IT HAS all been adding up for pupils at Woodford Valley Primary Academy as they master the times tables and number bonds to reach their gold badge.

The children have been taking part in personal challenges to raise the profile of maths within the school.

Since the introduction of a new and tougher curriculum, the new badge system has been helping the pupils master the fundamentals of times tables and number bonds.

There are three levels of badges that the children work towards — bronze, silver and gold.

One Year 5 pupil said: "It's been a really fun way to get interested in times tables. I've already got my gold badge."

All year, staff have been setting the children maths challenges using a communal maths board. Each child chooses whether they are ready to go for the next badge or not, and has to answer a random selection of questions in speedy succession.

Maths coordinator Kate Reavill, said: "It's been lovely to see the children practising maths in the playground and showing off their fantastic achievements by wearing them on their jumpers."

The badge initiative has been introduced across the school and has proved to be especially popular with the younger children.

"It has been really successful with a wide range of children," said school governor Margaret Knight. Mrs Knight who is the governor responsible for numeracy introduced the idea and has sponsored the first set of badges for the school.

She added: "If children know basic number bonds it makes maths so much easier."

Learning the number bonds help the children with fractions, divisions and mental arithmetic, and has boosted their confidence with maths.