Welsh-language maths platform to launch in primary schools

Nation.Cymru staff

A popular online maths platform used by thousands of primary school pupils across Wales is to be made available in Welsh for the first time.

Sumdog, which is already used in more than 200 schools in Wales, will launch a Welsh-language version in September.

The company said it will be the first maths practice platform of its kind to be available in Welsh while also aligning with the Curriculum for Wales and adapting to individual pupils’ ability levels.

The platform has been developed with input from bilingual teachers and Welsh language specialists to ensure the questions and explanations reflect the Welsh used in classrooms across the country.

Hundreds of pupils have already tested the resource, completing more than 100,000 maths questions in Welsh during the development process.

The launch comes amid growing demand for digital educational resources in Welsh and the Welsh Government’s ambition to reach one million Welsh speakers by 2050.

Rhidian James, Wales Localisation Project Manager for Sumdog, who has taught in both Welsh and English-medium schools for more than 17 years, said the new platform aimed to address a longstanding gap in classroom resources.

“Welsh-medium pupils deserve access to the same high-quality maths resources as their English-speaking peers. Until now, that simply hasn’t been possible in Welsh.

“What we’ve built is far more than a translation. It’s a platform that genuinely reflects the Welsh that pupils hear in the classroom.

“For many children, school is their primary access to high-quality Welsh, so having consistent, accurate maths vocabulary available every time they use Sumdog has a big impact on how they learn the language. This is about equitable access and I hope this is just the start of many more high-quality learning resources in Welsh.”

Teachers involved in testing the platform said it could reduce the amount of time spent translating English-language resources.

Ruth Davies-McHugh, numeracy leader at Ysgol Cynwyd Sant in Bridgend, said:

“Teachers currently spend many hours translating resources, and that is time which would be far better spent on teaching and supporting learners.

“To have access to a maths practice platform that is aligned with the Curriculum for Wales and available in Welsh represents a significant and much-needed step forward.”

Mark Williams, head of numeracy at Cwmrhydyceirw Primary School in Swansea, said the platform had been used successfully at his school for almost a decade.

“This is a great move for schools across Wales. A lot of resources have always been in English and that has made things harder for many Welsh-medium schools. This will make a real difference.”

Independent research

According to Sumdog, independent research involving almost 500 pupils across 14 primary schools found that children using the platform made significant improvements in maths attainment over the course of an academic year, with pupils with additional learning needs and lower-attaining learners among those to benefit most.

The Welsh-language version, covering Years 1 to 6, will be available to schools from September.