Sumdog Interim Impact Report January 2026

This section explores teachers’ reflections to examine how Sumdog impacts pupils’ experiences of learning mathematics. It brings together key themes relating to engagement, confidence, fluency, and attitudes towards maths, as well as the conditions under which these perceived impacts are most visible. The section considers how pupils interact with the platform in practice and how this shapes their relationship with mathematical learning.

6.1 High motivation and voluntary engagement

All participants praised Sumdog for its motivational effects, explaining that pupils enjoy it and that it is unanimously popular. When pupils are given the choice to engage with Sumdog or other resources or activities, Sumdog is consistently the preferred option. One teacher stated plainly:

Some teachers were even surprised by the depth of motivation pupils had to engage with their own progress. One educator reflected:

When returning to the earlier point about the use of competitions and rewards, one teacher had statistics to hand that highlighted how effective the competitions were for increasing regular activity:

This substantial increase demonstrates a relationship between structured competitive elements and pupil engagement with the platform.

6.2 Improved fluency and confidence through repetition

As earlier noted, one of the key uses for Sumdog is as a consolidation tool. Staff consistently cited how Sumdog's repeated practice helps pupils develop fluency and confidence in mathematics, with this being particularly evident in students who struggle with the subject. One teacher observed:

Another teacher used Sumdog diagnostics to describe improvements in pupils’ fluency in multiplication over time, as a result of repeated use of the platform:

This repetition-based approach allows pupils to build mathematical fluency and confidence at a pace that suits their individual needs.

6.3 Bridging engagement with broader mathematical attitudes

Whilst all teachers reported that pupils enjoy Sumdog, there was notable hesitance about whether it shifts attitudes towards mathematics more broadly. Teachers observed that pupils do not necessarily recognise Sumdog as "doing maths," which divides opinions among teachers.

Some viewed this positively, as it bypasses negative associations:

The gamified format circumvents barriers to engagement that traditional mathematics work creates. However, others expressed concern about this disconnect:

This highlights a tension between motivational benefits and the pedagogical goal of developing pupils' mathematical identity and metacognitive awareness. Overall, participants did not believe pupils' attitudes towards mathematics were fundamentally shifted beyond enjoying Sumdog itself. As one teacher summarised:

It would be interesting to explore whether explicitly connecting platform activities to wider mathematical learning would help translate engagement with Sumdog into a broader improvement of attitudes towards maths. Sumdog has plans to further reinforce the link between reward features and mathematical progress through allowing students to see which skills they've completed and more easily understand the rewards they've received as a result.

This section explores how Sumdog impacts different pupil subgroups, with a particular focus on whether its benefits are concentrated on specific cohorts. Teachers consistently highlighted the platform’s ability to tailor content and identify gaps, which is especially relevant when considering pupils who face varied barriers to learning mathematics. Rather than benefiting narrowly defined groups, Sumdog appears to support a wide range of learners across diverse needs and contexts.

7.1 Broad accessibility across diverse learners

When asked whether Sumdog benefits some students more than others, all participants cited examples of pupils facing barriers to learning who engaged particularly well with the platform. One teacher described:

Low-attaining pupils were cited multiple times as especially motivated by the combination of screens and gamification, whereas they might disengage with traditional methods:

However, some staff noted limitations. For a small number of pupils with Additional Support Needs, competitive elements can be overstimulating or distressing:

Notably, whilst many examples of individual benefit were cited, the overall feeling was that no single group stood out as benefiting substantially more than others. Teachers viewed this broad accessibility as a key strength:

Rather than functioning as a targeted intervention, Sumdog appears to be an inclusive tool that can be differentiated to meet diverse needs within mainstream settings. This universality may represent one of the platform's most significant strengths in supporting contemporary, inclusive classroom practice.

7.2 Home access inequalities and competition structure

When considering Pupil Equity Funding eligible pupils, a notable paradox emerged: whilst Sumdog successfully creates equity within the classroom, inequalities surface around access to technology and the ability to use it at home. A key strength noted by several teachers was that Sumdog provides an even playing field within the classroom, with pupils working at tailored levels without visible stratification:

This in-school equity is particularly valuable for PEF-eligible students, who can engage with mathematics on equal terms with their peers during lesson time. However, this classroom-based equality becomes undermined by inequalities that emerge beyond the school gates. One teacher explains:

This creates a situation where the equity achieved during school hours is eroded at home, as pupils who would benefit most from additional practice lack the resources to access it, potentially widening attainment gaps. Some schools have attempted to extend equitable access by structuring early morning sessions:

While this extends the window of equal access, it places additional demands on staff and pupils and may not fully compensate for the cumulative advantage that consistent home access provides. Thus, whilst Sumdog demonstrates clear potential in supporting PEF-eligible students within school settings, realising its full equity impact remains constrained by unequal access to technology at home.

7.3 Supporting pupils with English as an Additional Language

A subgroup that emerged strongly from interviews was pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL), who sometimes struggle to read questions. One staff member noted:

However, teachers praised Sumdog's audio features for supporting pupils with EAL:

The audio feature serves as an important accessibility tool that maintains inclusion in mathematics practice. Despite this, one teacher noted that even with audio support, some students find questions challenging. They suggested more purely numerical questions or visual aids such as bar models:

It is worth noting that Sumdog offers a number of questions that include visual representations of mathematical concepts and processes, including bar models amongst others. This points towards the importance of making those features more easily discoverable by teachers.

Sumdog is an evidence-based maths fluency platform for children aged 5-14 that uses a games-based approach to engage every learner. Teachers can track pupil progress through automated reporting and easily identify intervention areas.

This report examines how Sumdog is implemented in Scottish schools that have used it for five years or more, exploring its impact on pupil outcomes including maths-related attitudes and skills. The report is based on interviews and focus groups with 9 teachers across 9 primary schools.

Sumdog was valued as a tool for both teaching and learning. Teachers described it as an invaluable diagnostic resource that automatically adapts to individual ability levels. Its longevity, reliability, and strong alignment with the Scottish curriculum highlight the importance of viewing Sumdog not just as a pupil-facing learning tool, but as a resource that informs teachers' pedagogical practice.The platform suits a diverse range of learners rather than targeting specific groups, though specific literacy-related challenges for English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners were highlighted.

Teachers reported increased pupil engagement and motivation, but believed that many children experience Sumdog primarily as a game and do not recognise it as maths. Consequently, their enjoyment does not always translate into changed attitudes towards classroom maths. Sumdog helps build mathematical fluency through revision and consolidate of core numeracy skills. Rather than focusing on isolating the platform’s direct impact on pupils, a more meaningful indicator may be how seamlessly it has become integrated into teachers' practice, no longer operating as a separate or supplementary activity, but woven into their teaching approach.

Maximising Sumdog's potential requires reliable technological infrastructure and strong staff engagement. Teachers reported challenges including inconsistent connectivity, variable device access, and varying staff buy-in, which affect how consistently the platform is used. This study spoke only to proficient users; exploring experiences of teachers who use it less frequently would be valuable.

Teachers also described the set-up of Sumdog as intuitive and the relief they have felt since other teachers within the school haven’t raised any issues about using Sumdog. They explained the importance of a new software not creating more issues for teachers. For example:

• Continue to highlight Sumdog as both a pupil and teacher resource
  Experienced teachers value Sumdog not only as a pupil-facing platform but as a diagnostic resource that informs pedagogical practice. Sumdog should develop materials that support strategic use of its features, demonstrating how to interpret data to inform teaching decisions and deploy platform features to support diverse learners and maximise engagement.
• Understand varied user experiences and build confidence across all school staff
  This study focused on proficient users. Future research should explore teachers who use Sumdog less frequently or face different implementation contexts, consulting with them about the barriers they encounter around time, technical confidence, and competing priorities. This would help Sumdog understand factors influencing adoption and develop targeted support that addresses real challenges. To ensure benefits are shared evenly across classrooms, Sumdog could provide schools with guidance on establishing a Sumdog Champion as a formal support point, develop short practical training resources for staff meetings, and create accessible onboarding materials focused on core essential features.
• Interrogate the experience of pupils with English as an Additional Language
  Teachers highlighted that EAL pupils can face barriers when language comprehension obscures mathematical understanding, although it's also important to note the important role that text-based questions that assess students' ability to apply maths to different contexts play in developing well-rounded numerical fluency. Whilst audio features were praised, teachers suggested incorporating more numerical questions and visual representations such as bar models. Research should examine how pupils with EAL currently experience Sumdog and which adaptations would most effectively support their development.
• Address the forthcoming impact evidence
  When platforms are deeply embedded in practice, the absence of a meaningful control group makes it difficult to isolate specific impacts. The forthcoming impact report will compare attainment of pupils using Sumdog versus those who are not, providing quantitative evidence to complement these qualitative insights.