About sensemake.uk
Free, interactive maths tools designed for the classroom. Built to help pupils develop genuine understanding of mathematical concepts.
What is sense making?
Sense making is what happens when a pupil stops asking "Is this right?" and starts asking "Why does this work?"
In mathematics, it's the difference between following a memorised procedure and understanding the structure underneath. A pupil who is sense making isn't just producing answers, they're building meaning. They're connecting new ideas to what they already know, reasoning about why a method works, and noticing when something doesn't add up.
This matters because pupils who make sense of mathematics can adapt. They can tackle unfamiliar problems, spot their own errors, and explain their thinking to others. Pupils who rely solely on memorised routines get stuck the moment a question doesn't match the template.
Sense making doesn't replace practice. Fluency matters. But it means that fluency is built on understanding, not just repetition. And that changes everything about how pupils engage with the subject.
What is this site?
sensemake.uk is a collection of interactive maths tools for primary and secondary classrooms. Each tool is designed to help teachers explain concepts and allow pupils to explore, manipulate, and reason about, not just practise procedures.
The tools are free to use, work on any device (including interactive whiteboards, Chromebooks, and tablets), and don't require logins or accounts.
Who is it for?
The tools are aimed at maths teachers in UK schools, covering Key Stages 1–5. They're designed to support whole-class teaching, small group work, and independent exploration. Teachers can share tool states via URLs and add their own notes to each tool.
Design philosophy
Every tool on this site is built around a few principles:
- Pupils should be able to see and interact with mathematical structure, not just answer questions
- Tools should prompt mathematical thinking and classroom discussion
- The interface should get out of the way. No clutter, no distractions
- Everything should work instantly, with no loading screens or sign-up walls
Using the tools in class
Each tool has a "How to use" panel with guidance and suggested classroom questions. Teachers can also open the Teacher Notes area to save their own planning notes. These are stored locally on the device and are not visible to pupils.
To share a particular setup with pupils or colleagues, use the share button to generate a link that captures the current state of the tool.
Get in touch
If you have suggestions for new tools, find a bug, or just want to say hello, you can reach me via my personal website at timdolan.com/contact.