PARENTS went back to school and joined their children for a day of maths-based fun as part of a charity awareness day.

At schools across country, the NSPCC Number Day celebrated all things numerical, while considering fun ways to highlight maths alongside the charity’s work.

At Cwmbran’s Blenheim Road Community Primary School, children were invited to dress up in number-related clothing while teachers also joined in.

The school’s maths co-ordinator, Erin Roberts, said: “This is the first time that the school has participated in the awareness day.

“The idea behind it is to create awareness of the NSPCC and what the charity does for children. It also involved raising money for the charity.

“But it is also about making maths fun. The children have dressed up in the theme of numbers

In the lead-up to the day, the school held an assembly to educate the children on what the NSPCC is doing and how it helps children around the country.

“Maths is an important part of the school curriculum as it is one of the core subjects, which is why I believe the charity has chosen it for the awareness day,” added Mrs Roberts.

“It not only enthuses the children but also enthuses the parents, who were invited along for the day.”

All the children brought in £1 as a suggested donation, with the money going onto the charity.

“Quite often you say maths to someone and they think ‘oh no’. Some people really don’t like maths or you could say they have a fear of maths,” added Mrs Roberts.

“It all about making it fun and showing people, especially the children, that it is more than just working for textbooks. It is a practical activity.”

Elizabeth Thomas, associate head teacher of Blenheim Road: “NSPCC Number Day is a great opportunity to raise awareness of the NSPCC for children who may be at risk.

“Numeracy is a lifelong skill that needs to be transferred out of the children’s maths lessons across the rest of the curriculum.

“Number day allows the children to use these skills in a meaningful, fun and engaging way.

“It is also a great way of getting parents involved in their child’s learning and it gives them ideas to use at home with their children.”

An NSPCC spokesman said: “The NSPCC’s Number Day is a fun, Wales-wide event for children and young people of all ages and we welcome Blenheim Road Community Primary’s involvement.

“Celebrating maths, every school registered has an opportunity to organise their own activities with the help of our online resources and money raised goes to a number of vital NSPCC services.

“These include ChildLine, a free 24-hour helpline and online service for children and young people, and our schools service, which sees specially trained volunteers visiting primary school pupils across Wales to help them speak out and stay safe from abuse,” he said.