Unsung hero in Year 8

Hi, my name is Mikail.  When I was 8 years old, I had stage four Hodgkins lymphoma.  I beat this disease the first time, but unfortunately it relapsed when I was 9 years old. I had lots of help from the hospital staff and special cancer charities.

There were two main charities that helped me and my family.

CANCER RESEARCH UK and YOUNG LIVES VS CANCER.

I decided with my parents to help raise awareness and money for both charities – they use my cancer story and pictures to raise awareness and money every year.

I have helped Cancer Research UK raise £600,000 and Young Lives VS Cancer £325,125. This money goes to funding medicine, treatment, hotel stays, travel costs and clothing for Cancer patients.

I love helping other children because I know how hard it is to live with cancer.  Making children happy is important to me, it is a hard time, and they need a lot of support.

Thank you.

Mikail H

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Intermediate Maths Challenge

Selected Year 9 and 10 students took part in the UKMT Maths Challenge on 29th January 2025. To prepare, students attended a weekly club to sharpen their problem-solving skills. Despite particularly tough questions this year, with lower grade boundaries than in 2024, the students performed exceptionally well.

A special congratulations to our top scorers:

  • Gold: Joshua
  • Silver: Dylan
  • Bronze: Eva

We are incredibly proud of their achievements!

Joshua’s outstanding score qualified him for the follow-on round, an opportunity granted to only a few thousand students nationwide each year. We eagerly await his results.

If your child is interested in future maths challenges, visit the UKMT Competition Papers website for past papers and video solutions. The Junior Maths Challenge is open to Years 7 and 8, while the Intermediate Maths Challenge is for Years 9 and 10. Invitations for the 2026 competition and our prep club will go out in Autumn 2025.

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International Maths Day (Pi Day) – 14th March 2025

Students in Years 7, 8, and 9 took part in fun maths quizzes and puzzles to celebrate International Maths Day.

Year 7 – A History of Maths Quiz

How modern is the maths we use today? Year 7 students put their knowledge to the test in a history-themed quiz. Try it yourself—can you beat the Year 7 winners, 7S1?

  1. When was the Earth’s circumference first calculated?
  2. When did the numbers we use today arrive in Europe?
  3. When was Fermat’s Theorem (written in 1667) finally proven?
  4. When was the first “calculating machine” invented?
  5. When did Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizmi write Al-Jabr, establishing algebra as a branch of mathematics?
  6. What is the earliest known human use of mathematics?
  7. In what year did Katherine Johnson calculate an orbital trajectory for a moon landing?
  8. When did Pythagoras of Samos prove Pythagoras’ Theorem?
  9. When did René Descartes introduce the coordinate system?
  10. When was the first pie chart used to analyze causes of deaths in British army camps during the Crimean War?

Answers are at the end of this article—see how close you get!

Year 8 – The Set Game Challenge

Year 8 students played The Set Game, where they had to find groups of three cards that followed specific rules. The winning form, 8F2, found all six sets in just 9 minutes and 23 seconds! Think you can do better? Watch the video here on how to play and give it a go   here.

Year 9 – KenKen Puzzles

Year 9 students tackled a Japanese maths puzzle known as KenKen, and you can watch how to play here. The competition was tight, with just one point separating 1st and 2nd place. Congratulations to 9T2 on their victory! Rumour has it that Miss Rowlands is still celebrating in the staff room. Want to try KenKen yourself? Check out the link provided here.

Quiz Answers (with Year 7’s closest guesses in brackets)

  1. Earth’s circumference calculated – c. 250 BC (1610 years off)
  2. Numbers arrive in Europe – 1202 (198 years off)
  3. Fermat’s Theorem proven – 1994 (197 years off)
  4. First calculating machine – 1700 (100 years off)
  5. Al-Jabr written – 820 (780 years off)
  6. Earliest evidence of maths – 20,000 BC (17,000 years off)
  7. Katherine Johnson’s moon calculations – 1961 (89 years off)
  8. Pythagoras’ Theorem – c. 550 BC (1950 years off)
  9. Descartes’ coordinate system – 1637 (63 years off)
  10. First pie chart – 1854 (1 year off)

Great effort from all students—looking forward to next year’s challenges!