The Prep School and The Maths Lesson of Doom

On Monday, the whole of the Prep School children, including Reception,  watched a live performance of “Mrs Jessop and The Maths Lesson of Doom” performed by Quantum Theatre Company.

It was a fast and furious musical play that transported the children’s imagination into the exciting land of times-tables, fractions, addition, subtraction, doubling, halving…and, indeed, the vast world of numbers that primary school-aged pupils encounter on a daily basis as part of the National Curriculum.

Quantum Theatre Company’s exciting and energetic story of Baz, struggling at school with Mrs Jessop’s maths lessons, used wit and entertainment to teach the children maths. Even difficult conundrums such as converting fractions into percentages were tackled and the children got it! The youngest children in the audience, the Reception and KS1 children, enjoyed joining in with the catchy songs so that they too could grasp the mathematical aspects of learning, thus enlightening them to the world beyond counting to 10 and their two times tables. Rhymes and songs are great ways to help the children to learn and remember number sequences and simple mathematical rules. 

Quantum Theatre left the children enthused and energised by mathematics! Here are a few comments from some of the pupils: 

• “I’ve learnt about fractions and how to change them into improper fractions” – Ellie, Year 6
• “I learnt how to change a fraction into a percentage,” Lizzie, Year 6
• “I thought it was very funny when Baz was sent to see the Headteacher,” – Sophie, Year 1
• “I liked the singing best” – Alexandra, Year 1
• “I liked it when the alien came. He was a green robot” – John, Year 1
• “I liked it when the alien came and he talked and screamed” – Hetty, Reception
• “I liked the first song about the Maths Lesson of Doom” – William, Reception

Quantum Theatre for Science was founded in 1988 as a science and numeracy-based theatre-in-education company. Combining educational elements with pacey, humorous musical theatre, Quantum’s aim is to make the world of science and numeracy accessible and relevant to children's everyday experiences by bringing it "to life."