MORE than 350 pupils from eight York primary schools boosted their knowledge of maths.

The students, all eight and nine-year-olds from Year Four, yesterday took part in a variety of workshops at a maths fair, at Goodricke College, hosted by the University of York.

The schools - Huntington, Headlands, Ralph Butterfield, Wigginton, Woodthorpe, St Mary's CE, St Paul's CE and St George's RC Primary - are working together by setting up a chain of shops where each school will be a branch.

Each school shop will be organised and run by the students.

Wendy Taylor, North Yorkshire Business And Education Partnership adviser, said: "The purpose of the maths fair is to give the students an opportunity to experience 'hands-on' workshops run by people from the business world, where they will learn how maths is applied in that world, particularly with regard to retail."

Businesses and organisations contributing to the fair included Marks & Spencer, CPP, the Royal Bank of Scotland, the Centre For Global Education, Yorkshire Air Museum, York Hospitality Organisation, York Museums Trust, Waterstones, and the University of York Maths Department.

Updated: 10:59 Thursday, March 23, 2006