Maths Challenge

North Bromsgrove High School students continue to perform brilliantly in the UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge 

In February 2023, 212 North Bromsgrove High School students from the top Maths groups of Years 9, 10 and 11 participated in the UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge. 

In a similar fashion to the Senior Maths Challenge that our sixth-form pupils completed last November, the aim of this national Maths competition is to encourage mathematical reasoning, the precision of thought, and fluency in using basic mathematical techniques to solve interesting problems. 

The challenge consists of 25 multiple-choice questions that have been designed to make students think and be challenged. Most are accessible, with knowledge based on both KS3 and GCSE subject knowledge, yet it also challenges those with more experience. Students were only given plain/lined paper and no calculators were allowed throughout the 60-minute paper-based challenge. 

As the Maths Challenge is a national Maths competition, North students faced tough competition as they compete against schools across the UK and around the world. Half of the participants receive certificates. Gold certificates are awarded to the top 8% of all participants, silver goes to the next top 17% and bronze goes to the next top 25% and that is not from not only the national participants but also those from overseas. 

The Maths department is delighted to announce that we have 69 winners – with two gold, seventeen silver and fifty bronze certificates! 

Our congratulations go to all participants, with special recognition to Kayden Cooper (top scorer in Year 10), and Alfie Smailes (top scorer in Year 11) who achieved gold, with Jack Hughes being the top scorer in Year 9 achieving a bronze. 

We are also delighted that Kayden Cooper qualified for the follow-up Pink Kangaroo competition, and is amongst the top 9500 students of all entrants to the Maths Challenge. He came very close to being in the top 25% in the Pink Kangaroo, gaining invaluable experience in tackling harder Maths problems in the process. 

The certificates will go well with their CVs and their plans for the next steps ahead, such as applying to sixth form at North where we continue to have a year-on-year increase in the number of students taking A Level Maths with A Level Further Maths running for both our Year 12 and 13 pupils. 

Mr Man, teacher of Maths at North Bromsgrove High School and organiser of the UKMT Maths Challenge for the school said, “This year has seen another remarkable year of results for our students at NBHS. These results reflect the hard work of both students and colleagues from the Maths department who use opportunities not just to lay the ground for achieving basic mathematical fluency skills, but developing their mathematical ideas through their reasoning and dealing with unfamiliar questions through problem-solving. I am looking forward to seeing our Year 11 and 13 students will perform in the next set of GCSE and A Level exams this summer”.  

The full list of winners is listed below in order of Year group: 

Year 9: 

Bronze (13): 

Jack H 

Tom P 

Ewan B 

Katie P 

Kieran B 

Orla F 

Oliver L 

Alex A 

Kacey R 

Daniel W 

Archie E 

Samuel F 

Aimee H 

 

Year 10:  

Gold (1): 

Kayden C – Top scorer in Year 10 and Pink Kangaroo qualifier 

 

Silver (4): 

Dylan O 

Jai B 

Freya-Y 

Oliver  

 

Bronze (15): 

Macy-Beau P 

Carla C 

Emily F 

Samuel H 

Orla A 

Paigen E 

Rowan G 

Holly E 

Ruby H 

Adam B 

Asia El 

Jack H 

Ben H 

Riley S-G 

Dylan L-T 

 

Year 11:  

Gold (1): 

Alfie S 

 

Silver (13): 

Bailey D-G 

Amelie M 

Jordan C 

Olivia K 

Anya M 

Charlie S 

Billy B 

Chin D 

Andrew F 

Harrison G 

Owen J 

Phoebe P 

Erin W 

 

Bronze (22): 

Grace H 

Freddie H 

Jenna J 

Sian E 

Aaron M 

Georgia W 

Raajan J 

Dylan P 

Kavan F 

Charley S 

Eden A 

Libby C 

Eva J 

Molly T 

Elias A 

Logan F 

Lexie G 

Sophia J 

Izzy T 

Madi U 

Antoni W 

Amelie G