BIG Maths

Big Maths is a fun and hands-on maths workshop.

The workshop is aimed at Year 5 and 6 pupils visiting their destination secondary school, but is also suitable for Year 7. The workshop is an opportunity for students to visit the school and meet older students in an informal setting.

Working in small teams, students rotate through a carousel of giant mathematical challenges. With 10 minutes allocated to each activity, every student gets the chance to try every activity and solve problems together!

How does BIG Maths work?

A BIG Maths session lasts for 75 minutes, so we would normally run three sessions during a school day. A maximum of 60 primary pupils may participate and the primary pupils are divided into 6 teams of up to 10, though 6 – 8 per team is optimal. We ask that students are divided into teams in advance.

The six teams rotate around a carousel of six bases. Each base features large, tactile equipment, Year 9 mentor(s) and one or more engaging activities. Activities include a giant Soma Cube, giant tangrams, large solid pentominoes and a large version of the Towers of Hanoi.

The teams of primary pupils have about 10 minutes at a base, before everyone is asked to rotate to the next one, with the Y9 peer mentors rotating in the opposite direction. In this way, all of the pupils involved get to sample all of the activities, and meet as many other pupils as possible.

For more details, please download our BIG Maths FAQ.