Junior Mathematicians achieve high score

A team of four boys from Years 8 and 9 came second in the regional final of a national Mathematics competition, competing against other leading schools.

Nico Puthu, Ben Suen, Edward Hu and Drew Sellis joined 34 teams from schools including Merchant Taylors’ School, Watford Grammar School for Girls and eventual winners St Albans School at The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School for the regional final of the UK Mathematics Trust Team Maths Challenge. The QE boys scored 219 out of a possible 236.

The regional round was an all-day event which incorporated a number of rounds, each representing a different challenge. For the group round, teams had to solve ten questions of varying type and difficulty within a set time. Each team had to decide its own strategy; whether to work in pairs, individually or as a whole team.

Team captain Nico said they enjoyed the whole experience. “It was a really fun day. We especially enjoyed the relay round, where we split into pairs and had to take turns to solve the problems.” This round involved a great deal of movement as the participants raced against the clock to complete the challenge.

The annual competition is open to pupils in Key Stage 3, with a maximum contingent of two from Year 9. It attracts hundreds of entries from across the UK, with the regional winners and a few high-achieving runners-up invited to take part in the national final held in the Royal Horticultural Halls in London.

With the regional rounds due to be completed by the end of April, the QE team is now waiting to see if they will be amongst the invited finalists.