The Primary Maths Podcast

How do we help children become confident, independent mathematical thinkers, not just answer-getters? In this episode of the Primary Maths Podcast, Jon Cripwell and Becky Brown explore the surprisingly powerful concept of metacognition and what it looks like in real classrooms, from early years to upper Key Stage 2. Jon also explains why a 12-inch pizza is nearly four times the size of a six-inch...

What happens when a headteacher keeps teaching? This week, Jon and Becky speak to Kate Frood OBE – a former headteacher who spent 22 years teaching weekly maths lessons alongside school leadership. Kate shares how her “Mrs Frood Maths” lessons became a model for coaching and inclusion, why stealth differentiation works better than labels, and how to reclaim joy and challenge in problem solving. Pl...

In this episode of The Primary Maths Podcast , Jon speaks with headteacher and mastery specialist Omar Jennings about how Number Talks have transformed teaching and learning across his school – from Nursery to Year 6. We explore: ✔️ What Number Talks are and why they matter ✔️ How they boost fluency, reasoning and oracy ✔️ Practical tips for rolling them out across your school ✔️ The importance of...

In this episode of The Primary Maths Podcast , we explore the unique joys and challenges of teaching maths in small schools and mixed-age classes. Jon Cripwell and Becky Brown reflect on their conversation with two inspiring educators whose work spans classroom teaching, national leadership, and system-wide school improvement. 👥 Our guests: Aimée Tinkler has been a teacher and school leader for o...

In this episode of The Primary Maths Podcast , Jon and Becky are joined by John Tomsett, renowned education consultant, former headteacher of Huntington School, and author of influential books such as "This Much I Know About Great Teaching" . John brings decades of educational leadership and classroom experience to an insightful conversation about the true essence of great teaching and learning. H...

In our very first episode, we’re joined by Dr Heidi Kirkland - teacher, researcher, and co-author of Maths Anxiety: Solving the Equation - to explore why even confident mathematicians can feel anxious about maths, and what we can do about it in the classroom. We chat about: Why self-belief matters more than ability What anxiety might look like in a maths lesson (spoiler: not always what you expect...