Creative Maths Workshops for Primary and Secondary

One of the UK's leading providers of Creative Maths workshops to primary and secondary schools. Over half a million children and young people have taken part in one of our Creative Maths workshops.

All of our maths workshops have been carefully designed to both put into context and actively promote the three keystones of the National Curriculum: fluency, reasoning and problem solving. Tapping into pupils' own creativity, our unashamedly fun workshops engage, motivate and, crucially, challenge the children and young people we work with.ate.

CSI: Maths – (UK-wide Best Seller!)
Combining murder mysteries and problem solving, CSI: Maths is one of our most popular programmes – offering pupils an opportunity to apply their skills in, and understanding of shape and measurement in a unique environment. Choose from:

The Riddle of the Sphinx
Our resident archaeologist, "Dr Colorado Smith", has returned from Egypt with some exciting news - he's now collected all the clues required to solve the age old Riddle of the Sphinx - and open the Inner Sanctum in the Valley of the Kings. But as he can't do it by himself, he's on the lookout for schools to help him!

Featuring opening and closing assemblies, workshops and in-class challenges, The Riddle of the Sphinx takes pupils through three stages of mathematical thinking: concrete, pictorial and abstract. And while there's a definite focus on "measurement", the programme covers a whole range of other areas - and can accommodate the whole of a two-form entry school in a single day!

The Pirate’s Challenge
Captain Morgan will be more than a little confused on arriving at school - because just a few hours beforehand this mathematical Pirate will have been on The Good Ship Mathematics, in the middle of the Caribbean! Swept to your school by a Time Tornado, the Captain will need the pupils’ help to get back to the right time and place. Are they up to the Challenge? And it’s a Challenge that will test their understanding of number, shape and direction to the max.

Times Tables Trattoria
Through sheer head work, Trevi Times made his dream come true – by opening his own Italian restaurant, Times’ Tables Trattoria! But with his team of chefs wasting too much food (and spending too much money), that dream is on the verge of turning into a nightmare. If only there were some children who could use their knowledge and understanding of number to help him keep his trattoria open …

Featuring opening and closing assemblies, workshops and in-class challenges, Times’ Tables Trattoria gives pupils opportunities to use their number skills (and, where appropriate, their times tables) in context – and see how they really count. The programmes has a clear focus on multiples (including doubling) and commutative law – with problem solving to the fore, too! And Trevi is able to accommodate the whole of a two-form entry primary school in a single day

The Captain’s Conundrum 
Captain Richard Morgan, of the Good Ship Mathematics, has a conundrum … he knows that there’s treasure to be found on Cloud Island, he has a map – and he has a set of clues. But they’re clues he can neither make head nor tail of. He’ll meet all the children at an assembly (or, if space does’t allow, two consecutive gatherings) and challenge them to conquer his conundrum.
During the course of the day, the Captain will give each year group an age-appropriate set of clues to unearth a particular piece of treasure – and warm them up with one of his piratical maths drama games. Then everyone reconvenes in a meeting (or two meetings) at the end of the day to share their findings – and advise the Captain on what to buy for his expedition. Content is in line with the National Curriculum requirements and will include different age-appropriate activities for each year group.

The Race into Space 

The search is on for Britain's next astronaut - and Major Tom wants your pupils' help in selecting the best person for the job. He's found six well-suited candidates, all with different qualifications - but it's up to you to decide which one will win The Race into Space!

After meeting the Major at an opening assembly, and being introduced to the would-be astronauts, each class will be issued with a Mission: to use their maths skills to rank the candidates on one of a number of qualities. Each Mission calls on pupils to demonstrate mathematical fluency, reasoning and problem-solving abilities - and is in line with National Curriculum objectives for their year group. The Major will be on hand to visit each classroom with some vital, additional information - and the programme ends with a second assembly in which each class reports back its findings and helps whittle the field down to just one: Britain's next astronaut.

This exciting and engaging workshop provides an ideal platform for one or two-form entry schools to enjoy a shared maths experience - and learn something about the science of space travel too!

CSI: Maths range of workshops;

CSI: Michaela Maths (Years 3 – 6)

If it hadn’t been for the quick thinking of one of her teammates, Michaela Maths, one of Britain’s most promising young athletes, would be dead – slain by an unseen hand! The police are baffled by the dastardly deed – and, over a half-day session, want the children’s help in solving it. Having been introduced to the crime scene, the suspects and their possible motives, pupils will work in teams to tackle a series of mathematical challenges. Each will lead to the elimination of a suspect – until, if all the calculations are correct, the criminal is unmasked.

CSI: Storyland (EYFS, KS1)
With the help of the elves, the Shoemaker’s fortunes have been restored – and all is well in Storyland. Until, that is, his precious last is stolen! Which of his neighbours could have taken it? After identifying and exploring the problem solving skills needed for crime scene investigation, pupils will collect the clues left at the scene – then use their sorting and sequencing skills to reveal the identity of the miscreant. Was it Goldilocks, the Billy Goats Gruff, Little Miss Muffet, the Little Pigs or Red Riding Hood? It’s up to you to find out!

CSI: Bake-Off (Years 1 – 6)
All is not well in the world of the Bake Off – one of the judges, Saul Pinewood, has had food poisoning – and he knows it wasn’t an accident! He’s narrowed the field down to six suspects – and hopes that pupils can use their understanding of fractions, percentages and measurements to help him take the final step.

CSI: Tunes - (Years 3 - 6 / KS3/KS4)

Music industry mogul Harry Wilson has made more than a few enemies in his time - and now one of them has succeeded in making life difficult for him! So who was it who hacked into Harry's precious database, deleting all his business contacts in one fell swoop? Means, motive and opportunity will all have to be factored in as pupils investigate this calculated act of sabotage. Was it Viola de Clerc, the classical violinist? DJ Grime, the garage specialist - or popster Betty B? Boy band Heaven Sent are in the mix as well, as is New Punk exponent Polly Ester - not forgetting Country and Western star Jake Carew! This exciting and fast-paced workshop invites pupils to pit their wits against the criminal by using their data handling and number skills to reveal his - or her - identity.

CSI: Ancient Greek Maths (Years 3 - 6 / KS3/KS4)

Mount Olympus is in turmoil – because someone has stolen Zeus’s thunderbolt! We're on the trail of the culprit – but need your help to put all the pieces together as you collate and interpret the data. Mixing maths with mythology, this is definitely one of our more challenging workshops!

CSI: Saxon Maths (Years 4 - 6 / KS3/KS4)

Alfred the Great has burnt the cakes … or has he? Test your understanding of number, shape and time as you help right the wrongs of history – and work out who framed him!

CSI: Olympics (EYFS - Y6 / KS3/KS4)

The Olympic Games are set to return this year, as sportspeople from all across the world gather to compete in Paris. However, a troubling case of sabotage has emerged and the velodrome is under scrutiny in The Case of the Criminal Cyclists! It’ll be your pupils’ task to crack the case, using a whole range of mathematical skills (including, at Years 5 and 6 / P6-P7, algebraic thinking) in workshops differentiated from Nursery to Year 6 / P1 - P7.

Sensory Maths
Designed to support children and young people with profound learning needs and/or who communicate non-verbally, these sessions harness a system of binary questions and handleable resources in using a range of senses to explore in concrete ways quantity, dimensions, capacity and texture. We’ve now developed a format for students with lesser needs, using the same basic methodologies to illustrate the value of precise mathematical language. And whichever way you choose, our unique and portable Sensory Box allows us to work with up to seven students at a time! workshop typically last for 30 minutes and you can mix and match sensory maths workshops with any of other workshops listed above.