BRILLIANT: Hovingham Primary School and Mathletics!

I visited one of my favourite schools again this afternoon to see Janet Spence, Headteacher, Jane Fisher, Assistant Headteacher, their team, some amazingly talented children and many of their parents and carers. I was at Hovingham Primary School, which serves the Chapeltown and Harehills communities in Leeds for their latest 'Mathletics Celebration'.

Janet Spence, headteacher, and Jane Fisher, assistant headteacher, who leads the work on Mathletics, have created an extraordinary culture at this fantastic school. A culture focused on hard work and positive attitudes. These amazing celebrations are brought powerfully alive by Jane Fisher's passion, energy and enthusiasm, the whole school's singing and the positive psychology that surrounds every aspect of their work; work that has also engaged and involved many of the parents and carers who are also doing Mathletics! . It was another brilliant afternoon led by Jane Fisher and attended by Olympic Torchbearer Aiden Dixon, who carried the torch through parts of Harehills.

Hovingham Primary School is an extraordinary learning place and I had been to many of their Mathletics celebrations. Matheletics is a commercial on-line website which aims to help develop maths learning and motivation. The children are set goals and work hard to achieve gold, silver and bronze certificates supplemented by platinum awards to recognize the fact that many of these children have achieved so much! Jane Warburton, Chief Executive of Mathletics in this country, told me that three of these children were among the four most successful students using the scheme anywhere in the world... all four million of them. So these children really are one in a million!

It is simply amazing to see what Jane and the team have achieved at this wonderful little primary school serving such a rich and diverse community at the heart of Harehills. A school making a real difference where an amazing team are convincing the children and their parents and carers that they are mathematicians! Sadly, this is the last Mathletics celebration at Hovingham for Jane Fisher who is leaving to take up a lost at Farsley Farfield Primary School. She will be missed!!

If you want to find out more about Hovingham Primary School you can visit the school website at www.hovingham.leeds.sch.uk and if you want to find out more about the 'Mathletics' scheme you can visit their website at www.mathletics.co.uk.

Chris