SCHOOLS in the UK are fighting the impact of the pandemic with the help of an education provider that uses innovative technology to boost learning rates.
Teachers say that the Maths-Whizz tuition platform frees up valuable classroom time, whilst ensuring children have access to online lessons that are tailored to their individual needs.
The programme uses a virtual tutor driven by artificial intelligence, which is deployed as part of a holistic approach that includes real-world teaching resources, on-going local support, and real-time analytics.
Children are encouraged to learn by creating their own avatars that enable them to take part in maths games and win prizes. Over 250 schools in the UK are currently using the Maths-Whizz platform in order to raise standards in mathematics. Among them is Chesterton Primary School in Chesterton, Staffordshire.
Stella Formosa, Headteacher at the school in Chesterton, said: “It’s a fun way of involving children in their own independent learning as they like to work with technology. Parents can see how their child is progressing and it only needs to be 15-20 minutes per day, which is easily incorporated in a homework routine. It’s been a really good tool for learning during the Covid period as children have been able to access it at home and it has supplemented the work that we set in class.”
Another school to benefit is Little Sutton Primary School in Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham, where pupils at the school are in the top 20% nationally for achievement in Key Stage 2 in mathematics. Rita Kaur, Assistant Headteacher and Maths Lead at the school in Little Sutton, said: “Being able to utilise Maths-Whizz in the current pandemic has been very well received by our staff, pupils, and parents. We were one of the first schools in Birmingham to initially take part in the programme prior to the pandemic, in order to support pupils in Year 6. We have now also made it available to pupils in Year 5. In such unprecedented times, online tools and options are even more needed to support the balance of remote learning.”