The Roots and Routes to Maths – a conference!
17 October 2025 9 am – 3 pm
with Les Staves, Dr Sarah Moseley, Nick Sheffield and Carol Allen.
Including a mini online conference course written by Richard Hirstwood.
Announcing our second maths conference: a day focused on developing numeracy for learners with severe, complex or neurodiverse learning needs.
We examine the foundations and implementation of an effective and robust mathematical curriculum. Five impactful presentations will share strategies, ideas and resources to create a numeracy-rich learning environment in your classroom.
‘The Roots of Maths’ with Les Staves
In this keynote, Les will explore what lies at the heart of maths learning for pupils with severe, complex and neurodiverse needs. He will explore the essential building blocks for mathematical understanding—such as pattern, quantity, and comparison—and show how these underpin pupils’ ability to make sense of their physical and social world. This session will challenge assumptions, refocus priorities, and offer a fresh perspective on what real mathematical progress can look like when rooted in meaningful, practical experiences.
‘Making maths make sense!’ with Nick Sheffield
Nick will take you through the five core concepts that form the foundation of all mathematical learning—exploring what they look like for learners with PMLD, SLD and MLD. You’ll see how you can teach the same mathematical idea through differentiated, practical approaches tailored to each pupil’s learning profile. This session includes examples of learning objectives, planning tools, and ideas for tracking progress in ways that are realistic and purposeful. Nick will bring maths to life through hands-on, inclusive strategies that build confidence and capability in every learner.
‘Touch, Feel, Count: Multi-Sensory Maths Through Storytelling’ with Dr Sarah Moseley
Sarah will demonstrate how storytelling can become a powerful tool for teaching mathematics to learners with complex needs. Using practical examples, she’ll demonstrate how to thread counting, patterns, shapes, and problem-solving into multi-sensory narratives that promote engagement and understanding. Packed with ideas, this session will bring maths into everyday routines through stories, sensory play, and real-life exploration—offering a joined-up approach that supports communication, cognition, and memory through meaningful repetition.
‘Maths is everywhere in your curriculum!’ with Carol Allen
In this session, Carol will show how maths isn’t just a timetabled subject—it’s woven into every part of the school day. From snack time to story time, from PE to art, there are endless opportunities to reinforce core mathematical concepts in ways that feel natural and meaningful. Carol will explore how to identify these moments, how to maximise their benefits, and how to support pupils in generalising their learning across subjects and settings. Carol’s is a practical, thought-provoking session packed with ideas to help make maths stick—wherever it appears.
Tech for Early Maths: Sensory Apps and Tools That Work: a mini online conference course written by Richard Hirstwood.
Practical, low-cost ways to build early maths understanding using the tech you already have!
This short, practical course explores how to use technology, particularly iPads, tablets and apps, to support early mathematical development in learners with neurodiverse needs.
From sound-activated counting tools to sensory cause-and-effect apps, we share real examples of how to embed digital tools into maths learning. Understand how technology can support repetition, engagement, and curiosity in learners with autism, PMLD, or SLD, without relying on expensive software or complex setups.
Whether you’re new to using tech in this way or looking to sharpen your practice, this course offers creative, accessible ideas you can try straight away in your classroom or sensory space.
9 am Admissions and a virtual tea or Coffee to start the day!
9.05 am Welcome, introductions and a warm-up activity.
9.15 am Session 1: ‘The Roots of Maths’ with Les Staves
10.15 am Session 2: ‘Making maths make sense!’ with Nick Sheffield
11.15 am Coffee
11.30 am Session 3: Touch, Feel, Count: Multi-Sensory Maths Through Storytelling with Dr Sarah Moseley
12.30 pm Lunch
1.30 pm Session 4: Maths Is Everywhere in Your Curriculum!
2.30 pm Session 5: Breakout Room Activity: Maths That Makes Sense for Your Learners
This session will reflect on the key messages from today’s four sessions and explore how they can be applied in your own setting—whether you support learners with PMLD, SLD, or autism.
3 pm Plenary, thank you and close of day!
Click on the names below to read more about our conference presenters!
This conference will be appropriate for classroom practitioners from special schools and colleges, mainstream settings with specialist SEN provision and early years settings, and those working with pupils with autism, and severe/complex learning needs or both.
The recording of this event will be in your account at online.hirstwood.com. You will access this using the email address on the booking form and your password (instructions for creating your password are in the joining information).
Here you will find:
a digital recording of the event
a transcript of the Zoom chat
These will be available for 10 days after the event.
TICKETS – £295 plus VAT per delegate.
You can select multiple places on the booking form.
You can choose to pay by credit card for this booking.
You can also request an invoice by confirming your booking by entering a Purchase Order Number on the booking form.
