Kingussie High School Numeracy Transition Event: Engaging Young Minds with Real-World Maths

Developing numeracy skills from an early stage is crucial, and Kingussie High School is leading the way with its innovative approach. As part of the P7 transition activities, the school and Developing the Young Workforce Inverness & Central Highland (DYWICH) hosted a Numeracy Transition Event, welcoming around 60 P7 pupils from Aviemore Primary School, Alvie Primary, Newtonmore Primary, and Kingussie Primary, along with 80 S1 pupils.

The event aimed to showcase the importance of numeracy by immersing young people in real-world scenarios where maths plays a key role.

Bringing Maths to Life

With input from a range of businesses and learning providers, pupils took part in engaging, hands-on activities demonstrating how numeracy is applied across various industries:

• Toncam Flooring and Interiors – Sarah Musgrove, Showroom Manager, introduced students to the importance of accurate calculations in flooring projects. Pupils worked on tasks involving area measurement, cost calculations for carpet and wood flooring, and considerations such as VAT and material wastage.

• Highland Wildlife Park (RZSS) – Jasper Hughes, Discovery & Learning Officer, delivered a ‘Work on the Wild Side’ presentation, demonstrating the role of maths in conservation. Pupils calculated enclosure areas, assessed visitor data trends, and worked out stock requirements for the gift shop.

• Active Schools/High Life Highland – Finlay McBain, Active Schools Coordinator, led ‘Maths in Sport’ activities, where students used calculations to keep track of scores and engaged in physical activities based on their results.

• My World of Work Live – Fionnadh Carroll guided pupils through the ‘Investables’ activity, where they managed virtual stock portfolios, learning about financial decision-making, risk assessment, and market trends.

• UHI STEM – Jack McIntyre engaged students in a hands-on experiment exploring the science of hydrogen fuel. Pupils created hydrogen from water and used it to power a small light, linking chemistry and numeracy to emerging green technologies.

Making Maths Meaningful

The event provided an exciting and interactive way for students to understand the practical applications of numeracy in everyday life and future careers. Pupils responded enthusiastically, asking questions and engaging with employers and educators. For many P7s, this was their first visit to Kingussie High School, making it a valuable opportunity to build confidence before transitioning to secondary education.

Rhona Macaskill, Deputy Head Teacher at Kingussie High School, said, “As part of our P7-S1 transition, we are developing opportunities to highlight key skills - this time we chose numeracy. I worked closely with Debbie, our DYW School Coordinator, to plan the event and found her support in arranging local employers and transport invaluable. 

“Initial feedback from pupils and staff alike is that the event was a big success. We are already looking to offer a similar event again next session.” 

Jack McIntyre, UHI STEM lead coordinator and technologist, highlighted the importance of numeracy skills in green energy careers, “We were delighted to see so much enthusiasm from pupils (and their teachers!) for our ‘Green Fuels of the Future’ sessions. With the growing need for skills in renewable energy, hydrogen generation, and engineering, it was fantastic to see students apply maths in a hands-on way, using solar energy to generate hydrogen and power a model car. With developments like Opportunity Cromarty Firth and companies such as Hydrasun and H2Green nearby, these young people are in an exciting position to explore careers in these fields.”

A Coordinator’s Perspective

Debbie Khadi, DYW School Coordinator at Kingussie High School, shared her thoughts on the event, “We know that numeracy is a key skill in almost every career, but it’s important to make that real for young people. This event was all about showing our pupils that maths is relevant beyond the classroom. Seeing students so engaged in problem-solving tasks - whether calculating flooring costs, tracking stock market trends, or measuring enclosures for zoo animals - was fantastic. It was also a great way for our P7 pupils to start building connections with the school, and hear about what DYW is and does to support them as they move through secondary school, before they join in August. A huge thank you to all the businesses and teachers who made the event such a success.”

Looking Ahead

Events like this reinforce the value of numeracy skills in the workforce, inspiring young people to develop confidence in maths while exploring a wide range of career possibilities. Developing the Young Workforce Inverness & Central Highland is proud to support initiatives like the Kingussie High School Numeracy Transition Event, helping to bridge the gap between education and employment in innovative ways.

If you’d like to give involved in supporting young people in a similar way, please check out our ‘What’s On - get involved’ padlet to see what’s coming up or get in touch directly with the team at info@dywich.co.uk