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Original poster

National Maths Challenge - compulsory?

51 replies

toopissedtotalk · 04/02/2015 23:57

Is it compulsory for schools to participate. I'm cross that my Y11 DS is being made to participate in this tomorrow morning instead of having regular classes. Mocks start on Monday yet the maths class is losing 3 lessons tomorrow morning because they have been told by the Head of Maths that they have to participate in the challenge. I feel that I should object to the school but it will fall on deaf ears.

OP posts:
OhYouBadBadKitten · 05/02/2015 21:56

Ohh do you mean A^?

TalkinPeace · 05/02/2015 22:02

yeah - sorry, it got known as the hat cos "pointy arrow up" sounds silly

OhYouBadBadKitten · 05/02/2015 22:03

:)

noblegiraffe · 05/02/2015 23:13

Talkin where did you get your figures for the top 175 students getting an A? I've googled but can't find any entry figures or grade breakdowns. My lot just sat a FM mock and a couple got A so it would be nice if I could tell them that!

AtiaoftheJulii · 06/02/2015 05:46

Talkin but if she hadn't done the "competition", she wouldn't have been invited to the summer school .... So if she enjoyed the summer school, then that was the point, surely. (If she didn't enjoy the summer school, then I'm sorry she took the place of someone who would have.)

These maths challenges shouldn't be a big deal to people who aren't interested - kids definitely shouldn't be feeling crappy about them, that's sad Sad - but it is only an hour. Ds did 3/4 day on a history thing last week, instead of 3 other lessons - he's not going to be a historian, but it all broadens their horizons.

darlingfascistbullyboy · 06/02/2015 08:54

I don't mind time off timetable - they had a Holocaust day last week - it's the competition aspect that I think that shouldn't be compulsory. They all have to do PE but they don't force the reasonably good ones to enter county competitions, they give the really really good ones the option to. At dd's school the top set (in each half of the year) do it, so about 50 kids - very few of those would chose to do it because maths is not fun for them & they aren't going to do well. I don't think it benefits them to be sitting in front of a paper where they will not even attempt half the questions.

I think dd has had too much maths (they have 4 hours a week at school & she's doing a couple at home too - it is an endurance exercise) & this was the final straw. She's got a kind of important test today & would rather have had a revision lesson yesterday. They are making their option choices, had just had mentoring & parents' evening & were all very stressy. Having this on top of all that was Too Much. I expect by the time that the results have come out it will have been reduced to banter to see who could do the absolute worst of all and it will be forgotten about until next year!

I hope the mathsy dc enjoyed it Smile (

TooHasty · 06/02/2015 09:05

My DS got A^ but has never really done well in Maths Challenge , just scraping a gold in the senior.There is a an element of gamesmanship because you get deductions for wrong answers (rather than zero). I think he was too cautious!

experiencedoptimist · 06/02/2015 09:09

Some kids will always moan about something that's a bit of effort (e.g. cross country). It's the parents joining in I am hmm about.

O wind your neck in noble.

If a y11 wants to do this then fine, that's great. However it should not be compulsory for 15 year olds and 16 year olds (who may soon be able to vote) to do a maths competition that they don't want to do.

Tigerblue · 06/02/2015 09:50

I have to admit I don't know if it's compulsory to attend.

However, my DD is in Year 9 and did her third maths challenge yesterday. She's in the top set but not a genius. I know it's not as important as GCSE results, but personally I don't mind her being entered, she's already achieved a bronze and silver and if she gets the chance of more awards it could boost her confidence and it's also something else to say she's achieved at school.

After the papers were taken away, she said that they talked through most of the answers, which I think is good as they know where they've gone wrong straight away and can learn from it. If your DS's shool does this, it could be brilliant for pointers on where the concentrate on his maths.

She's given me the impression, it's something quite a lot like the thought of doing and they support eachother. They know which two in their class are most likely to get a gold and her and others are looking forward to seeing if they achieve it. My DD is also hoping that some who are very bright and for whatever reason haven't got an award yet, will this time.

The school and teachers of other subjects will know this and other things crop up over the year and they have to release pupils, so they shouldn't have an issue with it - it might be their subject they want children to attend next time.

experiencedoptimist · 06/02/2015 10:14

The OP's son is in y11.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 06/02/2015 11:42

You know, if it is explained to people that it is supposed to be difficult, that only 500 in each year group in the UK get through to the appropriate olympiad then maybe people would find it less dispiriting. It's really good to have a go at something outside of your comfort zone. It really doesn't matter if you don't do well in it and nobody need ever know your score. It's not like sports day where your actions get observed by everyone.

TalkinPeace · 06/02/2015 13:51

And the real point is that its a competition run by a charity
it has nothing to do with government or the dfe or anything

TalkinPeace · 06/02/2015 14:01

noble
THe link is here
www.jcq.org.uk/examination-results/gcses
Page 7 - 3495 candidates so 5% .....

Georgethesecond · 06/02/2015 15:55

My two both did it yesterday (years 9 and 11). It's good to do something challenging and different. I don't get all the moaning on here either.

roguedad · 06/02/2015 18:09

You should be pleased that the school is entering kids for these challenges. It tests problem-solving skills and has absolutely nothing to do with being an actuary. If your kid does well in the IMC or senior version later that is an incredibly good thing to put on a UCAS form later, for quite a few subjects, not just maths, and is one route to discovering maths talent not found by the normal curriculum. Sounds to me like a seriously massive failure of priorities here.

bruffin · 06/02/2015 18:20

I am sure having a senior gold went toward ds having good offers for engineering

TalkinPeace · 06/02/2015 18:27

has absolutely nothing to do with being an actuary.
www.ukmt.org.uk/about-us/
Look at the bottom of the page.
That is where the money comes from.

bruffin · 06/02/2015 18:49

They are only one of the sponsors, but its not about fifinding future acturies, its about providing enrichment for those that are good at maths.

Caronaim · 06/02/2015 20:32

I agree with noblegiraffe, OPs son sounds too lazy to want to put a bit of thought and effort into his maths, the challenge will be of more benefit to him than a maths lesson. The Op should be encouraging him to try, not encouraging him to be lazy.

experiencedoptimist · 06/02/2015 20:58

How can you say the OP's son is lazy? On the basis of this thread? Because he doesn't want to participate in a compulsory competition? You know anything about him Caronaim.

Bloody outrageous!

Caronaim · 06/02/2015 21:02

maybe he isn't generally lazy, but he is certainly being lazy about this. can't be bothered to do something different and challenging, would rather just do normal, easy lessons.

It always takes effort to do something out of your routine. It should be encouraged. it does students no favours to allow them to just duck out of everything.

TalkinPeace · 06/02/2015 23:00

would you say the same about a languages competition
or a woodworking one?

Caronaim · 06/02/2015 23:07

yes

OhYouBadBadKitten · 07/02/2015 07:38

me too! I think any opportunity to try something off the curriculum is great.

JustRichmal · 07/02/2015 08:51

I love the idea of the IMC training people to become actuaries. "A person is holding a pentagon and a hexagon in such a way that they overlap. Calculate their life expectancy".

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