INSTEAD of using white boards Vale pupils were treading the boards to sharpen their mathematical skills, working with a captivating whodunit musical comedy touring theatre company.

All of the pupils from Pinvin First School and St Nicholas Middle School took part in one of two performances of a special show, called the Calculating Mister One which was set against a backdrop of Victorian London with a cast of two actors in period dress from the Quantum Theatre Company.

The duo played numerous characters, including a bumbling Sherlock Holmes lookalike detective, called Josiah Bloodhound, who, with the help of his side kick, the maths whizz kid, Kitty Beagle and all the children, solved who was trying to steal the latest invention of Professor Ebenezer Brain-Teaser - a golden, box-shaped, wind-up incredible calculating machine.

By using number patterns, mental calculations and deduction the children joined in the fun to help unravel the murky mathematical mystery.

For the younger ones there were number lines, number squares and simple multiplication tables, as well as a variety of mental methods of calculation, including estimating, counting on, rounding and partitioning; and for the older children there were more difficult calculations involving doubling and halving; division and multiplication as well as decimals.

Jim Kehoe, deputy head at St Nicholas Middle School said the middle school has used the Quantum Theatre company with great success in the past on a healthy eating theme and their approach was irresistible and totally engaging.

"All the children from both schools in the federation were enthralled by the company’s new numeracy-based production," he said.

"They were so engrossed and involved in the show that they simply forgot that they were using lots of the maths they have been learning."

Seven-year-old Isabella Lungley, from Pinvin First School, said: "It was really funny. They dressed up in lots of costumes and had to change really quickly. It was like a proper, real theatre."

And Josh Martin, also seven, said: "It was really clever and I loved the bit with the cat sound."