Explaining Sparx Maths to your students

Ensuring students understand what Sparx Maths is and are comfortable using it before you turn homework on can make all the difference to a successful Onboarding. To help you with this when students first log into Sparx, they will be presented with a task called Introducing Sparx Maths:

• This task is made up of 3 sections which are described below
• Students will initially be locked out of all other Sparx Maths tasks, including their compulsory homework if any has been set, until they have completed at least the first section of the introduction task
• Completing all three sections of this task should take around 10-15 minutes for most students
• This task will be available and will remain at the bottom of students' list of homework 
• They can earn 100XP for getting the questions correct

We recommend all students complete all 3 steps in the Introducing task

Although only the first step is compulsory for all students (including returning students), we recommend all students are given the opportunity to complete all 3 steps of the Introducing Sparx Maths task to ensure the same level of understanding of the why of Sparx and how it works. 

If they complete the Step 1, but not Step 2 or 3, they will be shown as 'in progress' for onboarding

Step 1: About Sparx Maths

Students will be asked to watch this video which is 1 minute 35 seconds long. It works best with sound but there are subtitles if needed. Once completed they will be able to click out of the Explaining Sparx Maths Task and continue with their compulsory homework if they wish.

Step 2: Try some questions

After watching the Introduction video above, students will be encouraged to try some KS1 Level questions to familiarise themselves with how to navigate through questions and input their answers. 

During these questions they will also be introduced to Bookwork Checks and will watch a short video to learn more about them:

Step 3: Sparx Tips

After they have completed these practice questions, students will be able to watch this short optional video with some tips on how to get the most out of their Sparx Maths homework. 

Further Resources

PDF presentation to use with your classes

  

Printable example of good bookwork

Use this resource to show students how to set out their workings clearly against bookwork codes in their books.

Student data video

This video explains to students what data we collect about them, how we use it, and why.