Maths: Intermediate Maths Challenge

The Intermediate Challenge is aimed at pupils in Year 11 or below and is run by the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust. The challenge involves answering 25 multiple choice questions in one hour and is sat in school under normal exam conditions. It took place on February 1st.

The top 40% of students nationally receive a gold, silver or bronze certificate in the ratio 1:2:3 and each institution receives a Best in School certificate. Around 500 of the highest scorers in each school year are invited to take part in the Intermediate Mathematical Olympiad papers: Cayley, Hamilton and Maclaurin for year 9, 10 and 11 and equivalent. A further 5,500 pupils from across all three year groups are invited to sit either the grey or pink European Kangaroo papers. These are one-hour papers with 25 multiple choice questions, taken by pupils from over 30 countries worldwide.

Twelve of our most able year 8 Mathematics students and seven Year 7 students took the challenge this year and we received the results at the end of the Spring term.

Congratulations to our bronze certificate winners: Lily-Rose, Arthur, Fiennes, Amy and Tatiana.

Congratulations to our silver certificate winners: James, Alex B, Alex C and Frank.

Congratulations to Douglas Page for gaining a Gold certificate and achieving Best in School. Douglas qualified to take part in the Intermediate Olympiad round which is an outstanding achievement. Douglas sat the Cayley level, consisting of a two hour paper requiring detailed written solutions.

Here is an example of a Cayley question:

Four times the average of two different positive numbers is equal to three times the greater one. The difference between the numbers is three less than the average. What are the two numbers?

We recently received the news that Douglas was awarded a certificate of Merit. Many congratulations, Douglas!

Nicky Brady, Head of Maths