Welcome to > teachers > links to the best websites in the world!

A new maths website seems to pop up every day, and yet whenever you type "good maths websites" into Google, the same old characters pop up all the time.

The aim of this section is to offer up some of the sites that I have found invaluable over the last couple of years. As well as the well-known classics, I will also try to unearth a few lesser-known gems for you. And best of all, they are all free!

As with the resources, should you know of any must-visit websites that I have left out, please let me know here

Please Note: A collection of websites targeted specifically for pupils can be found here

NEW FEATURE: I have recorded a series of 5 minute videos taking you on a tour of some of my favourite websites. Click here to take a look!





Google
The Best of the Maths Blogs  
I have a great deal of admiration for people who can maintain a Blog - I tried myself, made 3 entries, then promptly closed it. The following Blogs are my favourites. I visit them at least once a week, and where possible I subscribe to them so that I get notified each time a new entry is posted. This is now my Number 1 way of keeping up to date with the latest ideas, resources and developments in teaching. They are fascinating reads by talented, generous people, that give me amazing ideas and save me bucket loads of time. I hope you find them useful as well.
 
Number Loving aimed at: all key stages
A fascinating Maths blog written by two teachers, full of brilliant maths ideas and links to resources. And there is the promise of an accompanying resource website soon as well. I had better watch my back...
 
Reflective Maths Teacher aimed at: all key stages
Another excellent blog crammed full of great ideas and resources. Book yourself in for regular visits!
 
maths, learning and web 2.0 aimed at: all key stages
One of the first mathematics blogs I discovered, and still one of the best around. Regularly updated with links to some of the most exciting and innovative maths resources, ideas and practices. A must visit.
 
great maths teaching ideas aimed at: all key stages
Quite a grand name for a blog, but I am pleased to say that William Emney lives up to his billing. Loads of great ideas and links to fantastic resources
 
Douglas Butler's Blog aimed at: all key stages
Every time I see Douglas, he always has something interesting to say (not always about maths!), so he is the perfect person to set up a blog. Expect lots of ideas about Autograph, the web and technology in general
 
Mr Collins Reflective Journal aimed at: all key stages
An exciting blog from a student of the GTP program. Excellent ideas and resources on here.
 
emaths blog aimed at: all key stages
Mark McCourt writes very well and speaks a lot of sense on the major issues in mathematics and eduction as a whole. An excellent read
 
 
 
The Best of the Websites  
And here come my must visit websites!
 
Guardian Data Blog aimed at: key stages 2 to 5
Finding relevant , reliable and engaging data to use in the classroom can be an absolute nightmare. But with the Guardian Data Blog you are guaranteed to find what you are looking for, and often find something amazing that you were not looking for! See my WebWhizz video here
 
Nation Master aimed at: all key stages
With Nationmaster you can very quickly and clearly make comparisons between countries using thousands of interesting, up to date statistics. Its ability to then dig out both positive and negative correlations and direct you to related statistics make this website, in my opinion, a must visit before teaching any data handling topics. See my WebWhizz video here
 
Maths Flash aimed at: key stages 3 to 5
I am always on the look-out for short, snappy activities that are related to things going on in the real world to hammer home the relevance of maths to my students. Well, for that aim this amazing website is simply a Godsend. Each day new activities appear based around current news stories. Whether it be tennis, the new host of Countdown or the destruction of the Brazilian Rainforest, you can be sure that MathsFlash has a starter activity lined up for you. Enjoy. See my WebWhizz video here
 
Wolfram Alpha aimed at: all key stages
There are few search engines that can rival Google, but for a mathematician, Wolfram Alpha certainly comes close. It is incredibly powerful and incredibly fun too. Are Craigs more popular than Kates and how often are people talking about mathematics? Wolfram Alpha has the answer. See my WebWhizz video here
 
teachnet uk aimed at: key stages 2 to 5
A fantastic website which is all about sharing resources, and there are some simply outstanding ones on here. There's everything from complete sets of a level worksheets, to five lessons guiding students through a structured independent learning package on trigonometric equations.
 
Gapminder World aimed at: all key stages
One of my all time favourite websites. This is how statistics should be presented - so they are engaging, relevant and informative. I have never seen a class of students getting so excited over a series of moving dots before! I have done a range of videos highlighting uses of Gapminder World here
 
cre8ate maths aimed at: all key stages
A really nice idea from Yorkshire and Humberside. Maths lesson resources have been created with local work/industry sectors, leading to some fantastic projects that certianly tick the Functional Skills box. As the website says, the resources link real and significant mathematical thinking with authentic real world applications. You need to register to access the resources, but this is free.
 
staffordshire maths resources aimed at: key stages 3 and 4
Another really good LEA website, jam packed full of great free resources. They don't quite have as many tarsia jigsaw files as me, but apart from that... :-)
 
TES Connect aimed at: all key stages
The TES has always been full of really good maths resources, created by other teachers. The difference is now that the search facility has been drastically improved, making this one of my first stops when I am on the hunt for a fancy resource. If you look hard enough you will find mysteries, collective memories, investigations, and many other interesting resources on here. Also, I have spent quite a lot of time assembling some if the best resources into themed Collections
 
lumosity aimed at: all key stages
This is my favourite "brain training" website around. You need to set up a free account to enter, but once inside there are lots of fun and challenging games for you and your students. Ideal for starters or plenaries in a computer room, or as a way of gathering interesting real life data from your students!
 
 
Mathematics in a Flash aimed at: key stages 3 and 4
A very nice maths website built by a very talented teacher (and yes, I am a little jealous). Lots of games and interactive flash activities that will go down well with your students.
 
my maths - integrate aimed at: key stages 3 and 4
Unlike the main bulk of this site, this little section is free and contains a ridiculously large collection of resources ready to download. The only drawback is that each resource must by downloaded individually and unzipped before use, but there is some quality stuff on here, so it is well worth the effort. Also, you must submit a resource yourself before you can download - share and share alike!
 
Maths Bank aimed at: key stage 5
A brilliant set of exam questions for all the A Level modules, including Further Maths, with step-by-step solutions provided. Basically, it's what MathsNet used to do before you had to pay for it. These make great starters on the IWB, and the website is a good one to encourage your students to visit for revision.
 
History of Maths aimed at: all key stages
The best website around for information about famous (and not so famous) mathematicians. I would also heartily recommend following them on twitter at @MathsHistory, as you get sent a Mathematician of the Day tweet every single day!
 
NGfL aimed at: all key stages
What a brilliant website! Full of lesson ideas and resources, high quailty and very well organised. The Investigations are absolutely fantastic - well supported, rich, interesting tasks. Spot on!
 
The Futures Channel aimed at: all key stages
A brilliant website which has video clips and lesson plans for what many maths teachers consider to be the Holy Grail... examples of real life maths! The stuff on there already is very good, and new content seems to be being added all the time. Definitely worth a look!
 
H tends to 0 aimed at: all key stages
Another excellent maths blog. Some free PowerPoint and Excel resources can be found here
 
Brain Cells aimed at: all key stages
This is now a paid for website, but the GCSE revision material is still free and worth sharing with your students
 
Wow Maths aimed at: all key stages
A website that hasn't been updated since 2007, but which still contains lots of free resources which tend to be different from the usual ones available on the web.
 
Suffolk Maths aimed at: all key stages
A truly excellent website from AST, Mark Greenaway. Loads of stuff on here from resources, revision guides, advice, links, and pretty much anything else you could want. Very, very good.
 
 
Khan Academy aimed at: all key stages
One of the most controversial maths website around (let's be honest, there aren't many others). Thousands of videos taking students step-by-step through how to solve lots of questions. It's not for everybody, but it is certainly worth a look
 
Trinity School, Nottingham aimed at: all key stages
One of the best examples of a school website I have seen. Very user-friendly and packed full of resources for pupils and teachers alike!
 
2nd July aimed at: all key stages
A truly amazing website which is easy to navigate and is jam-packed full of free teaching resources. The interactive Excel files in particular are very impressive. A must visit!
 
Registart Maths aimed at: key stage 5
I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this. Pretty much the whole of the AS course (and a lot of the A2 course) available in high quality PowerPoint files... and all for free! Brilliant!
 
Mathed Up aimed at: all key stages
An amazing website that keeps getting better! Crammed full of PowerPoint, EasiTeach and Tarsia Jigsaw resources for all topics, and all for free! The A Level section is one of the best around. Brilliant!
 
TES Maths Forum aimed at: all key stages
One of the few websites I visit every day. Maths practitioners from all over the world asking questions, sharing ideas and giving answers (and the occasional rant). I have collected together some of my favourite discussions here
 
NCETM Secondary Maths Forum aimed at: all key stages
The NCETM have introduced a Documents tab, whereby maths teachers can quickly and easily share resources. If this catches on it good be one of the best places to go to swap and share top quality resources.
 
Gresham College aimed at: all key stages
A nice website where you can find archives of interesting maths lectures, which can either be downloaded as videos or audio files, or if not then they can be streamed over the internet. There is lots of good stuff here.
 
World Wide Wegg aimed at: key stages 3 and 4
An excellent website that is continually growing. It's jam packed full of videos and other free resources, all set up by a very generous maths teacher. Give it a look.
 
Ptolemy Blog aimed at: all key stages
This a blog written by the author of the wonderful Furbles and Primitives software (see Essential Freebies). The author is clearly a passionate mathematician, and his thoughts and the internet gems that he regularly throws up are well worth a look. A really nice website. NOTE: When you click on the link it looks like the page "cannot be found". Simply scroll down the page and you have access to all the categories
 
 
Illuminations aimed at: all key stages
A brilliant website which offers lesson plans, complete with resources, which are often a bit more interactive for the pupils than they usually might be. The website is really well organised and there is some truly excellent stuff on here.
 
I Love Maths Games aimed at: key stages 3 and 4
A really nice website full of original and fun maths games and puzzles. This website is definitely one to watch with the promise of more puzzles, starters and investigations to be added soon!
 
School Workout aimed at: all key stages
An excellent website offering lots of really good (and free) teaching resources and assessment material. The A Level section in particular is simply outstanding.
 
Google ngram viewer aimed at: all key stages
I really like this. Google collated data on every word in every one of the books that they have on Google Books and allowed you to display statisics on them. To get you started, try compaing the use of "garlic" and "onion" over time...
 
ICT Games aimed at: key stage 3
Some really, really good games, probably more suitable for younger, or less able pupils.
 
e Maths aimed at: all key stages
A simply brilliant website which has recently had an impressive makeover. Not only are there bucket loads of resources (all for free, of course), but also there is lots of advice for teachers, as well as interactive schemes of work and good website links, and that's just the teacher section! Very good.
 
Math Centre aimed at: Key stage 5
I was slow to pick up on this website, but now I am a convert! For teaching A Level Maths, this website is simply brilliant. Pick the topic y from the menu on the left, and then watch all the resources appear. What I like best of all is the variety of resources, from nice little leaflets covering all the main facts, the video tutorials. Brilliant!
 
Misconceptions aimed at: key stages 3 and 4
A really nice idea. The authors have got together the 8 maths topics they consider to contain the biggest misconceptions in pupils (and they promise another 16 soon!), and they offer examples, advice, and exercises on how to correct them. Very good!
 
CIMT aimed at: all key stages
It's hard to know where to start with this website, because there is just so much good stuff on it. I have linked you straight to the home page, and I would suggest you scroll down and have a look at the CIMT Resources section. There are free notes, exercises for the pupils to do, puzzles, competitions, and real world applications of maths. If you've got a spare twenty minutes, have a good look around.
 
Maths Day Ideas and Resources aimed at: key stages 3 and 4
A specific link to a document on the excellent Suffolk Maths website. If you are planning a Maths Day at your school, no matter how big or small, then this might just come in handy
 
 
The Nuffield Foundation aimed at: all key stages
An amazing website with starters, assignments, skills activities and web links for lots of topics. The Statistics and the Decision Maths sections in particular are extremely impressive for teaching older students, but there is also loads of good stuff on money and shape for the younger ones.
 
Further Maths Network aimed at: key stage 5
The number one website if you are teaching further maths. Some of the stuff you have to pay for, but there are plenty of excellent free resources on there as well.
 
Maths Answers aimed at: key stages 3 and 4
A nice simple site with lots of useful free resources. The PowerPoint section is my personal recommendation.
 
nrich aimed at: all key stages
A fantastic website set up by Cambridge University. If you haven't visited it for a while, give it ago. Not only are there loads and loads of really good puzzles and activities (all organised into age groups and difficulty, with complete solutions), but there are also curriculum mapping documents which show how all these puzzles and activities fit into the national framework to spice up the dullest of topics. Not only this, but there are some really good articles aimed specifically at teachers, some offering advice, others giving exciting angles into topics. Brilliant!
 
Maths Mistakes aimed at: all key stages
I really like this site. Lots of mistakes made by real students, which can form the basis of a useful discussion of a topic, and hopefully ensure your students don't make the same mistakes
 
Maths Sphere aimed at: key stages 3 and 4
A nice simple collection of free maths resources. What more could you ask for?
 
Maths-Quarter aimed at: key stage 5
This is something a little different. Schools can sign up to the website for free and create a Maths Community for their maths department. Teachers can then upload content to their schools page, such as class notes, homework documents and important messages. Students can log on to the "Student Zone", where they can view the uploaded documents, and post questions of their own, which can be answered by their teacher or other members of the Maths-Quarter community. A nice idea if your maths department does not have their own web-page, and the potential for per-to-peer learning looks promising.
 
Webmaths aimed at: all key stages
A really nice website, jam-packed full of top quality resources. There are PowerPoints, GSP files, and lots of those Tarsia Jigsaws that I just can't do without. Definitely worth a visit!
 
TSM Resources aimed at: all key stages
Douglas Butler's amazing website with links to just aobut every brilliant website in the world. You could quite easily spend a day looking through this. The For the Busy Teacher section is particuarly impressive
 
glos maths aimed at: all key stages
An excellent example of maths teachers sharing outstanding resources. Probing questions, investigations, assessment material, the works! There is some really excellent stuff on here, and it is updated on a regular basis, so make sure you keep going back to check.
 
 
 
the on-line encyclopedia of integer sequences aimed at: all key stages
Something a bit different here. It is an encyclopedia cataloging well over 100,000 integer sequences. Sounds boring?... surely not... but what I like about it is not only is every sequence discussed and links provided, there is also the option to graph each sequence, and hear the sound of the terms played on a piano. My top recommendation is Recaman's Sequence, which is so simple to construct, but so difficult to explain!
 
mr reddy aimed at: all key stages
A nice website run by an enthusiastic teacher. There are lots of links for pupils and teachers to free resources and other good websites, and some of the site's original resources for teachers are excellent.
 
Maths Careers aimed at: all key stages
A nice website which attempts (and almost succeeds) to answer the eternal question: “sir, what use is this in real life?”. Also provides information on careers involving maths and really good links to newspaper articles and other resources.



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