On Friday 27th March, the very first Bolton Schools Alliance Maths Intervention session took place at the Bolton Arena, bringing together students and staff from across the borough for a day of focused learning and collaboration. The event was sponsored by WHYSUP, with co-founder Mr Murray in attendance and actively supporting students throughout the day. Running from 8:30am to 2:30pm, the session was packed with energy, purpose, and positivity.

Mr McKeon (Head Teacher from Little Lever) informed me that this initiative has been designed to tackle an important challenge. While 64% of students in Bolton achieve a grade 4 or above in English, only 40% currently reach this benchmark in Maths, compared to a national average of 46%. By targeting students who are on the cusp of achieving a grade 4, the programme aims to provide the extra push needed to secure a grade 5.

In total, 12 Bolton schools are involved in the alliance, with 15 students from each school selected to take part with185 students taking part altogether. The session observed included students from Ladybridge, Little Lever, St Joseph’s, Smithills, and Mount St Joseph. Students were grouped to encourage collaboration, with Ladybridge and Little Lever working together, St Joseph’s paired with Mount St Joseph, and Smithills forming the third group.

The day was structured into three engaging teaching sessions, each broken into short, focused bursts to maintain pace and attention. In the first session, students explored mode, median, mean, and range. The teaching style was dynamic and interactive: key concepts were introduced clearly, followed by practice questions from workbooks. Students then shared their answers on whiteboards, allowing for immediate feedback and discussion. Staff from all schools circulated the room, offering guidance and encouragement, creating a highly supportive learning environment.

One of the standout aspects of the day was how quickly students settled in and embraced the experience. The atmosphere was purposeful yet positive, with students fully engaged in their learning. A reward system added an extra layer of motivation -students collected signatures throughout the day for demonstrating effort, good manners, and a positive attitude. Those who filled their cards were entered into a prize draw, adding excitement and friendly competition.

The second session moved on to area of shapes and quadratic graphs, while the third focused on forming and solving equations, as well as compound interest and depreciation. Each session built on the last, helping to develop both confidence and understanding.

The day concluded on a high with a celebratory rewards ceremony. Every student received a WHYSUP JD bag and a bar of chocolate in recognition of their hard work. The prize draw followed, with around £500 worth of JD Sports vouchers awarded, ranging from £10 to £100 which was an exciting end to a productive and rewarding day.

Overall, the event was a fantastic example of schools working together to support student achievement, and it set a strong foundation for future interventions.

Each one of the students who attended should be proud of themselves and the effort they showed from the moment they entered the Bolton Arena until the end of the day. We wish each and everyone of them every success for the future and look forward to seeing them take the knowledge that they have learned and put it into practice into their exams.

Here we have some quotes from the organisers, and teachers who attended the Maths intervention session.

Mr McKeon – Little Lever (Head Teacher)

This is a great initiative to help students progress going forward, with twelve schools in Bolton on board this targeted intervention will help raise the average grade in Bolton in Maths.

Mr Murray – WHYSUP

This offers extra help and support to students, prior to, and during the exams it is important that students look after their mental health and wellbeing, learning selfcare and not being afraid to seek help and speak out when needed. Through my own personal experience, I know that this can be a struggle at this time, and any support that WHYSUP and schools can offer students during this important time as they progress on their future is important.

Mr Johnson – Mount St Joseph

Students found the day to be really helpful and useful in their preparation for their upcoming maths exams. The day was very good with a range of mixed sessions covering topics and explaining subjects and problems in a variety of ways.

Mrs O’Callaghan – Bolton Learning Partnership

It has been fantastic to see so much commitment and dedication form each student to be part of the day. The staff have worked tirelessly to ensure that the resources and every session are going to make a significant outcome to each student’s efforts.

It has been a privilege to be a part of the day.

Mrs Faber – St Josephs

A very good day to spend on maths. Students were very concentrated on their work, and it will definitely help them on their revision at home.

Mrs Duddridge – Ladybridge

Students have got a lot from the sessions. It is nice to see all the schools working together and sharing good practices to achieve a common goal of improved outcomes for students across Bolton.