Donna Varney

Profile

Biography

• Numbers Count
• 1^stClass@Number
• Success@Arithmetic
• Talk4number

Donna has worked in education for over 30 years, driven by a simple belief: every child deserves the chance to succeed and to feel confident as a learner. Her experience spans classroom teaching from EYFS and primary through to FE college, which has shown her first-hand how vital effective intervention is in supporting learners to build confidence and achieve success at all stages.

Alongside her teaching and ECC trainer roles, she has contributed to national and local projects with the EEF, Oxford University Press, and Oxford University. This work has included research trials, consultancy, training, and authoring for Numicon, as well as providing independent training and consultancy to support teachers and schools.

As an Every Child Counts (ECC) trainer and Numbers Count teacher, Donna enjoys working closely with learners, teachers, and teaching assistants to help them build their skills and confidence. She values creating opportunities where learners and practitioners can share experiences, reflect on challenges, and develop strategies that genuinely make a difference for their pupils.

Donna particularly appreciates the strong sense of partnership that ECC promotes. Donna thinks not just about delivering a programme—it’s about listening, encouraging, and working alongside staff to ensure the learning is meaningful and sustainable for both adults and children. Further, Donna believes that supporting one teacher or teaching assistant can transform the learning journey of many children, fostering resilience and a lasting love of mathematics.

Being part of ECC means being part of a community that believes in the potential of every child. Donna feels privileged to contribute to that vision and have seen, time and again, the powerful difference it makes.