AfterMaths: Six of the Toughest Maths Concepts - Our Definitive Countdown

AfterMaths: Six of the Toughest Maths Concepts - Our Definitive Countdown

In this week’s AfterMaths episode, Jon and Becky reunite (voice fully restored!) and unpack a packed agenda: a bit of history, a lot of maths, and some classic year-group trauma.

Jon kicks things off with a brilliant history of maths segment — the surprisingly dramatic story of the equals sign, invented in 1557 by Welsh mathematician Robert Recorde, whose parallel-line insight eventually won out over some frankly bizarre early alternatives.


Then it’s time for this week’s feature: the top three trickiest things to teach in primary maths. Jon and Becky each bring their own lists, comparing everything from comparing fractions to converting imperial units, angles to long division, with plenty of shared pain and professional empathy along the way. (Spoiler: teaching time on an analogue clock gets a lot of airtime — and for good reason.)


They also dive into the key takeaways from Phil Hurd’s episode on problem solving, exploring the role of struggle, what real problem solving looks like, and why resilience can’t be taught without experiencing difficulty.


Finally, Becky brings a Maths of Life segment all about memory: why we remember some numbers forever (childhood phone numbers!) and instantly forget others — with a detour into blindfolded speed-cubing. Naturally.

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Episoder(85)

Who Decided How Long a Metre Is? AfterMaths Summer Special 3

Who Decided How Long a Metre Is? AfterMaths Summer Special 3

Who decided how long a metre should be? Why is a mile 1,760 yards? And what connects the French Revolution, an expedition from Dunkirk to Barcelona and the speed of light?In this AfterMaths Summer Spe...

7 Aug 22min

The Probability Problems That Make Your Brain Hurt - AfterMaths Summer Special 2 2026

The Probability Problems That Make Your Brain Hurt - AfterMaths Summer Special 2 2026

Probability often feels as though it should be intuitive, right up until the mathematics tells us that our instincts are completely wrong.In this AfterMaths Summer Special, Jon and Becky explore the s...

31 Jul 30min

Why Do Summer Holidays Feel Shorter As We Get Older? Summer Special 1 2026

Why Do Summer Holidays Feel Shorter As We Get Older? Summer Special 1 2026

Why did the six-week summer holiday feel endless when we were children, yet now seems to disappear almost as soon as it begins?In the first of the 2026 Aftermaths Summer Specials, Jon and Becky explor...

28 Jul 29min

KS2 SATs Results, AI and Outsourcing Mathematical Thinking

KS2 SATs Results, AI and Outsourcing Mathematical Thinking

What do this year’s KS2 SATs results really tell us about primary maths—and what might they be hiding?Jon and Becky examine the newly released national data, including the rise in maths attainment, th...

17 Jul 37min

Teaching in a Heatwave and is there a Place for Maths Hacks?

Teaching in a Heatwave and is there a Place for Maths Hacks?

In this episode of the Primary Maths Podcast, Jon and Becky ask whether we need to change the way we teach maths during a heatwave.With classrooms getting hotter and the end of term in sight, they exp...

10 Jul 30min

World Cup Maths, Equity and Oracy in the Primary Classroom

World Cup Maths, Equity and Oracy in the Primary Classroom

World Cup Maths, Equity and Oracy in the Primary ClassroomIn this episode of the Primary Maths Podcast, Jon and Becky talk end-of-year school chaos, transition days, classroom moves, and the strange j...

3 Jul 33min

Escape Rooms and Problem Solving (AfterMaths)

Escape Rooms and Problem Solving (AfterMaths)

In this episode of The Primary Maths Podcast, Jon and Becky reflect on the realities of summer term: heatwaves, report writing, and the heroic act of trying to teach when everyone is melting.They then...

26 Jun 37min

What We Can Learn from This Year’s Maths SATs?

What We Can Learn from This Year’s Maths SATs?

In this aftermaths episode of The Primary Maths Podcast, Jon and Becky take a look back at this year’s KS2 maths SATs papers and ask what teachers and maths leads might learn from them.They discuss wh...

18 Jun 33min

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