Education Scotland and National Numeracy hosted a family learning session at Piershill Library in Edinburgh to celebrate National Numeracy Day on Wednesday.

The ‘Read, Write, Count’ programme, run by the Scottish Book Trust, was temporarily taken over by Peter Sawkins, National Numeracy ambassador and former winner of the Great British Bake Off.

‘Read, Write, Count’ aims to build parents' confidence and encourage families to include easy and fun reading, writing and counting activities in their everyday lives.

For the special National Numeracy Day edition, Mr Sawkins interacted with children and families from local schools and explained how numbers are used in baking.

Interim Chief Executive of Education Scotland, Gillian Hamilton said: “We are delighted to be involved with National Numeracy Day, a UK-wide celebration to promote the importance of everyday maths.

"This delightful event really put the spotlight on numeracy, with lots of singing and rhymes featuring numbers, alongside a great discussion all about how numbers are used in baking.

"It was great to see so many children and families from local areas take part in the session and we hope to continue our work with National Numeracy to encourage people across Scotland to improve their number confidence and skills."

Sam Sims, Chief Executive of National Numeracy said: "National Numeracy Day 2023 is the biggest, most inspiring campaign we have ever held. Our fantastic partnership with Education Scotland will help thousands of children - and adults - across Scotland feel good about the numbers in their lives.

"This event shows that numbers can be a fun and friendly part of everyday life. Talking about the numbers children use when baking, singing or playing sport and games, can help them think positively about maths and build confidence as they build their skills.

"A huge 49% of the UK’s working-age population has the expected numeracy levels of a primary school child. That’s why National Numeracy Day is so important and why getting involved can have a huge impact."

Peter Sawkins, National Numeracy ambassador and Great British Bake Off 2020 winner, said: "I’m delighted to be a part of the event at Piershill Library for National Numeracy Day.

“It’s wonderful to meet local families and get involved in some fantastic number fun activities. Getting on with numbers from a young age is really important, so I’m glad to be able to join in and help create conversations about using maths in everyday activities.

"The fun doesn’t have to stop here – children and adults can try my National Numeracy Day baking activity at home, anytime throughout May."

Marked annually, National Numeracy Day has helped raise awareness around the importance of numbers in everyday life and has inspired people to take more than 650,000 actions to improve their numeracy since it launched in 2018.

The 2023 edition includes a host of free online resources and videos showcasing numeracy and aims to empower individuals to improve their confidence and competency with numbers in three key areas of their lives; at home, at school and at work.