UPTON HEATH'S JOURNEY WITH TIMES TABLES ROCK STARS
You don’t have to scroll too far back on our Twitter to find an epic photo from Upton Heath Primary School. This is a school that has implemented both TT Rock Stars and NumBots throughout Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. They have fully immersed themselves in the robot-rock-star-maths theme. Be it awesome displays, certificate ceremonies, dress up days or robot/TTRS fuelled lessons, Upton Heath has perfected it all!
Now we’ve had the privilege of chatting with their Maths Lead, Claire Barker, who has shared with us the timeline of their TTRS and NumBots journey.
2017: INTRODUCTION OF TTRS
1. Introduced TTRS software to teachers with a short demonstration and encouraged the teachers to practise themselves and become familiar with the website.
2. Printed parent letter and usernames for each class ready to be handed out on launch day.
3. Two weeks prior to the dress up launch day all parents received a brief overview of TTRS, requesting their support for a Rock Star dress up day (including EYFS & Year 1).
4. Launch Day 2017 – children from EYFS to Year 6 came to school dressed up as a Rock Star. All staff dressed up as Rock Stars too. I (Maths lead) led the assembly and used the TTRS Launch PowerPoint to introduce it to the children.
5. TTRS Parent letters and login details went home with children from Year 2-6 only.
ENGAGEMENT HAS SOARED
1. Whole School TTRS display in hall which celebrated Highest Earners and Fastest Players in each class from Year 2-6.
2. Ensured teachers set up class vs class battles and girls vs boys battles within their class.
3. May 2019 – held a ‘TTRS Red Carpet Event’ where children came dressed as a Rock Star and attended a whole school red carpet assembly.
Here our Rock Heroes were awarded with TTRS Rock Hero t-shirts (which were purchased from the Reward Shop). They rocked their way up the red carpet as a teacher played the guitar and one of our Year 6 children played the drums during the ceremony. The fastest player in the school was awarded the TTRS Rock Wrangle Trophy, also available from the Reward Shop!
NOVEMBER 2019: NUMBOTS INTRODUCED
Brought in for the Reception to Year 2 children, NumBots gave the Key Stage 1 children a chance to get involved with all the fun!
2019 - JULY 2021: ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
2. Certificates are awarded in our celebration assembly each Friday celebrating those children who have achieved Rock Star, Rock Legend and Rock Hero status.
3. Rock Hero badges are given out to those children who achieve this status. Within NumBots we award certificates to those children who achieve bronze, silver, gold, platinum and diamond status. Badges are given to those children who achieve gold, platinum and diamond.
SEPTEMBER 2021: TTRS AND NUMBOTS RELAUNCH
– Having not had a dress up day since 2019 – I decided it was a time for a relaunch. Here the children once again dressed up as either a Rock Star or as a robot. Every child and member of staff dressed up including the caretaker, canteen staff and mid day supervisors!
– A KS1 and then KS2 red carpet event took place in the hall where rock music and live drums were played. The children and teachers had an amazing day and TTRS/NumBot themed activities took place in the classroom.
– During the red carpet assembly I promoted TTRS for KS2 and NumBots for KS1 and directed them to the NumBots and TTRS display in the hall. I explained that this year I will be celebrating those children who are ‘Players of the Week’ (children who earn the most coins that week from each class).
– The reason I have introduced ‘Player of the Week’ is because I felt that the children who weren’t as confident were disheartened as it was difficult to ‘beat’ the fastest player in their class or person who had the most coins. By celebrating the ‘player of the week’ we now recognize those children who have earned the most coins that week – obviously wanting to improve their maths.
– The names of these children will be on the display board in the school hall and celebrated during the Celebration assembly along with those children who achieve the Rock Statuses/NumBot statuses discussed above.
– Each KS1 class now have a class NumBots display and each KS2 class has a TTRS display in their classroom. Teachers track their children and move them along the TTRS/NumBots statuses. This will hopefully engage even more children and hopefully improve their mathematical learning and understanding.
We really enjoyed relaunch day. It pushed my girl to play everyday of the week and get into the app. She really reacts well to competition.
My daughter absolutely loved our relaunch day - it ignited her enthusiasm to use TTRS more and asked to play it everyday.
My son loved being a rockstar for the day and thankfully as a parent the outfit was easily achievable with little cost involved.