00:00I've been a maths teacher for 25 years and all that time as well I've also been a DJ, with
00:06the rise of alternative provisions for whom mainstream school is not working.
00:11So last year I came up with the idea to combine my two passions, maths and music, and put them
00:18together in my own school.
00:20A Gateshead teacher is offering a new route for young people who have found traditional schooling challenging.
00:25The programme blends maths and English with music and DJ lessons, giving students aged 11 to 16 the chance to
00:33learn in smaller groups.
00:35Alongside core lessons, pupils explore creativity, confidence building and media skills, supported by specialists, staff and visiting professionals from the
00:45creative industries.
00:46Teacher Paula Halfpenny has said that if a young person feels happy, confident and safe, they are far more open
00:54to learning.
00:54Music creates connection, it builds resilience, confidence and self-belief and those things unlock progress in English and maths too.
01:03Was it difficult to combine them because obviously maths and teaching in general and DJing is very opposite sides of
01:10the social spectrum.
01:11So how easy did you find gelling them together?
01:14So I've always found that students love music, they love music being part of the lesson and I always try
01:22to sneak it in to my maths lessons.
01:24So like a start a task might involve listening to a song or watching a song or I've got some
01:32cool maths games where we would listen to a song and the students would have to record how many times
01:37they heard a certain word in the song.
01:40I like to use wham, wake me up before you go go and they would count the goes.
01:45So I've always seen how much young people, yeah, how engaged they become when music's involved, the joy of learning,
01:54the joy of getting things correct.
01:57And I think that really, really helps students.
01:59So, yeah, I know that teachers, you know, all over the country try and do this in their specialist subject.
02:04They'll always try and add their personal touch to it.
02:08So I think maths definitely gets a bad rap.
02:11A lot of students feel like they're not good at it.
02:14And I really want to dispel all of that.
02:18Your numeracy is personal to the person.
02:20Your journey is personal.
02:21And as long as you're making little steps forward every day, then that's fantastic.
02:27It's not about what level you're at.
02:28It's about moving forward and being willing to take part and try.
02:34When I think of classroom spaces, everything's very linear.
02:38You don't really get much space for creativity.
02:40So would you say that your outlet is just really challenging the typical educational norms?
02:47It is, yes.
02:48I really want to create this educational program that really harnesses creativity and learning.
02:55And then as I develop it, I want to try and grow it.
02:59First place one of my life is helping me myself with the great food as well.
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