The DfE's £7m EdTech Testbed Is Here — and It's Built Around What XTables Champions Already Does

The EEF EdTech Testbed is a government-backed evaluation programme designed to rigorously assess which digital tools actually improve outcomes for pupils — particularly in maths and for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Rather than relying on vendor claims or anecdotal evidence, the Testbed funds structured trials in real school settings, producing the kind of robust evidence that school leaders and SENCOs can trust when making decisions.

The programme's priorities are telling. Maths fluency sits at the heart of it. SEND inclusion sits at the heart of it. Reducing teacher workload sits at the heart of it. These are not abstract policy goals — they are the everyday pressures that senior leaders and class teachers in English primary schools are navigating right now.

If you have been searching for a credible, evidence-informed reason to evaluate your current EdTech provision for maths and SEND, this programme is precisely that reason.

It is no accident that the Testbed links maths and SEND as twin priorities. Research consistently shows that children with SEND — including those with dyslexia, dyscalculia, ADHD, and anxiety-related presentations — are disproportionately likely to struggle with maths fluency, particularly times tables and number recall.

The issue is rarely ability. It is often anxiety, processing differences, working memory challenges, or a mismatch between how maths is taught and how a particular child learns. Standard approaches — rote drilling, timed tests, whole-class chanting — can actively worsen maths anxiety in neurodivergent pupils, making them less likely to engage and less likely to progress.

The DfE and EEF are, in effect, acknowledging what SENCOs have known for years: that the tools we use for maths fluency need to be designed with neurodivergent learners in mind, not retrofitted for them as an afterthought.

For a tool to genuinely support SEND pupils with maths fluency, it needs to do more than display multiplication tables on a screen. Based on what we know about neurodivergent learning, effective SEND maths EdTech should:

• Remove the pressure and performance anxiety associated with timed, competitive drills
• Use familiar, engaging formats that reduce cognitive load and build intrinsic motivation
• Allow pupils to practise at their own pace without public comparison to peers
• Provide regular, low-stakes repetition rather than high-stakes assessment moments
• Make progress feel achievable — celebrating small wins that compound over time
• Be accessible across different devices and settings, including home use

This is where multiplayer game-based approaches become particularly interesting. When children are already familiar with a game format — when they are playing something that feels fun rather than educational — the psychological barrier to engagement drops significantly. For a child with maths anxiety, that barrier can be the difference between switching off entirely and actually practising.

XTables Champions was built specifically for children who struggle with maths anxiety, and for the neurodivergent and SEND pupils who are so often left behind by standard fluency programmes. That is not a marketing claim added after the DfE announcement — it is the founding principle of the software.

The approach centres on something genuinely different: using popular game formats that children already love. Rather than asking a child with SEND to engage with yet another worksheet-style drill dressed up in cartoon colours, XTables Champions meets them in a space they already find safe and enjoyable — the world of games they already play.

The multiplayer element is particularly significant. Structured multiplayer games create positive social motivation without the public shame of getting an answer wrong in front of the class. A child who freezes during a times-tables test in a classroom setting can thrive in a game environment where the stakes feel manageable and the experience feels fair.

For Year 4, 5, and 6 teachers preparing pupils for the Multiplication Tables Check — and for SENCOs supporting children who find that milestone genuinely distressing — this matters enormously.

The EEF EdTech Testbed is not just an academic exercise. It is shaping the landscape of what DfE-aligned EdTech looks like in English primary schools. Schools that proactively evaluate their maths and SEND EdTech provision now will be better positioned to:

• Demonstrate alignment with national priorities to Ofsted and governors
• Support their SENCOs with tools that have a credible evidence base
• Reduce teacher workload by using software that genuinely engages pupils independently
• Build a stronger case for continued EdTech investment within their school

If you are a SENCO or senior leader, this is the moment to ask a direct question of every maths EdTech tool you are considering: was it designed with SEND pupils in mind from the outset, or was it designed for neurotypical learners and adapted later?

If the DfE and EEF's focus on SEND maths fluency has prompted you to review what your school is currently using — or if you are looking for a tool that was genuinely built for children with maths anxiety and neurodivergent needs — we would love to talk.

XTables Champions works with primary schools across the UK. Whether you are a Year 4–6 teacher, a SENCO, or a senior leader thinking about your whole-school maths strategy, we are happy to walk you through exactly how the software supports your pupils and fits your context.

Get in touch with the XTables Champions team today to find out how we can help your school support every child with maths fluency — including those who need it most.