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Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

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Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Secondary education

Anyone else's DC doing Intermediate Maths Challenge today?

48 replies

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 03/02/2011 10:15

DD found out yesterday that she is doing this today! No info about it, she's just assuming it is similar to the Junior challenge which she did last year. She's in top set for Maths (Yr 9) and half of them were told they were doing it and the other half not.

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Decentdragon · 03/02/2011 11:06

It's nothing to worry about, it's meant to be a bit of fun for mathmatically able children to stretch their thinking, not a test of what they've learnt in school.

As far as I know the majority of pupils taking it are yr 10/11 and only able yr9, 8's would normally be entered.

It's multiple choice and you lose marks for guessing answers, something children drilled in 'you have a one in five chance of being right if you guess' might struggle with.

I've a copy of this mornings paper if it's any help. :-)

FloreatEtonia · 03/02/2011 11:31

DS took it in Yr 3 and got to the final, but only managed a score of 45% in the final.

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 03/02/2011 11:40

Thanks DD - it sounds like the Junior Maths Challenge then, so at least she'll be familiar with the format. I hope being chosen will give her confidence in her ability at maths - she is very able, but doesn't always see it.
Floreat - your DS took it in Year Three! That's pretty impressive!

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PixieOnaLeaf · 03/02/2011 11:51

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circular · 03/02/2011 12:58

Yes DD in year 9 also doing it. Only told a couple of days ago. Only a handful from top sets doing it.
Previously done junior, but didn't do well. That explains it if there was a penalty marking system in that too.

busymummy3 · 03/02/2011 13:04

DD in Y9 doing it and today is her birthday ahhh!!!!
Decentdragon how do you get a copy of the paper?

bruffin · 03/02/2011 13:48

one of mine is doing it I think, but can't remember which, they are yr 8 or 10
My DS did it in yr 8 but narrowly failed a bronze, He is a cautious type and apparently you lose points for getting the answer wrong so he rather not answer the question than try it and get it wrong IYSWIM

RatherBeOnThePiste · 03/02/2011 13:51

Yes DD (Y9)will have done it this am, did really well in the Junior last year, but was a bit about intermediate, although, really it's for fun, certainly enjoyable for those who like a maths challenge!

bruffin · 03/02/2011 13:55

Sounds like it is DS then and it was the junior one he did last time.

inkyfingers · 03/02/2011 15:06

Bruffin - just like my son! Sometimes I want him to 'splash out' or go for it (like you do in maths ).

I forgot he was doing this today, until I saw the thread. Hope he's 'enjoying' it.

He got silver in year 8

bruffin · 03/02/2011 16:05

It was DS he apparently answered all the first 15 and 3 or 4 others

thetasigmamum · 03/02/2011 16:46

DD got a silver last year (Y7). She wasn't in the best of moods this morning, I hope she perked up before doing the challenge! (Although to be honest it doesn't actually matter and has no bearing even on their grades at the end of term).

FloreatEtonia · 03/02/2011 17:03

He's not stretched as we had to move schools in Yr4 and they have done nothing with him. :(

Milliways · 03/02/2011 18:27

DS did this today (Yr11)

He said he felt for the younger kids taking it as it was hard.

He previously had a silver (Junior) & Bronze (Intermediate)

Docbunches · 03/02/2011 19:27

My Y9 DD did this today and she said some of it was impossibly hard, but I'm pleased that she was asked, and was willing, to have a go!

RatherBeOnThePiste · 03/02/2011 21:03

DD said it wasn't too bad....
Time will tell though!

She likes doing the exam conditions bit ( geeky) and said there were year 9, 10 & 11 doing it.

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 03/02/2011 21:52

DD said it was hard. She got bronze both times in the Junior Challenge, but I don't think she's expecting to this year.

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Decentdragon · 03/02/2011 22:11

Busymummy3 Happy Birthday to your daughter. Son asked if he could take a copy.

FloreatEtonia · 03/02/2011 22:52

Why would he feel sorry for the younger ones? they may be brighter than him!
,

snorkie · 03/02/2011 23:55

dd did it - she's year 10 and hasn't done one (her choice) since year 7 when she narrowly missed gold. I don't think how well they do correlates to age that well - some children just seem to have an aptitude for that kind of maths and others don't. Many Oxbridge mathematicians don't fair all that well on these tests, so it really is quite a specialist thing and you can be a very good mathematician and still not have a head for it.

The follow on rounds (olympiads) are really hard btw, so 45% is a really, really good score at any age let alone yr 3 - did he win a medal floreatetonia?

RatherBeOnThePiste · 04/02/2011 07:32

DD also brought the paper home. I don't know that I could do any of them any more !

Milliways · 04/02/2011 16:22

FloreatEtonia - They probably are! (No choice at his school, everyone has to sit these papers).

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5Foot5 · 05/02/2011 16:08

DD did this too. They had a practise last week and she told us one of the questions which she thought was really hard but DH and I thought it sounded fun and both set about trying to solve it. She thinks we are weird.

Docbunches · 02/03/2011 15:35

My Y9 DD found out today at school she got a Bronze award and was only 3 marks off the Silver. She thought she'd done badly, so we're all really pleased but slightly surprised at her result .

roisin · 02/03/2011 19:07

Has anyone else's dc take part in the UKMT Team Challenge recently? ds1 did this today. (Team of 4 - 2 yr8 and 2 yr9 - regional finals).

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