A total of 425 students from Years 9 to 13 took part in this year’s Senior Maths Challenge, a competition aimed primarily at A-level students.
Our students achieved an impressive 122 Gold certificates, up from 95 last year and a record number for the school. In addition, students were awarded 144 Silver certificates and 119 Bronze certificates. All students receiving a certificate achieved a result in the top 50% nationally, with Gold certificate holders placing in the top 8%.
We also have seven students who have qualified for the British Mathematical Olympiad (BMO), a highly prestigious competition in the mathematical world. Nationally, only around 1,000 students qualify for this competition, making this a particularly significant achievement. A further 117 students have been invited to take part in the Senior Kangaroo maths challenge, a challenge designed to push the top students in the country.
While we are proud of all our students who took part, there are a few individual achievements that deserve particular recognition.
Zhuowen H in Year 9 achieved a score of 107, the second-highest score in the school. He has also been invited to take part in the BMO, making him our first Year 9 student to achieve this in almost a decade.
Ayan S and Shaurya U in Year 11 achieved the joint highest scores in the school, both scoring an impressive 108.
I would also particularly like to recognise our Year 11 students more generally. The challenge took place in the middle of their exam week, yet 37 students still chose to take part. The enthusiasm for the competition was clear, and there was a genuine buzz in the Main Hall afterwards as students eagerly discussed the questions.
It is difficult to imagine many schools where so many students, across such a wide range of year groups, would be so enthusiastic about taking part in a 90-minute maths challenge. This enthusiasm, and the willingness of our students to embrace opportunities to challenge themselves, is something we should be incredibly proud of.
It is one of the reasons I love working in a school and department like this. What a school!
Mr Murray
Teacher of Maths