Bantams Foundation rolls out Dartboard Maths resources in Bradford school

Dartboard Maths is being delivered in St Columba's Catholic Primary School in Bradford.

Bradford City FC Community Foundation, the official charity of Bradford City AFC, have teamed up with professional darts player Devon Petersen to deliver an interactive, darts-based maths resource in schools across Bradford.

Dartboard Maths, which Petersen both founded and created, is an educational resource that uses a physical dartboard and related activities to teach core maths skills through play, competition, and movement. It is designed to align with STEM education goals, particularly in mathematics, physical education, and social-emotional development, all while keeping pupils engaged and entertained with the power of darts.

Pupils got to know the resource, and met Darty the Dartbot.

The resource is now being delivered in St Columba’s Catholic Primary School for the start of the academic year, with plans in place to introduce Dartboard Maths to more schools across Bradford and the wider district.

Devon Petersen visited St Columba’s as part of the initial delivery, and was joined by Foundation coaches who will be implementing the resource in schools - with a special appearance from Bantams star Tommy Leigh!

Bantams star Tommy Leigh helped introduce pupils to Dartboard Maths.

Petersen, who also works as a darts pundit for Sky Sports, said: “It was absolutely fantastic to see Dartboard Maths in action in a classroom, and to be able to roll it out in Bradford for the first time. Delivering our resources to a room of kids who have been struggling, and to have them now supported on their journey towards increased confidence and attainment in maths, is what Dartboard Maths is all about. I’d like to thank the Foundation for being the first football club charity to introduce the resource in schools, and to Tommy Leigh for joining us for our introduction - I think he learnt a lot as well!”

Devon, Tommy and the Foundation’s coaches engaged a class of Year 3 pupils who have been struggling in maths and school, and showed them how to use the resource to complete addition and subtraction tasks.

Tommy Leigh, who scored his first goal of the season in City’s win vs Cardiff in September, said: “I never enjoyed maths at school, but feel like I would have done if we had something like Dartboard Maths. It was great seeing Devon in action, inspiring these kids into maths. I know that our Foundation does lots of great work in schools in Bradford, and getting the chance to see that first-hand, and the impact it has on kids in schools, is pretty special.”

Dartboard Maths will be introduced in schools across Bradford.

The Dartboard Maths resource, led by its own mascot, Darty the Dartbot, will be delivered in Bradford schools as part of the Foundation’s Premier League Primary Stars programme. The programme, funded by the Premier League Charitable Fund, enables the Foundation to host sporting and educational interventions, sports training and staff up-skilling in primary schools in the city.

Oliver Read, who oversees the project on behalf of the Foundation, said: “We are very excited about what Dartboard Maths can do for pupils across Bradford. Having seen first-hand how usable, accessible and engaging it is, I know it will be a real hit with learners and teachers alike. St Columba’s Catholic Primary School is one of our fantastic partner schools, and we are proud to be working with them as the first school in the UK to add Dartboard Maths to their curriculum. We look forward to expanding and introducing the resource to more schools in the new year."

Darts star Devon Petersen is the founder and creator of Dartboard Maths.

Dartboard Maths has already been widely adopted in schools in Petersen’s native South Africa, and has been endorsed by both the PDPA and World Darts Federation. The Foundation plans to deliver the resource across the almost 50 primary schools it currently works with. In doing so, the official charity of Bradford City AFC will become the first FCC (Football Club Charity) to combine the dual powers of darts and football in engaging young people in education within the English Football League.