iPad classes in primary school: which maths app fits?
Choosing a maths app for an iPad class in primary school: logging in on shared devices, browser or app, and an overview for the teacher.
In short: An iPad class needs a maths app that children can log in to within seconds without their own account, that switches cleanly between children on shared devices and that shows the teacher what the class is working on. Also check whether the app runs in the browser, so that it does not have to be installed on every iPad. Mazio Maths runs in the browser without installation and as an app for iPad, and the children log in with their access card.
Many primary schools work with an iPad trolley that moves between classes; others have fixed devices for each class. This article is for teachers and school leaders who are choosing a maths app for these devices. It sets out the criteria that matter in day-to-day work with iPads and then shows how Mazio Maths handles them.
What matters in maths apps for iPad classes
In an iPad class, the first five minutes of a lesson decide whether an app works. If logging in stalls, the practice time is lost. That is why organisational questions carry the same weight as subject-related ones.
| Criterion | How you can tell | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Login without an email account | Children log in with a code, a card or a QR code | Children in grades 1 and 2 do not type passwords, and pupil accounts with contact details involve considerable data protection effort |
| Switching on shared devices | Sessions end automatically, and the next child does not see the previous child’s data | A trolley is often used by several classes in one day |
| Browser or app | The app also runs in the browser, and installation is an addition | Not every device has the same apps, and updates do not arrive everywhere at the same time |
| Control by the teacher | The teacher decides what the class works on | Otherwise the class spreads out across random games |
| Overview during the lesson | The teacher sees what the children are working on and how far the class has got | With 24 children and one teacher, a quick glance is needed |
| Subject-related feedback | Errors are taken up with feedback on the method | Practice without feedback also reinforces wrong methods |
| No advertising, no in-app purchases | Check the App Store description and the terms of use | School devices must not lead children to make purchases |
Distributing apps to school iPads is usually the responsibility of the school’s IT team or the school authority. In its deployment guide for education, Apple describes how apps are obtained through Apple School Manager and assigned to devices through mobile device management (MDM), without an Apple ID on the device. If several children are to use the same iPad with their own environment, there is the Shared iPad option, which requires an MDM solution and Managed Apple Accounts. Without Shared iPad, the app itself has to handle different children working on one device one after another. The article on distributing apps to managed iPads describes how schools put an app on their iPads through Apple School Manager and MDM.
Source: Apple Support, deployment guide for education, as of November 2026.
Planning a lesson with the iPad trolley
A fixed routine that the children know after a few lessons has proved useful:
- The devices are charged and ready, with the app or the page in the browser open.
- The children take their access card from a box and log in.
- A short joint start of a few minutes makes clear what today is about.
- The children practise independently, while the teacher walks around or works with a small group.
- At the end, the children log out, and the cards and devices go back.
If there are not enough devices, two children work on one iPad. This can even help, because they have to talk about their method.
How Mazio Maths fits an iPad class
Mazio Maths is a learning platform for maths lessons in primary school. It runs in the browser on common tablets and laptops with an up-to-date browser, and there is nothing to install. In addition, the Mazio Maths app is available for iPad and iPhone in the App Store and for Android on Google Play. You need one tablet or laptop per child or per pair.
Login without an account: There are no pupil accounts. Each child logs in with their own eight-character access code or their access card. Under “Classes”, you create the class with “New class” and enter its name, grade and number of children, and a code is generated automatically for each child. “Print cards” produces an A4 sheet of access cards to cut out, each with a code, a QR code and an animal. The QR code does not reveal the code. The children open mathezeit.de or the app and scan their card.
Switching on shared iPads: Because tablets in class sets pass from child to child, a child’s session ends after a period of inactivity and at the latest at the end of the day. On a shared device, the login page shows who is still logged in there. This means the trolley can go to another class in the same year on the same day.
You decide what the children see: Each class has its own board. Under “Lessons”, you choose the class and use the plus sign to put a unit, a puzzle set or an exercise from the Basiscamp on the board. The children see the content on their devices straight away. New content is placed on the board as compulsory, and the other areas only open once the compulsory content has been completed. With a note, you can add a sentence such as “Afterwards you can go to the Knobelbox”.
Overview during the lesson: Each line on the board shows how many children have finished the content, for example “12/24”. Under “Live”, you start the lesson and see what the children are working on at that moment. When you watch a child’s work, the child sees an orange frame with the message “Your teacher is watching”.
For the school’s IT team: An information sheet describes how the app is put on school iPads through Apple School Manager and device management, without an Apple ID on the devices. You can find it among the documents for schools (in German). For all other devices, the browser is enough.
Example: A grade 3 class shares a trolley with 14 iPads. The teacher puts “Number walls: multiplication” on the board and sets when it becomes visible and until when, here from the next morning until Friday. In the lesson, the children work in pairs, and the two children in each pair take turns to log in. The difficulty adapts to each child’s previous work.
Next step: Register for free to create an account, then create a class and print the access cards. The page Mazio Maths for teachers gives an overview of the board, Mazio and the results.
Frequently asked questions
Do the children need an Apple ID on the iPad for Mazio Math?
No. In the browser, there is nothing to install. For the app, an information sheet for the school’s IT team describes distribution through Apple School Manager and device management, without an Apple ID on the devices. The children themselves log in with their access card or code.
Can several classes use the same iPad trolley?
Yes. Each child logs in with their own code. The session ends after a period of inactivity and at the latest at the end of the day, and the login page shows who is still logged in on the device.
What does Mazio Maths cost for an iPad class?
Mazio Maths is free for teachers. For use with the children, the school obtains a licence, and schools can request a quote for it. The app is free of advertising and in-app purchases. Trials, the data protection agreement and the licence are currently available to schools in Germany. If your school is in another country, registration records your interest and we will let you know as soon as Mazio Maths is available there.