Boys at Chinthurst prep school are used to reciting their times tables to rock and roll tracks. But now they are learning them in Spanish, Gujarati and Latin to raise money for charity.
The pupils at the private boys’ school, in Tadworth, Surrey are using maths-related fundraising ideas sent to 600 schools in the South-east by the Children’s Trust disabled children’s charity.
As well as doing maths in other languages, the Making Maths Matter pack includes ideas for a game called “Who Wants to be a Mathematician?”, based on the television quiz show Who Wants to be a Millionaire?.
Other suggestions include a competition to build the highest coin tower, sponsored times-tables and paying to wear a football shirt to school with your favourite team number on it.
Trevor Egan, headteacher, said: “We have had enough mufti days. It is time for a change, and it will not be the first time we have done things differently in maths lessons. We have got them to recite their times tables to rock and roll songs in the past.”
The money raised will build new classrooms at St Margaret’s school in Tadworth for children with severe disabilities, which is run by the trust.
The school provides hydro and physiotherapy sessions as well as drama, art, wheelchair football and life skills for its 40 five to 19 year-olds.
Last year schools in the UK raised pound;90,000 for the trust.
Mr Egan’s school raised pound;6,000 of that, including pound;2,100 through a mini-tough guy competition which saw pupils competing in a triathalon.
He said: “The maths won’t be as physically exerting as the mini-tough guy competition, but intellectually it will be just as tough.
“I think we’ll get them to do sums in Latin as well, like V times II equals X. They’ll love it.”
To get your copy of the Making Maths Matter pack, email schools@thechildrenstrust.org.uk
