Navigating Numbers, the Office for National Statistics’ free classroom programme for students aged 16 and over, has been shortlisted for Educational Programme of the Year in the Public Sector category at the Wales STEM Awards 2026.
The ONS announced the shortlisting on social media, placing Navigating Numbers alongside six other organisations in the category — including BBC Wales WiSTEM Hub, e-sgol, Rhondda Heritage Park Museum, the University of South Wales, CyberFirst and the National Cyber Security Academy. No winner has yet been confirmed for the 2026 cycle.
Navigating Numbers offers five free classroom toolkits covering inflation, the gender pay gap, census data, health and business statistics, all built around real ONS datasets. The programme was developed with support from the Association of Colleges and is designed to fit within standard lesson time for AS and A level students in subjects including mathematics, geography, business studies, sociology and economics.
The resources are available UK-wide — not just in Wales — which means further education colleges and sixth forms across Kent can download and use them at no cost.
That matters locally. Bodies such as Kent County Council and Medway Council use ONS census and economic data to plan services, and the figures show that a workforce more confident in reading official statistics is directly relevant to how well those decisions are understood and scrutinised by the public. Students in Maidstone, Canterbury, Medway and Thanet who work through the toolkits gain hands-on experience with the same Consumer Prices Index data and gender pay gap figures that shape national policy debates.
The Wales STEM Awards recognise organisations promoting excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics across Wales. The ONS has framed the shortlisting as recognition of the programme’s quality as a public sector education initiative, though how far a freely available toolkit translates into consistent classroom use will depend on whether teachers have the time and digital infrastructure to integrate it — something that can vary considerably between institutions.
Key information
- Navigating Numbers toolkits are free to download for teachers and education providers across the UK, including Kent
- The five toolkits cover inflation, gender pay gap, census, health and business, and are aimed at students aged 16 and over
- Suitable for AS and A level subjects including mathematics, geography, business studies, sociology and economics
- Teacher guidance and structured lesson plans are included; resources are available via the ONS website
Source: @ONS