09/03/2026
📈 What happens when GCSE Maths feels less like a list of modules and more like a world students can explore?
At Barnsley College, the results were striking.
After introducing ThingLink into GCSE Maths teaching:
✅ Average learning modules completed per active learner almost doubled, from 9.5 to 18.1
✅ Average questions answered per student increased from 99 to 201
✅ Average time spent learning on the platform doubled
GCSE Maths teacher Reece Tinkler used ThingLink to create an interactive virtual street where students could explore shops and real-world environments, solve maths problems and discover where concepts actually apply.
The aim was to tackle a particularly difficult period for engagement: the weeks between November GCSE resits and January results, when motivation and attendance had historically dropped.
But the impact went beyond keeping students engaged.
Students began navigating their own learning, challenging themselves with harder content and accessing resources independently outside timetabled lessons.
Reece has since developed a construction-focused version too, helping answer that familiar question:
“Where am I actually going to use this?”
As one Level 2 bricklaying student put it:
“It helps me understand where the maths would be used on site.”
This is a brilliant example of immersive learning not being about technology for technology’s sake. It is about giving familiar learning content context, purpose and a reason to explore.
👉 Read the full Barnsley College case study and see the ThingLink experiences:
How Barnsley College Doubled GCSE Maths Engagement with ThingLink
https://www.thinglink.com/blog/how-barnsley-college-doubled-gcse-maths-engagement-with-thinglink/
