Maths Challenge

A day for budding young mathematicians to take part in a maths competition with other local schools.

Aims

The aim was to give primary school students the opportunity to extend their mathematical abilities in a  competitive environment. 
 
The day was designed to develop problem-solving and team work skills, and to deepen an interest and passion for Maths. 
 
For the event to be a success, we needed pupils to attend from a range of schools across the Nottingham area.  
 
Pupils and staff from 11 schools benefited from the competition.  

Background

Nottingham High School hosts an annual programme of STEM outreach events, run by our Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Maths departments. Part of the schools’ ethos is to share its facilities and STEM opportunities with other schools in the local community. The school’s Maths Challenge event has been running annually since 2018 (aside from 2 years exempted by COVID-19).  

Resources

For this project to succeed, we needed free access to the school’s Large Lecture Theatre, as well as 3 members of teaching staff from the Maths department to support the children on the day.  
 
Our Maths department prepared practice resources to send to schools in advance, to give an idea of what to expect.  
 
The schools’ Head of Admissions and Partnership oversaw the invitation and booking process for the event.  
 
The catering staff provided refreshments and lunch free of charge for visiting children and school staff.  
 
The event itself ran for 3 hours, with approximately 3 days of preparation time.  

Impact

"The children from Tollerton had the most wonderful time, they enjoyed the level of challenge and it was great to see them so enthused and motivated by maths. It was really lovely to see the school, meet some staff and pupils and work alongside peers from all around Nottinghamshire." (Headteacher, Tollerton Primary School)

"The children really enjoyed visiting Nottingham High School today, they loved the opportunity to collaborate on fast paced maths activities and to mix with other pupils that share a passion for maths." (Headteacher, English Martyrs Catholic Voluntary Academy)
 
After each event, visiting teachers complete a survey to summarise what their pupils learned and enjoyed about the event, along with any suggestions for improvement.   

Pupil Involvement

44 girls and boys aged 9-10 from 11 local state primary schools, and 11 members of staff. 

Frequency

The Maths Challenge event runs annually.