What have we learnt about improving numeracy?
The report covers learnings from boosting confidence, social mobility and gender to workforce productivity, policy-making and motivations and offers many bit-sized stories about the impact of our work.
It also features insight from partners who enable our work and help us to support the millions of Brits with low numeracy and some of our beneficiaries who talk in the report and accompanying video about the life-changing effects of improved numeracy.
10th Anniversary reception
The anniversary reception event - generously hosted by Bloomberg at its beautiful City of London HQ - gathered many of those with an interest in National Numeracy’s mission to empower children and adults to get on with numbers so they can fulfil their potential at home, work and school.
From supporters and celebrity ambassadors to media and beneficiaries, it was a fantastic opportunity to take stock of the past decade and look forward to scaling up National Numeracy’s work over the next ten years.
National Numeracy CEO Sam Sims calls for collective effort on numeracy
Sam Sims, CEO of National Numeracy, told those gathered: “Make no mistake. Getting on with numbers can open up opportunities and brighter futures, it can drive productivity and prosperity, and it is within everyone’s grasp.”
And while he celebrated the success of a decade of impact, Mr Sims was keen to emphasise that there was so much more to do: “We must meet people where they are – at work, where employers can and should play a huge role and have so much to gain, as well as at home - and focus on inspiring people to get started, on own terms and at their own pace – the part of the broken system that at National Numeracy we are working hard to fix.
“This will require a huge and sustained collective effort over the next decade. But…we have proven that change is possible, this is our moment.
“National Numeracy starts its second decade of impact with scale, momentum, a wealth of knowledge and a stellar and expanding group of partners and supporters. We know what works. And together we can accelerate our impact to open up opportunity for not just thousands, but millions more people.”
Putting good numeracy at the heart of the UK's next decade
Over the past decade, National Numeracy has supported hundreds of thousands of people across the country to improve their number confidence and skills. As a result, we have a deep understanding of how and why people improve their numeracy skills, the UK's largest data set about adult numeracy, and a unique learning tool with the National Numeracy Challenge.
We have been curious about how people feel about maths. We have sought to understand their backstories, their motivations, the barriers in their way and their routes both into and onwards from improving their numeracy. Join us in putting the advantages of good numeracy at the heart of this country's next decade of development.
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