Hear from Danii Bairner, a Principal Teacher and Class Teacher at Strathblane Primary School in Strathblane, Scotland, about how Sumdog has been transforming maths lessons and improving outcomes.
About the school
Strathblane Primary School is a mixed state school situated in the south-western part of Stirling council area. The pupil population is approximately 170, with a small percentage of pupils qualifying for Pupil Equity Funding. The school has been using Sumdog for 7 years.
Meeting the needs of learners
In 2017, we introduced Sumdog as a key part of our maths education strategy to create a more engaging and personalised learning experience. Its tailored diagnostic assessments provided valuable insights into each learner’s strengths and gaps, allowing us to adapt our teaching accordingly. The platform’s automatic tracking and real-time progress monitoring have supported teacher judgement, informing lesson planning and interventions. Over the years, Sumdog has remained an invaluable tool for differentiation and assessment, ensuring every student receives the targeted support they need to build confidence and succeed in maths.
Transforming maths lessons and improving outcomes
At Strathblane, we group children by ability and provide differentiated lessons that target specific learning levels. Sumdog seamlessly integrates into this structure through activity-based work, where pupils consolidate their learning through games and challenges. Whether practising times tables, tackling fractions, or preparing for an end-of-unit assessment, Sumdog keeps children engaged and motivated. Its ease of tracking and monitoring further enhances our teaching approach. With just a few clicks, we can see detailed reports on student progress, pinpoint which questions they find challenging, and analyse pupil ability within different areas of maths and numeracy. This data not only informs teaching but also helps the planning process, ensuring future lessons are tailored to the individual needs of our pupils.
Positive impact on engagement and attitudes
Since introducing Sumdog, I have witnessed a noticeable improvement in pupils’ attitudes towards maths. By incorporating Sumdog into rotating lessons, we’ve made learning maths more enjoyable and less intimidating for our pupils. The multiplayer games and live leaderboards during contests are favourites in particular, sparking enthusiasm and teamwork - with our school even winning contests in the past!
"The combination of fun, interactive activities with robust data-driven insights has transformed how we approach maths education at Strathblane Primary School, making Sumdog an essential in our teaching toolkit."
