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Original poster

Junior maths challenge 2019

16 replies

FloatingthroughSpace · 21/05/2019 15:41

Hi all
My DS has been told he has a "gold" in Junior maths challenge, I think he got 72 as his mark. He seems to have sat it in the hall a few weeks ago, we knew nothing about it. He's in year 7 and good at maths....what on Earth does this mean? Will he get a certificate or anything?

OP posts:
sm40 · 21/05/2019 15:49

Congratulations! He's very good at maths!!The test is more on application and problems rather than what they learn on the syllabus.

PenguinsRabbits · 21/05/2019 16:47

Yes he will get a certificate - Gold is awarded to top 6.66% of results and is given for results between 71 and the maximum of 135.

Mum8008 · 25/05/2019 16:43

DS was asking if anyone knows how many kids actually got 100 per cent on the JMC this year.

AtiaoftheJulii · 25/05/2019 18:04

I just googled ....
www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/george-12-one-24-uk-13100356 says that in 2017 it was 24
www.ardingly.com/ethan-cowdrey-achieves-full-marks-in-the-ukmt-junior-maths-challenge/ and 44 in 2018.

So somewhere in that area. I'm surprised actually, I was thinking it would be more like 100-200. Ds got full marks in either y7 or y8, can't remember.

PenguinsRabbits · 25/05/2019 19:04

My DD was asking how many children got what scores and it would be interesting to know. DD got 111 and is in Olympiad so we know top 1200 but she wants to know to the place.

Looking online some schools have about 10 into Olympiad (predominately private) and would be interesting to know private / grammar / comp split. Though DD was at a grammar last year and they had zero in and no lessons for it so same as a comp. I don't like schools can pay £20 to get kids who didn't qualify entered and would be interesting to know how many came that way. Found one private by us where they do weekly Olympiad lessons so not surprising they outperform though kids must also be really good too.

PenguinsRabbits · 25/05/2019 19:17

DD did 11 plus and someone did a FOI request on scores to get them anonymised and it was interesting about 10% of people got the same mark and the higher results its was very low. Think someone said it was like a bell curve. So of those who passed far more were within first few percent above than far above.

Original poster
FloatingthroughSpace · 25/05/2019 22:43

My DS is at a (not super selective) grammar, (grammar area) but no prep at all and we didn't even know he'd taken it. They don't set for year 7 so not ever been accelerated, though obviously a fairly bright cohort.

I think if he had ever been pushed at all he'd be able to do even better.

OP posts:
Paddy1234 · 25/05/2019 22:46

A gold is brilliant - well done him
I teach maths and promote the maths challenge as the best way of getting the Level 9 and moving onto A level.
My son should get a level 9 next year and the highest he ever got was a silver.

PenguinsRabbits · 25/05/2019 22:57

I think the preparing can make quite a difference. DDs grammar and comp both did no prep, told her she was entered into Intermediate two days before exam which has material going up to year 11.

In year 7 we did no prep for it but this year she really wanted to beat a boy and get into Olympiad so found past papers (thankfully with answers) and she did those and score went up 25 points in one year to 111, think half of increase was due to practice. Boy she was competing against went up 12 by comparison.

The Olympiad is hard to prepare for if you aren't a maths teacher, will try to help her but not sure I would know a good answer from a bad one.

AtiaoftheJulii · 25/05/2019 23:50

For the junior Olympiad they have sample pupil solutions on the webpage, which are useful to look at do the children can get an idea of how to explain things.

GrouchingTiggerHiddenSomething · 26/05/2019 13:09

A boy at my DS school got full marks, DS got 120 so they are both through to the JMO. They are both in year 8 but were allowed to do the IMC last term, DS got into the grey kangaroo and got a merit, the other boy got through to the Olympiad. Last year (Year 7) they both got into the JMO - and got medals DS got a bronze and the other boy a silver. Past papers (and answers) are available online and helpful to look in advance just to know the format of the paper if nothing else.

BTW it's a comp and they teach everything (including maths) in mixed ability sets at this stage.

PenguinsRabbits · 26/05/2019 13:19

Thanks very much - will look again for papers.

Well done to your DS Grouching My DD got Gold Kangaroo with Merit in Intermediate too in year 8 but only got result on Friday when maths teacher finally opened e-mail. Their comp had three year 8s at Gold Kangaroo IMC but no Olympiad, though Intermediate Olympiad in year 8 is pretty amazing.

PenguinsRabbits · 26/05/2019 13:23

Think she got 118/135 on IMC Kangaroo though currently saying she isn't practising for JMC Olympiad as she says she won't get any awards. She had said she's going to do a GCSE Maths paper though as she's bored. Wink

GHGN · 26/05/2019 21:15

PenguinsRabbits I don’t think many would enter discretionary candidates since the Olympiad is much more difficult than the Maths Challenge.

They require different skill set so some can be very good at the challenge and do badly in the Olympiad. Very few are the other way round.

PenguinsRabbits · 26/05/2019 21:51

Yes when I saw Olympiad papers thought would suit DD much more than DS as they give a lot of marks for methodology. DS is Aspergers and can answer maths questions with correct answer at amazing speed but does it all in his head and very hard to get him to do methodology. DD is half the speed but very thorough on methodology.

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