Chair of The Commission on the Future of Oracy Education in England, Geoff Barton, speaks to David Thomas about why it’s important to be articulate to be good at maths, how teachers use language in the maths classroom and why this is so vital, and how creating opportunities for young people to tackle maths problems collaboratively with their peers through ‘maths circles’ can foster a love of maths. 

David Thomas is CEO of Axiom Maths, an education charity which believes in the power of maths to transform lives. He has been a maths teacher, a secondary school headteacher, and a government advisor. He co-founded Oak National Academy to support schools during the Covid-19 pandemic and received an OBE for services to education in 2020.