Liverpool Mathematical Society “FunMaths Roadshow"

“Frustratingly addictive” … “our year 7 students loved the Roadshow and want to know when you’re coming again”.

With comments like these, it is unsurprising to hear that the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Liverpool, UK has been involved in outreach work in local schools for over 25 years. In the last few years, the outreach programme has broadened still further with events at schools as far afield as Kent and Aberdeenshire.

The Outreach team offers a range of events and activities, both on its own and in partnership with Maths Education on Merseyside (MEM), SETPOINT Greater Merseyside and Cheshire, and the Liverpool Mathematical Society (LivMS).

The FunMaths Roadshow consists of 12 sets of 25 activities, each targeted principally at a given age range. Typically, the Roadshow operates as a session for up to 100 pupils, with a targeted set of 50 activities on A3 baseboards spread around a school hall or similar venue. The pupils work in pairs for about an hour, before evaluating their work during the session.

The Roadshow provides a valuable opportunity for older pupils to take on a mentoring role. For £20, schools can obtain a CD that will enable them to put together their own Roadshow kit. It serves as an excellent activity for secondary schools to roll out for their neighbouring primaries.

Within the given age range of each group of pupils, each set of activities aims to be all ability in the sense that there are some easy activities and some quite challenging. The aim is that all participants succeed. Further, the activities cover a panorama of mathematics and approaches – challenges that are kinaesthetic, spatial, geometric, arithmetic, estimation, logical, algebraic, ... and more, including familiar and unfamiliar classics.

“The students taking part self-select those activities which they wish to do,” explains Chris Marchant, outreach officer at Liverpool University’s Department of Mathematical Sciences, which runs the Roadshow. “This means that they can pick activities which reflect their interests and this encourages those who would otherwise probably disengage with mathematics to remain on-task and focussed”.

He continues: “Sessions held at challenging schools have also been very successful, as have those held at special schools, and with groups such as asylum seekers and looked-after children.”

The resources are available in a range of languages, including French, Spanish, Welsh, Scots Gaelic, Portuguese and Mandarin Chinese, which makes the Roadshow additionally appropriate for language enrichment as well as mathematics.

In addition to the Roadshow, we have a range of workshops available for all age groups from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 5,” say Chris Marchant, “ranging from ‘Maths in Art’ to ‘Proof’, and from ‘Code Breaking’ to ‘Pythagoras’. We even have a ‘Maths Improvisation’ workshop for able pupils”.

“The FunMaths Roadshow is a very enjoyable two days, particularly well received by Year 11,” comments a teacher from Wrenn School in Wellingborough. “Staff and students had a great time and it was very well received by unexpected students (i.e. school refusers)”.