Hannah Harris 24 Mar 2026

Teacher Takeover: Building confidence in maths through the FE Maths Challenge

Discover how the FE Maths Challenge engages 58,000+ Further Education students across England and Wales using Kahoot! to build maths confidence and prepare for exams.

"FE Maths Challenge" logo and infographic with portrait of Martin Newtown, main event organizer.

For many students, maths can feel intimidating. For others, it can feel out of reach entirely.

But across England and Wales, tens of thousands of Further Education students are discovering that maths can also be collaborative, energising—and even fun.

Each year, the FE Maths Challenge, organized by the charity Mathematics in Education and Industry (MEI), brings together students aged 16–19 from colleges across England and Wales to compete, collaborate, and build confidence in their mathematical skills. With more than 58,500 students participating from 124 colleges this year, the programme has become one of the largest maths engagement initiatives in the region.

At the heart of the competition from the very beginning? Kahoot!.

We spoke with Martin Newton, the program coordinator for the FE Maths Challenge, about how the event has grown over the past seven years—and why accessible, engaging tools are key to helping students build confidence in maths.

From classroom quiz to national competition

The FE Maths Challenge unfolds across four rounds, gradually scaling from local classroom play to a national final.

The journey begins in the classroom, where teachers host the first round directly with their students using a live kahoot.Students compete locally within their college, and the top performers move on to the college final, where they face a new Kahoot! quiz alongside additional problem-solving challenges like a collaborative Tarsia puzzle. From there, winners advance to regional rounds, where roughly ten colleges compete in each grouping. The strongest teams move on to the final stage: the national championship, which this year will take place in Solihull on April 21.

For many students, simply reaching the regional stage is already a milestone. But for Martin, the true success of the challenge isn’t about winning.

Group of 5 adults waving at camera with MEI math logo on screen in the background

Creating positive memories around maths

Martin describes organizing the FE Maths Challenge as a career highlight. That’s because many of the students participating haven’t always felt confident in their mathematical abilities. “Many of these students have never felt like they’re smart enough, or confident enough, or bright enough to participate in a challenge like this,” Martin explains. The competition is designed to change that narrative. By blending friendly competition, teamwork, and interactive quizzes, the challenge helps students experience maths in a new way—one that emphasises participation, problem-solving, and enjoyment. “By doing this Maths Challenge, they’re creating happy and positive memories about maths and learning,” Martin says. “That means they’ll feel more empowered and proud of themselves—even if it’s just a medal or ribbon.” And the impact is measurable. After participating in the challenge:

96% of students rate the experience as good or excellent
82% say it increased their confidence going into GCSE exams
80% say it helped them feel more prepared for their exams

For many students in Further Education programmes, that confidence boost can make a lasting difference.

Group of 4 students around a working table with kahoot podium screen and animation playing in background

Many of these students have never felt like they're smart enough, or confident enough, or bright enough to participate in a challenge like this. By doing this Maths Challenge, they’re creating happy and positive memories about maths and learning.

Martin Newton, MEI Maths Challenge organiser

Why Kahoot! has been part of the challenge from day one

When the FE Maths Challenge launched seven years ago, the organisers needed a platform that would be easy for teachers to run and easy for students to join. The answer was simple. “It’s always been Kahoot!” Martin says. Because so many teachers and students are already familiar with the platform, there’s very little friction when it comes time to start playing. “Kahoot! makes it easy,” Martin explains. “It means we can reach thousands of students without adding barriers.” That accessibility is essential when running a competition at such a large scale. With tens of thousands of students participating each year, the goal is to make joining the challenge feel welcoming—not intimidating. Interactive quizzes also add a sense of energy to the event, turning what might otherwise feel like a traditional test into something closer to a shared experience.

A national celebration of maths learning

Over the past seven years, the FE Maths Challenge has grown into a national celebration of maths learning in Further Education. With tens of thousands of students participating annually, the competition continues to expand opportunities for learners to test their knowledge, collaborate with peers, and build confidence in their abilities. And for Martin, the most rewarding part is seeing students surprise themselves. When students who once doubted their abilities stand proudly after solving a difficult problem or finishing a competitive quiz, it creates something powerful: a new story about what they’re capable of. As the next national final approaches this April, thousands of students across England and Wales are already taking part in the first rounds—answering questions, solving puzzles, and discovering that maths might just be more exciting than they expected.