"Who knew maths could be so fun" - Premier League Darts brings maths fun to Leeds classrooms

In the lead-up to the Premier League Darts arriving in Leeds, pupils from two primary schools in the south of the city enjoyed a very special learning experience. On Wednesday, Rothwell Victoria Primary School and Sharp Lane Primary School were entirely dedicated to “Bullseye Maths,” an educational program that uses darts to strengthen numeracy skills in a playful way while also introducing pupils to the sport.

The timing of the initiative was no coincidence. On Thursday evening, the Premier League Darts touched down at the First Direct Arena in Leeds, where a sold-out crowd of around 11,000 spectators welcomed players including Luke Littler and Luke Humphries. The schools initiative served as an accessible introduction to the sport and the underlying mathematical logic involved in darts.

The “Bullseye Maths” program was developed by the PDC in collaboration with the Junior Darts Corporation (JDC). The aim is to familiarise pupils with arithmetic in an interactive way, using classic dart scores and combinations as practical applications of addition, subtraction, and strategy.

According to Gary Horsley, director of education at the JDC, pupil engagement was strikingly high. "All the children who took part were great and really got involved with the Bullseye Maths sessions,” he said. "Darts is probably the sport which uses the greatest amount of maths, and Bullseye Maths uses that alongside the fun aspect of playing the game."

Teachers were also enthusiastic about the approach. Miss Houlden, who teaches Years 5 and 6 at Rothwell Victoria, called it a highly successful lesson: "This was a great 90 minutes of learning - such an inspiring lesson. The children loved it and were engaged from the go, and it was nice to see such high engagement from all the children. Who knew maths could be so fun."

A colleague of hers, who led a Year 4 group, emphasised that even pupils who are usually less responsive to external workshops participated fully. "This was a great session for Year 4 - we usually get overlooked for external sessions due to the complexity of learners but today was such a refreshing change."

The response at Sharp Lane Primary School was no different. One teacher said: “This was a great 90 minutes and every child is now buzzing after such a positive session. We really did not know what to expect but from the first minute all children were fully engaged and focused on both the darts and maths activities."

Miss Jones, a Year 5 teacher, went a step further and said the session even influenced her view on teaching: "We really did not know what to expect but from the first minute all children were fully engaged and focused on both the darts and maths activities. Most of the staff came down the corridors to see the action and we can't wait to do more darts education. I am now inspired to do the JDC's ABC Darts Tutor training course and get darts into the school."

According to the organisation, the success of the sessions underlines the broader value of darts beyond the sport itself. By using familiar game elements, numeracy skills are strengthened in an accessible and enjoyable way.