I visited Hovingham Primary School again this morning where Janet Spence, the hedteacher, and her team are doing a great job...

I had been invited by my colleague Jane Fisher to their 'Gold Mathletics Celebration Together Time'. It was 'World Maths Day' yesterday and Hovingham had an exciting day packed with fun maths activities and today the assembly was to celebrate the children's achievements. Matheletics is a commercial on-line website which aims to help develop maths learning and motivation. The children are set goals and achieve gold, silver and bronze certificates. Jane told me that the children have never been so keen on doing maths and that she is amazed at how excited and motivated the children were by the scheme. You can find out more about the scheme by visiting their website at www.mathletics.co.uk.

Dave Phillips, UK National Director for Mathletics, was at the assembly and told the children that they had been involved in a world record attempt involving solving the most maths problems in 48 hours and at 8am this morning they had broken the previous record. So, Hovingham is now a world record holder and Dave also said that Hovingham had achieved more than any other school in the country as part of this world record! He also said that this was the best school assembly he had ever visited and that he was simply amazed at the energy, commitment and work.

Jane and her brilliant colleagues have been running maths clubs every day at lunchtimes and with the help of parents running maths clubs every day after school. The children were apparently so enthusiastic that they even ran the clubs over half-term. The assembly was a real celebration of this extra-ordinary primary school and the children sang and cheered and clapped and were brilliant.

Don't tell me that these children can't be extra-ordinary... they are! Don't tell me that these children can't achieve outstanding results... they are! It's true what they say, that you tend to get what you expect and Janet, Jane and the team expect so much and what they are doing is wonderful. Through their passion, commitment, enthusiasm and hard work they are releasing something incredible and these children given the opportunities and the encouragement are simply magic. There are a lot of downsides to my job, especially at the moment with the end of Education Leeds looking very likely, but mornings like this make everything worthwhile!
Chris