Exhortations to improve the public’s practical understanding of mathematics seem to coincide with awkward evidence that it’s difficult to achieve. Key Skills: the application of number is a cheerful, thoughtful set of case studies from Tyneside, showing how primary pupils have used maths in a variety of real-life contexts. The examples range from comparing house prices and costing ingredients for bicuits to devising sets of cricket averages and evaluating performances in PE. There is useful advice on classroom strategies with links to other key skills such as communicating what’s been discovered.

Available (pound;12 plus pound;1.50 pamp;p) from Tyneside TEC, Moongate House, 5th Avenue Business Park, Team Valley, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear NE11 0HF. Tel: 0191 491 6000. Fax: 0191 491 6159.