The Daisy Education Maths Summit: North East 2026
Following on from the success of our inaugral International Maths Conference last year, we are thrilled to invite you to join us for our in-person event in the North East.
This event has now passed
Event details
- Holiday Inn Newcastle South by IHG - East Boldon
- Wednesday 11 March 2026 - 8:30am-3:30pm
- £50 per person, to include refreshments and lunch
We are on the road! Join us for the Daisy Education Maths Summit: North East 2026 - a one-day event for educators passionate about improving maths outcomes for every learner, bringing together educators, thought leaders and expert practitioners to explore evidence-based approaches to maths.
Through an inspiring programme of keynote speakers, practical workshops and thought-provoking discussions, delegates will explore the evidence, strategies and culture to improve your students’ fluency, deep conceptual understanding and maths confidence.
What you can expect
Topics covered throughout the day include:
- Reducing maths anxiety by building pupil motivation and positive attitudes towards mathematics.
- Effective, evidence-informed maths instruction and high-quality classroom practice.
- Strategies to address misconceptions and close gaps in mathematical understanding.
- Developing confident, independent mathematicians through problem solving, reasoning and fluency.
- Supporting high levels of need and effective differentiation.
The Daisy Education Maths Summit offers a valuable opportunity to connect and collaborate with colleagues who are passionate about improving mathematics outcomes for every learner.
Alongside an engaging line-up of speakers, the event provides dedicated time to network, share effective classroom practice and explore fresh perspectives on how mathematical understanding, problem solving and reasoning come together in daily teaching to build confident, capable mathematicians.
Each session is designed to equip participants with practical, classroom-ready insights, strategies and resources that can be immediately applied to lesson planning, instruction and assessment, supporting teachers and leaders to embed high-quality mathematics teaching as a foundation for success and lifelong learning.
Inspiring keynote speakers
Lisa Heatherington
Primary Mathematics and English School Advisor - North Tyneside Council
Lisa is an education advisor with Education North Tyneside and Assistant Maths Hub Lead for the Great North Maths Hub. She has extensive experience across the primary phase and has held senior leadership roles with a strong focus on improving mathematics teaching, learning and outcomes for all pupils.
She has led initiatives across North Tyneside to improve number sense and mathematical communication, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, and is deeply committed to equity in mathematics education. Lisa is hugely passionate about ensuring every pupil believes they can be a mathematician.
Session: Don’t Reach for the Pencil Yet! Teaching Children to Notice: Developing Mathematical Observance Beyond Written Methods
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM
Too often, pupils reach straight for a written method without first pausing to notice the numbers in front of them. When this happens, valuable opportunities for reasoning, pattern-spotting and strategic thinking are lost. This session explores how developing mathematical observance can help children make purposeful decisions about which strategy to use. Through practical classroom examples, we’ll examine how teachers can:
- Create routines that prompt children to look closely before calculating.
- Draw attention to structure, pattern and relationships within numbers.
- Encourage pupils to justify and compare strategies.
Sarah McGregor
Year 6 Teacher and Senior Leader (DSL) at Annfield Plain Junior School
Session: To be announced!
10:20 AM - 10:50 AM
Sarah Toft
Primary Maths Specialist
Sarah Toft is a primary teacher with leadership experience across a range of school settings. She has worked in education organisations supporting high-quality maths teaching and learning and has previously served as a Specialist Leader in Education for mathematics. Sarah now works with Rekenrek 101, supporting schools and educators to use structured visual representations to deepen pupils’ mathematical understanding. She is particularly passionate about developing deep conceptual understanding, strengthening mathematical talk and helping teachers and support staff build confident, inclusive maths classrooms.
Session: Rekenreks - Building confidence and strong foundations in maths
10:55 AM - 11:55 AM
In this engaging session, we’ll explore the rekenrek - a simple yet powerful manipulative for developing deep mathematical understanding. Together, we’ll explore practical strategies that strengthen pupils’ number sense, fluency and confidence. You’ll experience first-hand how hands-on interactions with the rekenrek can support lasting mathematical foundations across all stages of learning.
Tom Manners
Trust Maths Lead for Arthur Terry Learning Partnership, NCETM Teaching for Mastery Specialist and ELE for EEF
Tom works in school improvement in a number of roles including as a Trust Maths Lead and Evidence Lead in Education for the EEF and has worked across a number of schools and multi-academy trusts. He is a NCETM PD lead and “Teaching for Mastery” specialist through the Central Maths Hub.
Alongside these positions, he trains the next generation of teachers as PGCE Tutor at Arthur Terry SCITT in Birmingham.
Tom also blogs at tommanners.substack.com, can be found on X @Mannermatics and shares free maths pedagogy videos and his ResourceFULL interviews on www.tommanners.co.uk
Session: Strategies to prevent misconceptions
12:50 PM - 13:50 PM
What the research says and how to practically prepare for lessons to prevent the widening of gaps.
Heather March
Academy Improvement Lead for Teaching and Learning
Heather has over 23 years of experience in education. Beginning her journey as a KS2 teacher and English Lead, Heather then took on the role of Assistant Headteacher at Dubmire Primary Academy prior to becoming Director of Teaching and Learning for the Trust.
In her current capacity, Heather serves to build collaboration across the Trust in order to enhance teaching standards. As the Academy Improvement Lead for Teaching and Learning, she works alongside other school leaders to identify priority areas and to implement key actions and initiatives to drive improvement.
Session: To be announced!
13:55 PM - 14:25 PM
John Bee
School Improvement Adviser, Primary Mastery Specialist and Professional Development Lead with the NCETM
John Bee is a School Improvement Adviser at Bishop Wilkinson Catholic Education Trust with extensive senior leadership experience, including roles as an Acting Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher and Mathematics Leader in primary schools across the North East of England. He is a Primary Mastery Specialist contributing to the national Maths Hubs Programme and a Professional Development Lead with the NCETM, supporting schools to strengthen their mathematics curriculum and teaching. John is also an author, with published books on mathematics education.
Session: Dial Up the Depth: Structure‑Seeking Through Purposeful Variation
14:30 PM -15:30 PM
This session explores how depth in primary mathematics can be developed through purposeful variation, using carefully designed examples that draw pupils’ attention to patterns, relationships, and the underlying structure of mathematical ideas. We will examine how subtle changes in representation, number, and context can transform routine tasks into rich learning opportunities that strengthen conceptual understanding for all learners.
