“After 35 years in education, I feel like for the very 1st time, I'm doing something really important for Maths Education.”

At Trivela, I know we have got something really special: computer games with a football element, that children love AND help them to understand and recall Addition Facts to 20 and Times Tables Facts. I know the games are going to make a massive positive impact on so many youngsters who are finding maths challenging.

Early in my career I developed my 'Fast Maths Method' which over a period of 30 years has helped generations of children to master instant recall of Addition Facts to 20 and Times Tables with understanding. Unlike rote learning or over-practising facts to recall 'like a parrot', 'Fast Maths' focuses on conceptual, pictorial learning as well as using strategies to quickly calculate facts — building deep understanding first, then moving towards automaticity at each stage.

In 2026, after 11 years of schooling, 29% of 16-year-olds in England (approximately 176,000) still 'failed' to achieve a pass in GCSE maths.

I truly believe that most of these youngsters have masked the fact that they can't instantly recall Addition Facts to 20 and Times Table Facts. If you carefully watch many teenagers who struggle with maths — some count under the desk on their fingers and others tap on the desk to find answers. Not having such 'facts at your fingertips' means such young people don't see the links and patterns in maths… and also, are unable to keep up with explanations in class. As the years go on, these youngsters fall further and further behind — and eventually give up… and see themselves as a failure.

Trivela's mission is to support the children who find maths tough, so they master the essentials by the end of primary school — and head into secondary school with real options ahead of them. Playing fun, age-appropriate computer games, every pupil stays engaged while easing the load on teachers and support staff. Trivela's games work for the whole class — no one feels singled out — and effort is rewarded.

As humans and educators, I believe that we should all be doing everything in our power to close the gap between the most and least advantaged. I feel that what I have been working for my whole life is coming together at Trivela — for children to have fun whilst gaining a firm grasp of fundamental knowledge and understanding of the basic number facts.