BRIGHT sparks at schools across Renfrewshire came up with a number of ways to celebrate Maths Week.

The initiative aims to help kids develop their maths skills while having fun at the same time.

At Fordbank Primary, in Johnstone, pupils added, subtracted and multiplied their way through a whole host of fun activities, including a penalty shootout against St Mirren football mascot Paisley Panda.

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Teachers were keen to encourage pupils to lead the way and appointed a number of ‘numeracy champions’ to plan and run events. 

Children also created dens and made shapes using their bodies.

Makayla Larmour, 11, said: “It’s been fun because we’ve got to run and been able to ask questions and then see all the other classes doing it.”

And Ella McMillan, 10, another numeracy leader, admitted she had been keen to test her classmates.

She said: “We’ve been able to learn harder sums and I even gave someone a sixteen times table.” 

Headteacher Carol McCormick said: “These are just fun interactive challenges and the kids have been really engaged.

“Friday was a whole day of pupil led activities and the champions came up with the ideas and arranged them all.

“The week was all about promoting enjoyment and engagement with maths and showing the pupils how they can use it in their world of work.

“The pupils loved it – they all had big smiles on their faces.”

Also in Johnstone, pupils at Auchenlodment Primary created maths problems and posted them around the community, with local residents encouraged to retweet their answers to win a prize.

Meanwhile, youngsters at St Margaret’s Primary, also in Johnstone, had a swashbuckling time with pirate-themed maths adventures.

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And at St Benedict’s High, in Linwood, pupils used their numeracy skills to set up an ‘escape room.’

The fun also extended across other schools, including Bargarran, Barsail, Inchinnan, Langbank and Rashielea Primary Schools, where activities included a maths and art competition with the theme of Scottish bridges.