Frequently asked questions

projectmath is a maths learning system whose primary aim is to assess and place students, and then help them learn to handle mathematical concepts from different structures in the right way.

By taking a personalised approach to each student individually, the system helps children understand mathematics simply and go beyond what they believe their limits to be, reaching their goals.

There are six:

• Arithmetic
• Geometry
• Patterns – Measurement
• Statistics – Probability
• Problems
• Algebra

Each week the student receives five Experience Sheets from their partner centre and works through them daily — one sheet a day.

Depending on their weekly performance, the projectmath system decides which five sheets they will receive the following week and which structures will follow.

Marking does not follow the traditional method but uses the dot system. Tutors at partner centres, once trained, upload the children's dots — the questions answered incorrectly — to a purpose-built platform.

There, by focusing on the dynamics and patterns behind the incorrect answers, the system decides what their next sheets will be.

To establish each student's level, children first complete a mapping test covering a broad range of mathematical concepts.

Mapping each student's knowledge reveals the degree to which various concepts have been mastered relative to their age, and so determines their starting point within the projectmath levels.

The process is important and has nothing to do with assessment in the strict sense. It is a tool that helps us identify where each student should begin.

After mapping, the student starts at a specific projectmath level. Every sheet they complete is unique and based on their weekly performance.

Personalisation means that even if two students of the same age are at the same projectmath level, their sheets will differ — containing different exercises, or even exercises from different structures.

Its role is strategic and offers a long-term path for the student's development. Our job is to map the knowledge acquired at school up to the moment the student joins the programme.

We then identify their gaps and help them understand from the beginning what they need, so they can join up the chain of mathematical concepts that has become tangled in their mind. Once past that stage, at their own pace, we complete their education and broaden their knowledge.

Success is the system's ability to help each student individually go further than they think they can.

Every child is gifted in different things and approaches the world at their own pace. We know very well that it is impossible for all students to reach the same level at the same speed — which is why we speak of a personalised approach.

What we do believe, and what is certainly achievable, is that we can become better than we are today. And then better still. The more we cultivate a skill, the closer we come to our own personal best. That is the definition of success: to strive for the best version of yourself.

At study centres students prepare for the next day's school lessons under a teacher's guidance.

At tutoring schools there is a fixed syllabus that must be completed for each year group. Time pressure, the composition of each class and the number of students can sometimes limit the personalised approach — particularly where there are gaps from earlier years.

projectmath, working either independently or alongside these, adopts the educational philosophy of “learning to learn” and leads students to master small goals one at a time. It respects each student's personality and their own pace of understanding, explores their level individually and in depth without putting them on the spot, and guides them with experienced tutors. Through the dot system it encourages independence, strengthens self-correction and closely follows fluctuations in performance.

At projectmath we believe every child is capable of understanding mathematics and succeeding at it. It is a matter of approach and technique — of learning to work at your own pace, but in a way that produces a result you can measure for yourself.

It is suitable for all ages, with a focus on 5 to 12 years.

Yes. The projectmath system gives students the opportunity to develop real mathematical fluency and speed, and to sharpen their critical thinking.

The idea came from the students themselves. Valentina Alexandraki developed the system over fifteen years working in private education.

“What I have observed over all these years is that students fall into two broad categories: those who understand quickly and need a reason to push further, and those who struggle with the concepts taught at school, most likely because of gaps from earlier years.

What is surprising is that the long-term result is, for the majority, exactly the same: inertia. The first group relaxes on seeing they are above average; the second becomes discouraged and stops trying.

Studying those behaviours and running countless ‘experiments’ in how I taught, I reached a single conclusion: every child needs motivation and recognition. I have stopped believing in the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’ student. I have seen ‘bad’ students set goals, work methodically, accept help and genuinely surpass themselves.”

The guidance of the Experience Sheets and the tutors helps students organise their thinking so that mathematics becomes simpler and clearer.

Day by day they build their own store of knowledge and learn to trust their own judgement. The results are measurable, so students see themselves improving, watch their school marks rise and gain the confidence and motivation to keep going.

Attendance is required twice a week for half an hour. The timetable is flexible and arranged around each student's availability.

Students complete one Experience Sheet a day, lasting fifteen minutes.

Because the approach is personalised, the system offers each student exactly what they need according to their goals.

Strong students find fertile ground to move up a level and progress quickly, sharpening their critical thinking and the speed of their results. Students who need more support are motivated as they smooth out their gaps, understand structures that had eluded them and build solid foundations.

On joining, children complete a Knowledge Mapping Sheet that establishes their learning needs. The starting point must be one at which the student feels independent and able to cope with what follows.

Because mathematics is a “chain subject”, there may be concepts from earlier years that are not yet clear. Those are what we need to find and master before moving up a level.