Amazing Results in the Senior Maths Challenge

In October 35 Bishop Luffa students took part in the 2024 edition of the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge. An annual tradition here in the Mathematics department, we offer the chance A’Level students to take part in the Challenge; it is a 90-minute feast of high-level problem solving and application of the skills the students learn during their A-level studies. Each year candidates begin with a stock of 25 points, and there are 25 questions carrying identical marking tariffs: 4 points for a correct answer, 0 points for a blank, and the dreaded -1 point for a wrong answer, meaning that students can score as much as 25 + (25 x 4) = 125 points.

The Senior Maths Challenge attracts hundreds of thousands of students, and this year the turnout was 650,000 students from across the whole of the UK, so our 35 candidates were part of a huge sea of other bright, hungry mathematicians, all champing at the bit to demonstrate their brilliant mathematics skills by doing battle with the Challenge.

Incredibly, from our 35 candidates, we came away with 25 medals: 10 bronze, 10 silver, and 5 gold. Our medallists for 2024 are:

Bronze: Theo Allport, Aaron Dunne, Isabelle Frere-Smith, Logan Morris, Anna Stangroom, Yehor Vysotskyi, Veronika Zavarzina, Nikita Barabash, Ayotola Beckley, Samuel McCallum

Silver: Hannah Carr, Zuki Hall, Ethan Hill, Harrison Blackmore-Squires, Joshua Cusack, Charlotte Hatton, Lily Hine, Holly Mitchell, Matthew Ritchie, Zoe Smyth

Gold: James Quail, Ella Stearne, Alex Wilburn, James Morrow, Grace Zheng

On top of this, all five of our gold medallists posted strong enough scores to be invited to the next phase of the competition – the Andrew Jobbings ‘Kangaroo’ – in November this year. Finally, and most incredibly of all, James Quail scored a remarkable 120 points from a possible 125, and has qualified for the first round of the British Mathematical Olympiad. The Olympiad is the highest-level mathematics competition in the UK, success at which leads to invitation to international-level events.

A wonderfully successful year at the Senior Maths Challenge!

Mr D Clarke, Head of KS5 Maths and Mr M Healy, Acting Head of Maths