The London Freemasons' Charity (LFC) has a proud tradition of supporting charities with small but vital grants to help change people's lives for the better. Quite often, the support carries on, and several grants are given. One such example is MathsMakers, featured in Arena last autumn. 

In 2021, the LFC gave MathsMakers a grant of £3,000 to help provide additional online tutorial support for 72 underprivileged 14–16-year-olds across London. This made a huge difference to children preparing for their GCSEs, improving their learning, and building their confidence ahead of exams. 

The LFC is delighted to have made another donation of £3,000 to support MathsMakers for their commendable work for 2022. 

Helena Mullins, the Founder and Director of MathsMakers, told Arena about the charity, what they do and what they are committed to in the future.

MathsMakers is an education charity that specialises in working with schools. They have a successful track record of helping students in years 6-11 catch up in their maths learning, boosting their confidence and improving their attainment through a team of highly qualified, experienced teachers and tutors. MathsMakers is quality marked by the National Resource Centre for Supplementary Education.

They work with disadvantaged students, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and English as an Additional Language (EAL), offering 10-12 weeks programmes. Tutorials take place after-school and on Saturdays. Students work in small groups at a pace and level that suits their needs. The year 11 programmes target preparation for mock exams and GCSE exams so that students can reach and exceed their target grades. 

As part of the in-person programmes, students benefit from additional support from maths mentors. For that purpose, year 12 students are recruited, trained and guided to work with the younger ones. In turn, they gain valuable work experience while developing important interpersonal and employability skills. Some year 12 students use their volunteering towards the Duke of Edinburgh awards and to strengthen their UCAS applications. They are also able to get a reference from MathsMakers to help with any future job applications: "It is a vital experience for all young people as the skills gained from MathsMakers can be applied to any job roles and careers" (Year 12 mentor).

In the catchup following Covid, MathsMakers online programmes have helped close to 600 students in Harrow develop their potential and increase confidence in numeracy, algebra and problem-solving skills. 97% of the students say that the tutorials helped with maths learning, 95% say they feel more confident about discussing their work in class, and over 90% would recommend MathsMakers to their friends. On average, over 80% of students with high attendance have improved their test scores by 25 percentage points.

And, as in every case, what really matters is the feedback.

"The detailed level of tuition and the standard of resources are the reasons we have used MathsMakers for so many years. They have been outstanding in supporting our students post-Covid. Students and staff at the school all speak highly of MathsMakers." (Head of Maths, Nower Hill High School)

"MathsMakers has helped me work more independently. I feel more confident and comfortable asking questions, not only in the maths class but also in other classes".  (Year 11 Student)

"Dear Miss, Thank you for everything. Honestly, you're a lifesaver. If it wasn't for you, I'd have failed a lot, a lot, trust me. I couldn't ask for any better teacher than you." (Year 9 student)

"MathsMakers gave my daughter a real boost. She gained more knowledge. The tutor was so lovely. She taught well and explained clearly. Thanks a lot."  (Parent)

"It was a really good experience. It helped me to take more initiative – when students were not keen, I needed to find ways of encouraging them. It helped me develop my communication skills and my ability to motivate others." (MathsMakers Mentor)

For more information, please visit www.mathsmakers.org

This article is part of the Arena Magazine, Issue 49 August 2022 edition.
Arena Magazine is the official magazine of the London Freemasons – Metropolitan Grand Lodge and Metropolitan Grand Chapter of London.

Read more articles in the Arena Issue 49 here.