Grey Kangaroo?

[Littleham]

Please could someone explain to me what the grey kangaroo maths quiz is all about? Thanks.

It's the second round of the intermediate maths challenge, just below Olympiad level - so a very good achievement. No idea why it's call Kangaroo!

It's called Kangaroo because it started in Australia.

If you are in the top 6000 in your year in the country in the maths challenge you are invited to the next round which will be on 19th March. The Kangaroo papers are sat internationally and are similar to the challenge papers but harder. There are past papers on the ukmt website.

Thanks - have just said well done to ds. I'll have a look at the website. Do they have to travel somewhere to take the next paper or is it still done at their school?

No, they sit it at their school.

Thanks.

I get a bit confused, because my DS1 (now at Uni) and I were talking about this the other day.He said that when he was in his grammar school sixth form (2 years ago) nobody got through to the next round at all.Does this mean the school is very weak at maths? I know at least one from his year went on to get a Cambridge Maths Offer, and others did maths at Warwick, Imperial and Durham.

I think it is something like 200,000 who enter the Intermediate maths challenge and I think, but I'm not sure, that the 6000 is across the 2 kangaroos. So JudgeRinder - no not at all. And congratulations to your ds Littleham. If hes not done a follow on round before its worth him having a bit of a go at a past paper so he can get a feel for it.

No, it's reasonably common for nobody to get through - and the ones who do aren't always the ones who get the offers to read maths at good places, either. The skills are highly relevant to using maths after school, though, and worth developing - however much it might look like a game!

In Maths Challenge you get a deduction for wrong answers, whereas in an exam you wouldn't.In fact you would probably get credit for the work you had done, so there is a definite element of 'gamesmanship' to MC

Have downloaded the four past papers and he is thoroughly enjoying them. Thanks for that advice. I can see he would like the 'gamesmanship' element.

:) I'm glad he is enjoying them.

Good luck to him Littleham!
ds2 has qualified for the Olympiad round again; he was disappointed not to get a medal last year (silver in yr8), so he's pretty motivated!

Well done to your ds2 roisin. I believe my ds is taking it on Friday.

Thursday! The next round is tomorrow!

Yes, sorry. Got confused. He is doing two maths things. The individual one tomorrow and a team thingymajig on Friday where he has to travel to another school.

DS did the team challenge today and they loved it! Came 3rd, won prizes and travelled by taxi ... Such fun! Hope he enjoys it

DS got a merit.

Well done to him, that is fab :)