part of our mission to advocate the #PowerofMaths, we were proud to be a lead supporter of National Numeracy Day 2020 and celebrate that maths is for everyone. During the virtual festival on 13 May 2020, we joined a Q&A with The Maths Factor creator Carol Vorderman on how everyone can unlock their maths factor.

Watch the Q&A

Together with National Numeracy, we've also created a brand-new resource to help adults who support children’s maths learning both at school and at home. Focusing on confidence and mindset, the guide to Boosting Number Confidence is full of fun and practical activities, videos and tips and is designed to help everyone build a positive relationship with numbers.

Building maths confidence for our primary learners

We believe in the mastery approach. The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) is working with maths experts across the country to develop a consistent understanding of the key principles behind maths mastery.

At its core, a mastery approach rejects the idea that some children can’t do maths. It recognises that by nurturing positive attitudes and building confidence in mathematics, all children can achieve.

Mastery Hub

Building maths confidence for our secondary learners

Our KS3 and GCSE courses help students master maths with confidence with a UK-specific approach that draws upon global best practices and cutting-edge research. Every student can be a confident mathematician.

That’s why both Maths Progress (Second Edition) for KS3 and the Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Mathematics series are specifically founded on key principles to nurture students’ confidence in maths so they can believe it too. And if they can believe it, they can persevere, achieve and progress.

10 key principles of building confidence in maths

KS3 and KS4 Maths Curriculum Design

Explore Secondary Maths resources

And the approach works…

From what teachers, students and research studies have told us, we’ve seen that both Maths Progress KS3 and Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Mathematics have helped students’ confidence in maths grow across the world.

Research studies

Quotations are taken from the independent research study with the Institute of Education, UCL about the effectiveness of our KS3 Maths Progress and Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Mathematics resources.

Read the study

“The GCSE Maths resources build their understanding, they show them things in different ways...The resources help you to differentiate much more effectively in the classroom, which helps with their confidence.”

– KS4 teacher

“Students are more willing to discuss their mathematical thinking, engaging with other students. They are also more confident in presenting their mathematical ideas.”

– KS4 teacher

“Everyone can have a go, it doesn't matter if you make a mistake. There is that environment that's been created and I would say these resources have helped do that.”

– Maths teacher, Hamstead Hall Academy

“The students’ confidence is improving from where it was. Part of that is that they are being challenged a lot more... KS3 Maths Progress has developed them a lot.”

– Head of Maths

“My confidence has grown.”

– Year 8 student

“I am definitely more confident than I used to be in mathematics.”

– Year 11 student

“From where I was last year, I definitely feel like I’m more confident in my ability.”

– Year 11 student

“Students do say 'I like maths' a lot more than they used to. Maths Progress has obviously contributed to that.”

– Head of Maths

Maths confidence blogs

Maths confidence in Covid-19 - five steps to build greater resilience in primary maths

This blog explores from a primary maths perspective, some steps with practical tools and approaches to help turn ‘I can’t’ attitudes in maths to ‘I can’.

Read the blog

Covid-19 and your secondary students’ mindsets in maths

This blog delves into six practical steps and tools to help young people establish a growth mindset and build towards greater mathematical confidence.

Read the blog

Guide to Tackling Maths Anxiety and Roundtable report

A Guide to Tackling Maths Anxiety

Read the Guide

From the Guide to Tackling Maths Anxiety, we have developed a quick-read document highlighting some tools to support maths-anxious learners. 

Download now

We also ran a session on maths anxiety at our first ever Virtual Maths Festival from 5–16 July 2021. 

Watch the recording now

Download Changing Britain's Perception of Maths

Recent news and blog posts

  • Can we use digital innovations to tackle the top challenges in Maths?

    76% of maths teachers responding to Pearson’s 2024 School Report stated that teacher recruitment and retention was a top challenge for their school to manage. Followed by budget pressures (51%) and teacher/school leader workload (41%).

    These are all widespread issues affecting many maths teachers, day in and day out. They require whole-sector collaboration to improve. But there are also solutions available now to help ease the strain.

  • Digital Assessment Research: Mode Comparability

    Student performance across onscreen and paper-based exams

    We believe that exams should be a fair and accurate reflection of students’ performance – regardless of whether an exam is taken onscreen or on paper.

    That’s why our research focuses on many aspects of comparability – including student performance across paper and digital exams.

See all news See all blogs

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