Each academic year we are reminded of the importance of maths in the primary curriculum. Finding practical applications for maths is key to understanding the importance and relevance of the subject, and enthusing your students. In fact, when you start looking for Maths in everyday life, and in other subjects, you find it everywhere.

As an experienced performing arts educator, I love to find the links from maths to music, drama and movement, and this cross-curricular approach greatly helps to deepen children’s understanding, and strengthen their learning. Additionally, it gives the children’s confidence and enthusiasm for maths a huge lift, as it gives those who don’t excel in more traditional lessons a real opportunity to shine, which in turn yields better test results.

These ten tips for teaching Maths through the arts at primary level are designed to give teachers a boost, and help ensure that the pressure of SATs doesn’t suck the life out of the subject. You don’t have to be a trained performer to use the ideas below, and with any luck, they may help push your results graph a little further up the y-axis!