AfterMaths: Times Tables, Roman Numerals and Golf!

In this week’s Aftermaths episode, Jon is joined by two special guests from the Twinkl team. Michelle Windridge, National Education Lead for EYFS and returning guest from last week’s episode, and Ashleigh Morris, National Education Lead for Secondary Science and host of the STEM Conversations podcast. Together they dive into the week’s interview with Cate Fearn and explore why times tables are so often a source of anxiety for children and adults alike.

The discussion ranges from conceptual understanding in early maths to the role of practice, memorisation and fluency in Key Stage 2. Michelle explains why deep number sense in the early years is essential before pupils ever attempt multiplication. Ash offers a secondary perspective on how much groundwork primary teachers cover before pupils reach Year 7, and shares reflections on recall, formula sheets and what really matters when preparing pupils for problem solving.

Jon then unpacks why primary schools in England teach times tables up to 12, tracing the history back to pre decimal British currency and noting the return of 12 × 12 in the 2014 National Curriculum. The group consider whether competition based times tables approaches help or hinder learning, with personal experiences of public leaderboards, chanting and high pressure classroom quizzes.

This week’s Maths of Life segment takes an unexpected turn into the world of professional golf. Jon explains why LIV Golf is called LIV and how Roman numerals quietly sneak into watches, architecture, TV credits and now sporting brands. The conversation leads to surprising links between modern maths teaching, ancient number systems and even Rolex design choices.

Listeners will enjoy a mix of humour, practical insights and honest reflections on maths education across the primary and secondary phases.

In this episode:

• What Cate Fearn gets right about teaching times tables

• Why understanding must come before memorising

• How EYFS number work sets the foundation for all future maths

• Why times tables go up to 12 in the English curriculum

• The impact of competition, pressure and public recall

• Secondary perspectives on recall, fluency and real maths learning

• The story behind LIV Golf’s name and Roman numerals in daily life

• Why watches, films and the BBC still use Roman numerals

• Confidence, cognitive load and helping all learners succeed

Mentioned in the episode:

• The Primary Maths Podcast interview with Cate Fearn

• STEM Conversations podcast with Ashleigh Morris and Sarah Hudson

• Curriculum and Assessment Review and times tables expectations

• EYFS approaches to number sense and early fluency