A Fantastic Maths Week Full of Challenge and Creativity

In November, we celebrated our second Maths Week, with students taking part in a range of exciting activities.

Year 7 – Ever wondered what it was like to be a WWII codebreaker? Students tried their hand at encryption and explored the influence of Alan Turing.

Year 8 – Students tackled a Maths escape room, solving challenging puzzles to reach the final level, where they had to beat the teacher in a single game.

Year 9 – Year 9 students took part in a whole-cohort Trading Game in collaboration with the Geography department. The game explored how trade influences economic development through constructing and selling geometric shapes. They learned about trade relationships, economic inequality and global dynamics – all while having fun.

Year 10 – Students investigated the mathematical models used to predict flooding in the UK. They interpreted satellite imagery provided by the UK Space Agency, produced scatter graphs and made inferences based on their charts.

Year 12 – All Year 12 students were offered the opportunity to enter our first Mathematical Essay Prize, dedicated to Katherine Johnson, a NASA mathematician and one of the “Hidden Figures” who helped put humanity on the moon. We are currently in the process of marking all the entries and look forward to announcing the winner soon.

Year 6 – Local primary schools sent teams of four of their keenest mathematicians to compete in our first Primary Team Maths Challenge. Pupils took part in mathematical puzzles and games to compete for the Primary Team Shield.

On 28 January, 40 students from Years 9 and 10 took part in the prestigious Intermediate Maths Challenge. As always, our students rose to the occasion, demonstrating impressive problem‑solving skills and mathematical resilience. We are delighted to celebrate their success: 2 students achieved Gold, 9 earned Silver and 13 secured Bronze awards. These results reflect not only their hard work but also their enthusiasm for mathematical thinking. We are incredibly proud of all participants for representing the school so brilliantly and for embracing the challenge with such determination. Well done to everyone involved!