Case Studies
Time 2 Count in Primate Dixon Primary School, Coalisland
Geda Construction volunteers supporting numeracy through Time 2 Count in this school
L-R: Tania McCartan, David, Peadar Quinn, Ciara, Alice, Cormac
Kate O'Hagan, Vitalina & Nicole.
L-R: Cormac, Nicole, Vitalina, Tania McCartan, Ciara, David & Alice
Time 2 Count in The Fountain Primary School
Pupils Courtney Bradley and Jake Jackson with Sorcha Dunne from Business in the Community (10!) visiting Denise Mallett (4!) from the Northern Bank
Tandragee Primary School pupils find 'Time 2 Count'
Louise with her Time 2 Count pupils
Two local Northern Bank employees have swapped the bank for a classroom as part of a volunteering initiative developed in partnership with Business in the Community.
Louise Clarke from Northern Bank's Finance Centre in Portadown and Donal McKenna from Northern Bank in Tandragee spend time every week with primary 5 pupils at Tandragee Primary School as part of the Northern Bank Time 2 Count numeracy programme.
Using fun maths based games and puzzles the children are encouraged to enjoy maths and recognise it as an everyday activity. Through building trust and friendship with their volunteer, the children also increase their self-confidence as well as improve their numeracy skills.
Louise said: "As a bank, we believe that confidence with numbers is an essential building block for enhancing financial capability when the children are a bit older. Time 2 Count has been structured to complement the revised curriculum and add value to the process by which maths is taught. This is one of a number of projects we are involved in to help support the knowledge and skills required to make confident and informed financial choices later in life.
"I'm looking forward to seeing the children's development and confidence growing."
Mr Cardwell, the school Principal added, "Time 2 Count is a very worthwhile programme which all the children involved are really enjoying. They benefit from the scheme as mathematical concepts are embedded through playing games in a fun and enjoyable environment."
Northern Bank Time 2 Count Volunteer Eileen Gorman (back left) and Angela Van Wel (Nortel Networks), with Star of the Sea Primary School pupils Shannon, Nicola, Frances Anne, Courtney and Philomena.
Making Money Count
The Northern Bank Time 2 Count Programme was introduced to the North West region of Northern Ireland in October 2004. Currently, three schools
participate in the Programme, including Broadbridge Primary, Eglinton and Fountain Primary in the city of Derry.
Mentors are supported by their company/organisations, and three local companies have given their support (Northern Bank, Department of Education, and Business in the Community) to support primary five and six pupils with their numeracy skills.
This programme is supported by leading Corporate Partner, Northern Bank. Kirstie Patton from the Northern Bank, Altnagelvin branch, works with two other colleagues at Broadbridge primary. The volunteers have been encouraged to see the mental math skills of their pupils develop.
Volunteers have also developed their own games to help develop the mental skills of the pupils they have been working with on a weekly cycle. Kirstie will put numbers into codes to test the mental skills of the primary five pupils. On occasions, Kirstie and Hester have also brought real money and currency, such as Euros, into the children. As Kirstie explains, "so many children only see their parents use credit or debit cards, I think it is important that children handle real money and become confident using it".
The volunteers are also keen to work alongside the class teachers on a relevant topic and to support the children practically. At some Time to Count Sessions, sliced fruit and cakes have been used to reinforce fractions in action.
Time 2 Count Celebration
Schoolchildren who participated in the Northern Bank's Time 2 Count numeracy programme celebrated the end of the school year at W5 in the Odyssey, Belfast. The event, held on 13 June, was for P5-P7 children who were taking part in the Northern Bank Time 2 Count Programme and their bank volunteers. For some, it was a particularly poignant time as the P7 children would be leaving to go to post-primary schools in the new school year, and they would be saying goodbye to their volunteers.
Schools invited to the celebration were from across Northern Ireland (Newry to Bangor, Belfast, Ballymena and Londonderry).
A special interactive workshop had been devised by W5's education team to show how maths is a part of everyday life, and they emphasised to the pupils that maths can be fun.
Vanessa Postle, Community Affairs Advisor, Northern Bank added, "We began the programme six years ago, and the end-of-term party is a highlight for everyone involved. Through the Bank's partnership with W5, we are able to offer schoolchildren the opportunity to join with others from across Northern Ireland, and it also gives our staff volunteers the opportunity to compare notes with their colleagues. The event is popular with volunteers, pupils and teachers alike as we offer a tour of W5 as well. We feel it's a great way to thank everyone for their hard work during the term".
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