TRAINEE teachers at UEL got a lesson from a maths master when Johnny Ball turned up for class last week.

The presenter of long-running BBC children’s show Think Of A Number wowed his audience with an exhilarating demonstration of how teaching fractions, equations and square-roots needn’t be a classroom turn-off.

Using a series of classroom props, he explained to teachers at UEL’s Cass School for Education in Stratford on Wednesday how to transform the dullest subjects into a fun lesson for children.

“Education is crucial to children because it empowers them,” he told the audience. “Whatever they have learned that day will be the first thing they tell their parents about after school. It’s vital that their source for knowledge is not stifled by bureaucracy, or the demands of the curriculum.”

CASS PGCE Primary student Ian Fisher said: “I remember watching Johnny when I was a child, and it’s amazing how much of what he has to say is still so relevant. I really enjoyed his presentation, and it’s certainly given me food for thought. “

Tariq Younas, who is taking the UEL PGCE Course at Newham College, said: “He is simply amazing, I wish Johnny Ball had been my teacher at school.

“I have two nephews aged seven and eight, and I make sure they watch Think Of A Number on YouTube. They absolutely love it because they find him so engaging.”