3 children & 1 teacher changing maths in Hexham and Westminster

Last week I welcomed the 3 maths gurus from Hexham Middle School who helped convince education minister Liz Truss that the old way is best. Elizabeth Nixon, Anisha Bannister and Amy Hawke – along with their maths teacher Cath Parker – came to westminster and met the Minister after writing to me last year.
The Department for Education has now ditched plans to replace the old long-division system with the modern system ‘chunking’.

Elizabeth Nixon said: “Liz Truss was very interested in what we had to say and did seem to listen to everything we said.

“I felt that what I’d written had actually made a difference, and that what goes on in Parliament is actually influenced by what we say, even when we’re children.”
Mrs Parker, who at 42 can certainly remember the old ways while still young enough to understand the modern, said: “When I was a child I had a maths teacher who would hit me with a ruler if I got it wrong! But this all began with the girls here in September when I was teaching long division, and Amy said ‘why have I spent five years of my life trying to divide numbers using ‘chunking’ when it’s that easy?’.
“I said it was because a lot of teachers followed Government curriculum.
“But the children much prefer long division and find it much easier. By teaching them ‘chunking’, you aren’t actually teaching them how to divide. You are only teaching them how to subtract.”
The minister agreed to return the curriculum to “tried and tested” methods instead of the modern concept.
And Mrs Parker said: “It’s a victory for common sense. The education minister has listened to everyone, including schoolchildren. We had quite a long chat with her and wanted myself and the girls to show her how we saw the more efficient method.”
I have competition for my job in a short while as Elizabeth added: “I hope one day, if not as a child but as an adult, I can come back , maybe even as an MP!”
It was a great day and the 4 ladies were very impressive.