Ian is a strong believer in the potential of every pupil to be able to think mathematically, whether they are still in school or returning to maths much later as an adult. As he puts it, “That's the idea behind maths isn't it? Not to know that if x times one is eight, you can find a value of x, but to [see] the bigger picture: can you solve problems?” He was drawn to Complete Mathematics in part because the ethos behind it tied in with his own, explaining “Mark McCourt's big idea on Complete Maths is this idea that when you first have a problem, you start with the simple idea, and then you have a mid-range task, and then you have a challenging task… Complete Maths gives that structure of easy, mid-range, hard. [It also] defines the prerequisites as well: what you'd need to teach in that lesson to help students.”

Ian has also seen huge benefits for his SEND pupils. He cites one example of a dyslexic boy for whom manipulatives and the Times Tables app have proved invaluable teaching tools. Another tutee, a boy with Autism, has thrived with access to regular assessments, the results of which helped convince his school to move him from Foundation to Higher tier. Of this pupil, Ian says, “It's been difficult at times, but the platform has helped in the sense that I’ve been able to set the homework and then see what he can achieve. The repetition is great — particularly in the early days, he couldn't get enough of the assessments. I could set five or ten, it didn't matter, and he would complete them. Because he was so willing to want to get on and do it, which was amazing.”