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Secondary education

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

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Original poster

Junior Maths Olympiad on Tuesday

39 replies

roisin · 09/06/2012 13:53

Are anyone else's dc doing this this year?
ds2 has done a few practice papers and is really looking forward to it!

OP posts:

gelatinous · 09/06/2012 14:29

Hope it goes well roisin! They always used to say even getting just one question out was something to be proud of.

Ohyoubadbadkitten · 09/06/2012 21:19

I hope he really enjoys it :) good luck to him!!!

TheCheeseAlarm · 10/06/2012 08:26

DS1 is. He's also looking forward to it but with trepidation he struggles to write legibly at the best of times and writing on plain paper is a challenge too far!

Colleger · 10/06/2012 10:46

Mine is but I don't think they do any prep for it, just fling them in unprepared!

PooshTun · 10/06/2012 13:51

Colleger - the kid being put forward by DS's school got 100% in the qualifying round at our school (the kid's mum has a rep for eating up Tiger Moms :) )

I don't doubt that most of the academic schools and/or DCs with pushy parents will be prepping their kids so if you are just slinging yours in with no prep at all then I wouldn't spend money on the good seats at the final.

Or is this a cunning plan to get the opposition to take it easy :)

gelatinous · 10/06/2012 14:14

errm Poosh,

There's no money involved, the final is free! Also, there's not much to be gained from doing well other than personal satisfaction (maybe a slightly increased chance of attending the summer schools/ getting on international olympiad squad later on as they do look back at how you did over the years, but are very much more interested in how you have done in year 10 onwards) - lots of children just do it and see how it goes.

It's a reward rather than a punishment, so for a dc who isn't going to relish lots of extra work in preparation going with the flow is fine.

gelatinous · 10/06/2012 14:15

Someone in ds's school got 100% a few years ago too - their mum isn't tigerish at all. The child is just staggeringly good at maths.

Yellowtip · 10/06/2012 14:17

Do you have to pay? DS said he wouldn't go to the Olympiad in the Far East (not Maths) because he'd already planned a post A Level holiday to France with friends, but we were both under the impression the trip was entirely funded.

Colleger · 10/06/2012 14:22

I didn't even know parents could go. My son has been in the JMO and IMO for four years and I still know nothing about it. That's boarding school for you!

gelatinous · 10/06/2012 14:24

I think yellow that all the international olympiads are fully funded. But this is just the national junior olympiad (it's also free) and for that age group there is no international round to follow.

Well done to your ds by the way.

gelatinous · 10/06/2012 14:28

That's an amazing achievement colleger - your ds will know the format well already. I would imagine his school have him on the mentoring scheme. There isn't anything for parents to go to, do or see as far as I am aware either.

Colleger · 10/06/2012 15:11

They don't have him on the mentoring scheme. They just stick him in every year but he gets the same marks each time because he's not really been taught any new maths since he started. That's how the plateau theory comes about because everyone learns while others twiddle there thumbs and wait for the others to catch up...

gelatinous · 10/06/2012 15:48

At that sort of level colleger most children will never catch him, but I guess some will. Ds didn't do any maths challenges in the wrong year until year 11, and his olympiad results never improved much either (though the first one was the lowest and the last was the best, but not that much between them). He just sat them each year and didn't take up the offer of mentoring (from UKMT not school and that was in year 10), so I suppose they might have done after that if he had, but who knows?

If your ds really wants to try for the IMO (international olympiad, not intermediate) squad then write to UKMT and ask if he can go on their mentoring scheme, otherwise just let him go with the flow - he is evidently hugely talented at maths and will be able to choose a mathematical career if he wants to whichever he chooses.

PooshTun · 10/06/2012 16:29

The comment about not paying for the good seats was a joke. It was obviously not a good one.

I was just making a point that the competition will be very fierce.

Original poster

roisin · 11/06/2012 21:08

I hope they all enjoy it!
For my boys these UKMT challenges - team and individual - have been great for challenging them and broadening their horizons, and realising that there are many children who are better at Maths than them.

OP posts:

gelatinous · 12/06/2012 00:38

absolutely roisin. Same for my ds too.

Original poster

roisin · 15/06/2012 20:13

anyone want to have a go at home?

OP posts:

Colleger · 15/06/2012 20:34

When are the results out? This is my son's last year at his school and I've always had to ask for results. I'll forget all about it if I don't know the date.

Original poster

roisin · 15/06/2012 20:48

No idea, they just say "soon" and "before the end of term". But if you keep an eye on the website they'll probably announce it when there's news.

Alternatively I'll probably drop in here when ds2 gets his results, so I'll let you know when to go in and ask.

Having checked through the solutions, ds2 doesn't anticipate getting any kind of medal, but he still enjoyed the experience and the opportunity.

OP posts:

Colleger · 15/06/2012 20:52

Are there solutions too? I read a few questions and glazed over! ;)

HandMini · 15/06/2012 20:59

Jeez, I genuinely couldn't do that. It says no calculators on the front! Best of luck to all the DCs sitting this.

Original poster

roisin · 16/06/2012 09:19

Yes, there are solutions on the website too.
I can do the questions, but I have to give it my full focus and attention. They're not questions you can idly mull over whilst drinking your beer and watching the football, are they?!

solutions here

OP posts:

mw317 · 04/07/2012 11:41

Has anyone known the IMO results?

Original poster

roisin · 19/07/2012 15:52

Just got the results today - school had them last week but were holding on to them until the final awards assembly.

ds2 got a silver medal in the Junior Olympiad, so I am very proud. Especially as he's just at a non-selective, state school.

OP posts:

TheCheeseAlarm · 19/07/2012 16:33

DS1's school also announced it in assembly today - he got a gold! We are all in delighted shock.

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