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Meet the educators and creators behind the programme, combining expertise in mathematics, creativity, and child-centred learning to make every task engaging and meaningful.
Irina Bednaya is the creator of Beautiful Maths and a qualified primary teacher (PGCE, UCL Institute of Education), with additional qualifications including a diploma in Computer Science. She specialises in Maths and STEAM education, combining mathematical thinking with artistic practice.
Irina is passionate about inspiring young children to develop a love for mathematics. Through her teaching, she observed that while there is a wealth of beautifully illustrated books to support reading, there are far fewer resources that present maths in an equally engaging and visually inspiring way. This insight led her to create Beautiful Maths — an educational project designed to make mathematics both accessible and aesthetically captivating.
Yuliya Somina is an award-winning illustrator whose work has been published in the UK, Russia, and the USA. Over the past 20 years, she has built an impressive career, illustrating more than 65 books. In addition to her illustration work, Yuliya is deeply involved in art education. This passion has led her to collaborate with Beautiful Maths — an exciting educational project that blends creativity with learning. Every illustration in the Beautiful Maths range is an original watercolour painting, created entirely by hand. None of the artwork is stock imagery.
Dr Iryna Schlackow is a Senior Statistical Analyst at the University of Oxford and a Lecturer in Statistics at St. Hilda’s College, University of Oxford.
Dr Iryna Schlackow brings rigorous mathematical expertise to every Beautiful Maths task. She reviews each task for accuracy, age-appropriateness, and curriculum alignment — ensuring that Beautiful Maths is not only beautiful, but educationally sound.
Clare Benton is an editor of Beautiful Maths®, bringing together a lifelong passion for mathematics, creativity and learning.
With a degree in Mathematics and a Master’s in Education from UCL, Clare began her career in the classroom, where she spent 22 years teaching secondary maths. Those years shaped her belief that maths is not simply a subject to be learned, but a language for exploring patterns, expressing ideas and building confidence.
Although Clare no longer teaches in schools, her commitment to helping others grow has stayed with her. She now also works as a coach, supporting individuals as they develop their strengths, clarity and self-belief.
As an editor, Clare helps ensure that every Beautiful Maths® resource is thoughtfully crafted, educationally sound and inspiring to use. She hopes the materials spark curiosity, encourage perseverance and help children see the beauty that lives within mathematics.