Grant scheme to invite maths presenters into school

It is common to hear announcements of new funding initiatives with comments stating how difficult and hard work it is to get through the loops and hoops of the process. It can feel that is is far too much work and the odds of being awarded such funds are slim.

Maths Busking

Inviting a speaker to do a special day in school sounds like a great idea. The children will have a special time, the teachers get a break from the routine of everyday teaching and a few more boxes get ticked.

Where do we start in choosing a speaker or activity if they haven’t been recommended or seen in action? And of course there is a cost. A parent of a pupil may be a great choice for an assembly if they work in a field that promises to inspired the next generation, if they know how to talk to a large audience of young people. Perhaps a STEM Ambassador or an academic from the nearest university will be available. All of these free of charge.

Of course with cost-free speakers it is harder to negotiate the event details, the style of talk or activity and make requests on the persecutions itself. This is where hiring a professional makes a difference.

A professional activity provider will ask the client what is the goal of the event, what is the overall message the students are to take with them. It will also try to understand the dynamics of the school and if there are particular aspects to be touched on.

Maths BuskingHere at Maths Busking we treat each individual event as bespoke. We write new material if necessary – as we did for Special Needs School that wanted a maths day for all children, including students that could not talk or count beyond 3. We may create a new format like we did at a secondary school that wanted to take maths into other subjects during the schools’ Maths Day – we created the Lesson Hijack where we interrupt lessons during for a short 10-15 min show. We may suggest a Masterclass for the most keen students in a day full of Stage Shows for the younger students that have never seen maths as a show. Etc. It is a dialogue.

So when we receive enquiries from schools wishing to apply to the Maths E&E grants the Royal Institution of Great Britain to cover our costs we know our approach to bookings will help the school succeed in the application. It is a very simple process asking for the teacher to show they have thought on how the event will impact in their teaching and what the legacy will be.

For more info about Maths Busking and examples of our material just click the little images icons for each trick at http://www.mathsbusking.com. To request a brochure please do call 078 430 21 209 or email maths@mathsbusking.com.

Dr Sara Santos, Mathematician and performer

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