Extended Learning

Year 7 Visits from the Happy Puzzle Company

Year 8 Visits from Mr Numbervator and The Enigma Project

Year 9 Interactive talks from Professor Colin Wright - Juggler and Rob Eastaway – writer, broadcaster and current President of the Mathematical Association

Key stage 4/5 Visits to lectures eg ‘Maths, Magic & the Electric Guitar’ by David Acheson at Cambridge University School of Mathematical Sciences and ‘Maths in Action, various speakers at the Institute of Education in London.

We take part in the annual UKMT Maths Challenges at Junior (yr 7&8), Intermediate (yr 9&10) and Senior (yr 12&13) levels, with considerable success. Some students do well enough to progress to the European Kangaroo competition, a preliminary round for the International Mathematical Olympiad.

We also take teams to the UKMT Team Challenges. The Junior Challenge is for a team from years 8 & 9 with our regional heat being in Cambridge, whilst the Senior Challenge (in its first year this year) is for years 12 & 13 with our nearest local heat being at Stowmarket. We have acquitted ourselves well in the past and hope to continue to do so.

For KS3 pupils there is a Puzzle Club, held in N2 every Friday lunchtime.

There are wooden puzzles, strategy games, mazes and IQ type questions, as well as the usual written number puzzles. We also use online puzzles such as can be found on the NRich website.

Pupils also enjoy a range of Numeracy activities during registration.

Year 7 practice their multiplication tables in various ways, chanting, whispering, saying them backwards, alternate boy/girl etc.

Year 8 have a weekly number puzzle to think through.

Year 9 have a weekly 5 minute mental test in preparation for the KS3 NCTs in May, learning to listen to the taped questions and respond at speed, as well as trying to get the answer right!

Just so they don’t feel left out there is also a weekly Staff Maths Teaser which attracts House points for those getting the answer right. This has an associated league table, with the top spot being fiercely fought over by staff from various non-mathematical disciplines!