Building Maths Confidence with National Numeracy

About this episode

Jon Cripwell discusses maths confidence and the role of National Numeracy in improving attitudes towards maths with guests Paul Milner and Julie Pompa.

In this episode of The Primary Maths Podcast , Jon is joined by Paul Milner and Julie Pompa from National Numeracy to talk about number confidence, family engagement and the role schools can play in helping children and adults feel more positive about maths. Paul and Julie share the story behind National Numeracy’s work, including why adult numeracy matters and how confidence can be just as important as skill. They discuss the idea that many adults carry negative experiences of maths with them, and how those messages can shape the way children see themselves as mathematicians. The conversation explores National Numeracy’s model of value, belief and persistence, and why adults need to see a reason to improve, believe that improvement is possible, and understand that mistakes and discomfort are part of learning. Jon, Paul and Julie also discuss the Schools and Families Programme , which supports primary schools to work with families so that pupils feel more positive about maths and understand the value of numeracy beyond the classroom. There is also a focus on National Numeracy Day 2026 , which takes place on Wednesday 20 May 2026. This year’s theme is Count on Your Community…

People in this episode

Host: Jon Cripwell

Guests: Paul Milner, Julie Pompa

Topics covered

• maths confidence
• family engagement
• adult numeracy
• children's perception of maths
• Schools and Families Programme
• community support

Keywords

• numeracy
• maths education
• confidence
• family involvement
• learning
• community engagement
• adult education

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: National Numeracy

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