GONE are the days of mental arithmetic and laborious fractions.

For children at one coastal primary, it's all about maths at the movies.

Year three and four pupils at Holland Haven primary, Holland-on-Sea, are taking part in a trial project run by Essex County Council, using films to animate their learning.

Under the leadership of teacher, Ian Ahmet, the children are carrying out mathematical tasks based on clips from the cartoon Madagascar.

Mr Ahmet said similar practices were already used to teach literacy.

"Why not maths as well?" he said.

"We watch clips of the film and then centre tasks around what we have seen.

"For example, in one scene the characters are carrying fruit in baskets.

"So we had a task where the children had to weigh out a kilogram of fruit to teach them how to use scales.

"Children always want to know why you are asking them to do something.

"This project puts tasks in a context for them."

Nine-year-old Keira Alder, said: "You don't realise you are doing maths, you just concentrate on the film."

The tasks given to the children are explored using traditional materials, like pen and paper as well as laptops and interactive whiteboards.