Make NSPCC Number Day count in Wales Maths Week

The Basic Skills Agency and NSPCC Cymru/Wales are celebrating Wales Maths Week with the launch of Number Day 2006. The event, which takes place on 4 December, is an awareness and fundraising activity that will enable schools to learn more about the NSPCC’s work. It also aims to make maths exciting and to instigate a positive "can do" attitude towards the subject.

The Basic Skills Agency - which is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Welsh Assembly Government's National Strategy for Basic Skills in Wales – is supporting Number Day for the first time this year. Gwen Axford, schools manager for Wales said: "In previous years, Number Day in England has had a real boost from the support of the DfES. We’re delighted that we now have a similar endorsement in Wales from the Welsh Assembly Government."

Schools across Wales will be invited to take part in fun, maths based activities, while raising money for children. All the activities are linked to the maths curriculum, and the awareness and fundraising element also links to the citizenship and PSHE curriculum. The Welsh Number Day pack will include an exclusive activity requested by the Basic Skills Agency in Wales - encouraging older year groups to design a sponsored maths activity for younger children to take part in. It will also encourage schools to visit Sumsville*, a CD-Rom of maths games, score points and raise money for the NSPCC.

Numbers Day packs will be sent out at the end of October and include everything schools need to make Number Day a success - a full range of exciting events for each key stage, including Who Wants to Be A Mathionaire, assembly plans, sponsor forms, and lots of ideas from other schools who have celebrated Number Day before.

Ysgol Tryfan in Bangor held a Number Day in 2004 and raised nearly £400. Head of maths, Mari Jewel said: "The pack was easy to follow and was flexible enough to adapt to children of all abilities. Raising money for the NSPCC is important to the children because they feel close to the cause. They see the adverts on television and want to do something to help."

"As teachers, we're delighted not only that we can use maths outside the curriculum but also that it's fun and for a great cause."

To pre-register visit www.nspcc.org.uk/numberday or contact Gwen Axford on 01873 832618 (e mail gaxford@nspcc.org.uk) for further information.

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Editor's notes

• Please include information for pre-registering and contact details for Gwen Axford.
• Sumsville is available from the Basic Skills Agency by calling 0870 600 2400 and quoting code number A1742 (packaging and postage payable). The CD-Rom includes:
  • addition and subtraction
  • rounding up and down
  • division
  • multiplication
  • negative numbers
  • fractions, decimals and percentages
• The NSPCC has 17 services for children and young people across Wales. One of these is the schools counselling team which encourages the development of independent counselling and peer support programmes for children and young people in schools.