COVID-19 Catch-Up for School Children Through Play Learning and a Maths Game: A Social Impact Collaboration Between BeGenio and University of Greenwich BeGenio

Children have lost months of learning and the learning gap is wider than pre-COVID-19, making a solution to the maths problem more urgent. Rishi Sunak announced additional education funding in the recent Budget, but more support is required.

An exciting impact partnership between BeGenio and the University of Greenwich has been created. This involves a data-based research into the mathematics game ‘Race To Infinity’ to evaluate it against the 3 key aims of the National Curriculum (Fluency, Problem Solving and Reasoning).

Schools/teachers select one or more groups of Key Stage 2 children to play the game, at least once a week over one term (or more). The same children will be involved throughout. Schools/teachers could select children at risk of falling behind due to COVID-19. Data will focus on the teachers’ perceptions of impact and will be gathered via a post-project survey and some selected interviews.

It is additional input, for example After-School club, lunchtime club, PSHE and so on. In this way it can be seen to support ‘catch up’ for children at risk of falling behind. Even though this is a normal school-based learning/classroom practice activity. It only involves children playing the maths game. The game takes approximately 15-30 minutes to play.

These sessions will culminate in a tournament being run by BeGenio in each school, leading on to an Inter-Schools tournament nationally.

Educational purpose of Research Programme:

1. Make maths fun 
2. Reduce maths anxiety
3. Increase maths skills
4. Support pupils’ post COVID catch-up

BeGenio’s Race To Infinity maths game is a popular game, that has been featured on T.V. and is currently being played in schools both nationally and internationally. 

The purpose of the Race To Infinity game is to increase maths skills, confidence, fluency, reasoning, problem solving and to help children learn love maths, reduce maths anxiety and practise through play. 

The Race To Infinity maths game was launched over 4 years ago, has won 9 National/International Awards and has been featured on live BBC NEWS TV and BBC World, and we won the Best Micro/Small Business Awards at Royal Borough of Greenwich Awards 2019 and are Department of International Trade Export Champion for both 2020 and 2021. 

Race To Infinity has been approved by National Numeracy, The Independent Toy Awards, How to HomeSchool, Imagination Gaming, The Good Toy Guide and many more, and listed in the best maths games in UK by The School Run.

The game also has buy-in from the Royal Borough of Greenwich, Peabody, ERDF, Tower Hamlets Education BP (Number Partners), Berkeley Homes, and thousands of schools, Headteachers, parents and children, and is available in 12 countries.

Benefits of Race To Infinity maths game:

•     To have a fully effective resource that can be used within the classroom for maths mastery
•     Help children combat mathematical anxiety
•     Help children meet the 3 key aims of the National Curriculum – Fluency, Reasoning and Problem Solving
•     Help children make maths fun and learn while playing
•     Incorporate the notion of play-learning
•     Develop creative, logical, critical and analytical thinking.