The numbers add up for Bradford families

Over 350 families in and around Bradford took part in a project which helps parents and carers support their children in Year 1 and Year 2 with Maths.

Twenty-eight local primary schools joined in with the Family Numeracy Programme, part of the Multiply initiative, in the first half of 2025.

The three fun 45-minute sessions, run in partnership with Realise and White Rose Education, focused on Key Maths skills, which included place value, number sense, addition and subtraction.

Zoe Green, Lead Maths Specialist at White Rose Education, said: "The programme was a massive success, and we were delighted to engage with so many families to help them aid the Maths progression of their children away from school.

Data showed us there were hotspots in Bradford where additional support around numeracy would be beneficial, so the sessions were extremely worthwhile.

We tailored the programme to meet the specific needs of each of the schools, and, in total, we delivered 84 sessions and provided more than 1,000 packs of mathematical resources and games for the families to take away."

Dan Goodall, Director of Adult Skills at Realise, said: "This was a special and unique programme, and to see so many families across Bradford taking the time to engage and attend the sessions was extremely rewarding.

Our whole ethos as a training provider is to upskill individuals and help them fulfil their potential, and this programme ensured that parents and carers are in the best possible position to assist their children with additional learning outside of the school environment.

Methods of learning have changed dramatically compared to when the parents and carers of Year 1 and Year 2 pupils were at school, so these sessions provided a valuable insight into how additional support can be provided for children at home to complement the work they are doing in the classroom.

The team at White Rose Education are fantastic, and it's been a pleasure to link up with them for this programme."

The programme was funded by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.