Multiply is a programme to help adults improve their numeracy skills. If you’re aged 19 and over and don’t have maths GCSE at grade C (or equivalent), you can access free numeracy courses through Multiply to build your confidence with numbers and even gain a qualification.
The Multiply project has worked with 488 people across 5 interventions – since May 23.
55 people have signed up for courses that will lead to a qualification upon completion from Agored to GCSE.
367 family members (parents, grandparents, carers) have participated in courses aimed at supporting their children with maths at home.
13 people have attended courses to learn how to manage their money more effectively.
GCSE Case Study
A man came to us looking for support with his maths and numeracy. He had not done any formal maths training since school, where he didn’t achieve any qualifications. Having not working with maths in over 25 years he was understandably lacking in confidence!
After meeting with him and discussing options we decided he would start on the 36 week Foundation GCSE Course. Throughout this course he has grown in both confidence and skills. At the start of the course he was quiet and unsure, this quickly changed! He now gives answers in front of the group, helps others within the classroom (e.g. reminding another student how to calculate the mean) and asks for help when he isn’t sure.
He has quickly mastered many of the skills needed for foundation GCSE. He has gone from being unable to do basic calculations including multiplication, division and subtraction to confidently being able to solve algebraic equations, find the volume of shapes and accurately calculate fraction and ratio problems (skills which most adults would be scared by!).
He will be sitting his foundation GCSE exam in November and is on track to achieve the highest grade! After this he has ambitions to go on and complete the intermediate Maths GCSE course.
What an achievement!
Monmouth Church Case Study
We first met them when we were invited into a church in Monmouth to use their facilities to run a budget cookery course for their participants. She was eager to cook, but reluctant to do the numeracy element of the course, feeling embarrassed about her ability. She successfully completed cookery, engaging well and attending all sessions. She was becoming more and more confident, but still lacked enthusiasm to engage with maths.
It was clear that the participants needed further budgeting support, that their introduction to budgeting through cookery was new to them, and when talking to the participants they would mention struggling with managing their household expenses. So, we designed and delivered a budgeting course with the participants and their feedback in mind.
She was eager to attend this time, despite an increased level of numeracy in this workshop. She was struggling with outgoings, had payment plans for missed bills and never knew quite how much was going to come out of her account each month. She engaged well, sometimes hesitant and shy when completing her numeracy tasks, but felt well supported enough in the environment to ask questions and not give up.
When the budgeting workshops finished, she came to me and asked if Multiply could run maths classes at the Church. She had realised that her maths had been improving, and that she was becoming more confident. She didn’t want our support to end and realised that to support her daughter in primary school, she wanted her own maths to be better.
We began maths classes at the Church in November. The participants who enrolled, including her all agreed to completing an Agored Award with units looking at whole numbers, time, weight and money. She turned up to every single lesson, in some instances she found the work hard, but with support never gave up. She was determined to achieve, having never gained a formal maths qualification in school before.
By summer, she had achieved an Entry Level 2 Award in Essential Skills for Work and Life. She was confident in numeracy, giving answers and sharing with the class, modelling how she did her workings out. More importantly, she was more confident in supporting her daughter. She would take away ideas from the sessions and practice them at home with her.
The sense of achievement she felt could be seen by all, and her hard work and dedication paid off.
Website: mccemployskills.co.uk/multiply
These projects are [funded/part-funded] by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.