SUMMARY Evidence from international surveys suggests that children in the U.K. are underperforming in mathematics and that family background is a more significant factor than in other countries. From such findings awareness has grown that it will be in the children's interests for home and school to work more closely together. In this paper the role of parents in children's learning is discussed, followed by the methodology and research findings of a study into the home and school experiences of young Somali children living in the U.K. Finally the author discusses the surprising finding that for these children the home numeracy experience is in a more formal setting than the majority of their school learning experiences. The conflicts which the children seem to experience in the two different cultures of home and school are explored and the paper concludes with an appeal for teachers to take more account of the learning experiences which children bring from home.