At Millbay Academy’s maths circle in Plymouth, pupils are learning what it means to be mathematicians and discovering that maths is more than just finding the right answer. With the support of their mentor, Zelwan, pupils are learning how to think, talk, and grow as mathematicians.
Articulate, Accepting, and Adventurous
The Axiom Maths journey begins with these three simple yet powerful behaviours. As one Year 8 pupil reflected:
“I think the three A’s are kind of part of life itself. Like you have to accept others’ opinions. You have to go out and try new stuff, which is adventurous, and you have to be articulate in what you do.”
Beyond Right and Wrong
The three A’s transform how pupils approach problems. Zelwan described this shift in mindset: “They see maths as right or wrong at the beginning. I was always telling them, ‘I’m not interested in just the answer. I’m interested in you convincing me and showing the process. Listen to each other. You will learn from each other. Together, we make the whole puzzle.’ After that, they realised that it is teamwork.”
Zelwan has introduced a thoughtful tracking system to celebrate progression: “Before we start the circles, we put all their initials on the whiteboard. Whoever is adventurous, we give a point. Some of them are getting points for articulating their thinking well. Some of them are really accepting, so each of them get points for different things.”
The impact is clear. One Year 8 pupil shared:
“I wasn’t really accepting at first. I was a person who thought my opinion came first, yours next. But now I feel like I want to hear different opinions so I can use them to build mine.”
A Classroom Reimagined
Zelwan has reimagined the classroom as a peer-powered space: “I always make it very clear at the beginning of the maths circle that I’m not a teacher here.”
Pupils feel safe exploring problems and sharing ideas freely. Their collective perseverance is growing by the bucketful, helped by a shared understanding that struggle is a natural part of the process.
“Maths circles make me get more excited about maths,” said a Year 7 pupil. “Because in my old primary school, it was very heavily based on the teacher tells you this, you learn it, you do it. It [the maths circle] is more like university maths. Zelwan said in our first circle that we’re one big team, and it’s not about if you get it right or wrong, it’s how you explain it and how you work it out.”
Another pupil added: “I feel like whenever we’re articulating our answers, it’s genuinely fun to go deeper into the questions and find out any other possible answers.”
The Ripple Effect
The three A’s are influencing the rest of the department too. Maths teachers have told Zelwan that pupils are now more articulate and explain their reasoning with greater confidence.
A Year 7 pupil reflected: “If you give a student more chances to be creative or more freedom when they’re doing something, they’re most likely going to enjoy it more because that is just human spirit to want to be free.”
From Classmates to a Community
Every session puts another puzzle piece into place. A Year 7 pupil shared: “It’s fun, it brings friendship and education.”
“All of the things we’ve said have been around building a community. I think that shows how far we’ve gone from being strangers to being a community family.”
The journey toward becoming articulate, accepting, and adventurous mathematicians at Millbay Academy is well underway. We can’t wait to see where it leads next!