Every year I run an after school mental maths club for children in year 6. It started off as part of our intervention in the lead up to SATs and proved to be really successful. As a result, we've done it every year since. Although this year we've got a smaller group than usual, in the past we've had between 20 and 30 children staying behind after school for an hour to practice mental maths. So how have we managed to keep them there? I'd say there are three main reasons: make it fun, keep it fast paced and of course, include sweets! Here are some top tips if you're thinking about starting an after school club: 1) Make it feel different to a normal lesson Although the club is held in my classroom, we do everything possible to make it more comfortable and relaxed. My class are well-drilled now at pushing the tables and chairs to the edge of the room and putting our ...

I try and use every single minute of every single day. Recently I have been having a real push on times tables, but it can be difficult to justify giving time to this in maths lessons, especially when different children are learning very different times tables. I have found a slot that works well though; the time it takes me to take the register in the morning. This allows plenty of time for children to consolidate their understanding and revise new tables. With just 5 weeks to go before Christmas, I have decided to launch a 5 minute challenge to my children:   How many times tables can they master between now and Christmas, using 5 minutes a day for 5 days for 5 weeks? Here's the plan:   Day 1 - flash cards A question on one side - the answer on the reverse. Simple! Questions children get right will go into the correct pile and questions they get wrong...