Junior Maths challenge

The UKMT publishes books on their website that may interest a child who likes maths.

I wonder what parents can do to encourage the love of Maths after children got into Olympia Round?

Well done to your dd

I don't think the schools get the certificates until the final round results are known, so I reckon some don't bother telling the children the results until then (even though they do get the results sooner).

No, I'd forgotten about this too - I wonder if dd has heard anything ? I certainly haven't! (Mind the school has had a not brilliant inspection in the meantime and this might have taken over their mids a bit )

Interesting that the results are out - DD2 did it and hasn't got her results yet. Not expecting much as she didn't even know she was doing it until just before it started - they had to come and get her out of French class and she had no idea what it was she was being asked to do. DD1 did it twice and got bronze both times but at least she was warned in advance that it was happening.

Ohyoubadkitten - did your dd ever find out her results?!

yellowtip Gold is pretty good in my opinion. I think they give gold to the top ~7% of entrants and the challenge is aimed at the top third of the ability range, so you would be in the top 2%ish of the population.

I know your dc are at a v selective school, but at my local comps (which aren't that great to be fair) quite often no-one gets gold and even good schools only get 4 or 5 or less on a typical year. At any normal school to get a gold from the bottom set, or even outside of the top set would be unheard of (most schools wouldn't enter their bottom sets to start with).

Maths challenge success doesn't correlate completely with mathematical ability at other maths exams like GCSEs/A level though since it really only tests fairly limited branch of mathematics, but from what I've heard usually it works the other way - a child is a good mathematician generally but doesn't do well at maths challenges, rather than your ds who is doing very well at the challenges but not so well in exams (I presume) it may mean he is coasting a bit, but if he's not that interested in maths then so long as he gets a good GCSE grade perhaps it doesn't matter? Or maybe he needs an inspirational maths teacher to get him enthused. To get a gold once could be a statistical blip (it is multiple choice after all), but twice, I don't think so.

@gelatinous mostly. How good is gold though really? DS4 got gold in Y7 and has just got it again in Y8 but is in bottom set maths. He's been a bit distrait on the whole but at primary used to like maths. No olympiad but I don't quite know where gold is in the scheme of things.

It's not fair at all that other people are told news that she's not.
ds2 was in class with the teacher last Friday when the email came through, so they were told immediately.

But the teacher wouldn't tell them other students' results. ds2 just knew there was one other through to the JMO and 3 gold certificates.

So since then he's been trying to find out who the others are!

He still hasn't found out whether he's got the highest mark in the school or not.

:-o Oh no! I can't believe your dd still doesn't know how she's done! Berlimey.

Roisin What about the nrich website? They do articles about mathematical thinking etc. I don't know if they'll have something along the lines you're looking for, but perhaps worth a look.

Another proud parent alert!

DS received his results yesterday, I don't know his mark but he achieved gold standard and was 4th highest in the school, he's Year 7. Really pleased for him as I know quite a lot did the paper, he's a quiet boy so a good confidence boost for him.

No mention of a further round though so not sure about that!

Thanks for the link. Have had a good read about it.
Well done to your son roisin!

That sounds promising roisin, I hope they can do something. Writing out full solutions is exactly what they don't usually have to do at school imo.

We both (eek!) had a go at the 2011 paper at the weekend gelatinous, and it was easier than we expected. But I think he needs some advice and guidance on writing "full mathematical solutions"; so I've dropped an email off to his Maths Dept to see if they're planning to offer him a bit of support.

How is the JMO practice going roisin? Ds was lucky enough to have a go in both yr 7 and 8, but the first time he didn't do very well, he didn't get much notice either time as I recall, but knowing what you are in for helps a bit.

99 sounds a very respectable score bonkers well done to him.

Well done bonkers's ds - gold certificate is a great achievement.
This year's thresholds are on the website now, as Ohyoubadbadkitten says, 99 is a gold certificate.
UKMT website

My DS (year 8) got 99. Have no idea what this means! It was the best in his year [proud]