Speaking & schools
For schools...
Mathatar helps children discover that maths is not just something you do — it is something you use to understand, question and change the world.
Why schools?
Mathatar was created from a belief that children often engage more deeply with ideas when those ideas are wrapped in story, character and consequence. A school visit can support:
Reading for pleasure
Creative writing
Maths confidence
STEM engagement
Cross-curricular learning
Resilience and curiosity
Speaking, questioning and imagination
The author’s background means sessions can be adapted to suit different age groups, confidence levels and school objectives.
Stories that make ideas come alive
Mathatar explores confidence, problem-solving, friendship and the idea that different people notice different things.
The story includes natural representation of a deaf young person through Fletcher, Maya’s best friend, who uses a cochlear implant. His deafness is part of his life, but it is not his whole identity. He is funny, loyal, practical and essential to the adventure.
For schools, this opens up gentle discussion around difference, communication, accessibility, resilience and the value of different ways of thinking.
Emsworth Jones is available for school visits, talks, workshops and events connected to Mathatar, storytelling, creativity, confidence and the human side of mathematics.
With more than twenty-five years’ experience in communication and public speaking, Emsworth brings warmth, humour and clarity to audiences of all ages.
His aim is simple: help young people see that ideas are not just things to memorise. They are things to explore, question, use and own.
Author Talks
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Talk 1: When Maths Slips
A lively author talk introducing the world of Mathatar, and the idea that maths is not just numbers on a page but pattern, structure and meaning in the real world.
Best for: Years 6–9
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Talk 2: From Idea to Adventure
A practical, inspiring session on how a story grows from a single idea into characters, worlds, scenes, conflict and a whole series.
Best for: KS2, KS3 and creative writing groups
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Talk 3: The Oldest Story in the World: Counting
A session exploring the human origins of mathematics, from tallying and measuring to trade, time, buildings and the stars.
Best for: KS2/KS3, maths enrichment and history/STEM crossover days
What Mathatar Can Bring to Your School
Mathatar is more than an author visit. It is a story-led way to help pupils see maths differently.
Through assemblies, workshops, creative projects and problem-solving challenges, Mathatar connects maths with history, adventure, teamwork, confidence and imagination.
Pupils can create their own “mathslips”, explore ancient number systems, solve portal challenges, design adventure maps, build D&D-style maths quests, and discover that maths is not just about right answers — it is about asking questions, spotting patterns and learning how to think.
The story also opens gentle discussion around difference, communication and accessibility through Fletcher, Maya’s loyal friend, who is deaf and uses a cochlear implant. Fletcher is not defined by his deafness; he is funny, practical, brave and essential to the team — a reminder that different people notice different things, and every problem-solving team needs different strengths.
England's National Curriculum
Curriculum links
Mathatar fits naturally into maths, history, computing and English. Here is where it links.
| Stage and subject | Curriculum area | How Mathatar links |
|---|---|---|
| KS2 History | Achievements of the earliest civilisations, including Ancient Sumer | Ur is a Sumerian city. Book one is set there, with writing, trade and measurement at the heart of the plot. |
| KS2 History | Early Islamic civilisation, including Baghdad c. AD 900 | The House of Wisdom, al-Khwarizmi, and how algebra and the digits 0–9 travelled the world. |
| KS2 Maths | Place value; Roman numerals | Compare cuneiform, Roman and modern numerals. Why does position matter, and why do we need zero? |
| KS2 Maths | Time; angles measured in degrees | Why sixty minutes and 360 degrees: the base-60 story, with the counting tablet. |
| KS3 Maths | Pythagoras' theorem | Plimpton 322 and YBC 7289: Babylonian triangle maths long before Pythagoras. |
| KS3 Computing | Algorithms | The word comes from al-Khwarizmi's name. Write a step-by-step method like a Babylonian scribe. |
| KS2–KS3 English | Reading for pleasure; creative writing | Read an extract, then invent and write your own Mathslip. |
coming soon… in the Mathatar pipeline…
1. Author talks and assemblies
A launch-style session where you introduce the story, the idea of “mathslips”, and why maths is not just sums on a page but a hidden system that holds the world together.. Sessions being developed:
When Maths Slips, Reality Breaks
An exciting introduction to the story, the characters and the idea that maths is part of history, architecture, time, trade, maps, music, games and everyday life.
The Problem with Saying “I’m Bad at Maths”
A confidence-based talk about how maths anxiety forms, why problem-solving matters, and how children can learn to approach difficulty with curiosity rather than fear.
From Story to Solution
How stories, questions and imagination help us solve problems — in maths, writing and real life.
2. Classroom workshops
Interactive, story-driven and fun.
Workshop idea: Create Your Own Mathslip
Pupils invent a moment where one piece of maths stops working.
3. History of maths projects
Mathatar is perfect for cross-curricular projects.
Maths in Ancient Mesopotamia
Place value, base-60, trade, grain, counting, clay tablets.
Why We Still Use 60
Time, degrees, minutes, seconds, maps and navigation.
Maths in Ancient Egypt
Surveying, land boundaries, fractions, area, architecture, the Nile.
Maths That Built the World
How measurement, counting, geometry and records shaped civilisation.
4. Maths confidence activities
Mathatar can support pupils who think maths “isn’t for them” by showing that maths is not one single skill. Different characters notice different things.
What kind of problem-solver are you?
5. Accessibility and difference discussion
Fletcher gives you a gentle, natural way to talk about difference without making the whole session “about deafness”.
Different People Notice Different Things
6. Mathatar D&D-style adventure games
A classroom board game / roleplaying adventure/ project where pupils work in teams to solve “mathslips” and move through history.
Mathatar: The Mathslip Quest and Mathatar: The Portal Adventure Game
7. Printable classroom materials
Mathslip Challenge Cards
Short scenario cards where pupils solve what has gone wrong.
Character Problem-Solving Cards
Each character gives a different hint style.
Portal Coordinates Worksheet
Using place value, coordinates, direction, time and logic.
Ancient Maths Timeline
Ur, Egypt, Greece, India, China, Islamic Golden Age, Europe, modern computing.
Design Your Own Portal
Geometry, symmetry, symbols, coordinates and creative design.
Fella’s Instinct Cards
Fun clue cards for younger readers.
Fletcher’s Route Challenges
Maps, directions, bearings, pathways, coordinates.
Aya’s Ancient Systems
Base-60, counting, records, grain, measures.
8. Future educational books
Companion books planned:
Mathatar’s Guide to Mathslips
A fun explanation of common maths ideas through story problems.
Maya’s Book of Broken Maths
Puzzle-based activities where pupils fix reality by fixing the maths.
Fletcher’s Route Book
Maps, directions, coordinates, time, navigation, logic puzzles.
Aya’s Ancient Maths Notebook
Mesopotamia, Egypt, place value, measuring, fractions and early records.
Fella’s Guide to Problem-Solving
For younger readers: patterns, shapes, counting, matching, sequencing, with humour and dog chaos.
The Mathatar School Challenge Book
A printable workbook for class or home use.
9. School competitions
Design a Mathslip.
Create a new Null.
Write a missing scene from history.
Design a portal using mathematical symbols.
Build a maths adventure board game.
Create a poster: “Maths Holds the World Together.”
Invent a problem-solving team character.
Winning entries could be shared on the Mathatar website, with school permission.
10. A full “Mathatar Maths Adventure Day”
A full or half-day built around:
Assembly: When Maths Slips, Reality Breaks
Workshop 1: Create a Mathslip
Workshop 2: Ancient Maths Quest
Workshop 3: Portal Team Challenge
Final session: Pupils present their solutions
The school gets: author visit, creative writing, maths engagement, history links, teamwork, confidence-building, inclusive discussion, display work.