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Secondary education

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Original poster

Junior Maths Kangaroo?

28 replies

RueDeWakening · 10/06/2019 21:58

DD told me (about an hour ago!) that she's taking part in a maths kangaroo test tomorrow at school.

As ever, she was frustratingly vague. Does anyone know what it is/what it means? I think it's linked to the UK junior maths challenge she did at school a few weeks ago.

OP posts:
tooearlytobeup · 10/06/2019 22:00

My dd is doing it too.. highest scoring entrants to the maths challenge are invited to take this or the Olympiad. Means she has scored highly.

Original poster
RueDeWakening · 10/06/2019 22:05

Thanks - I wish she'd actually tell us this stuff sometimes :o still, I'm pleased she's done well!

OP posts:
GrouchingTiggerHiddenSomething · 10/06/2019 22:09

Well done to your DD. The top 1200 from the Junior Maths Challenge are invited to do the Junior Maths Olympiad and then the next 8000 or so (I think) do the Junior Maths Kangaroo.

The Kangaroo is a 1 hour multichoice paper and the top 25% are awarded a certificate of merit but she has done very well to qualify. According to their facebook 272,000 year 7 and 8 pupils did the JMC this year so she achieved in the top 3.5%

tooearlytobeup · 10/06/2019 22:13

Grouching has explained far better than me 😂 Good luck to your DD.

Winchester2019 · 10/06/2019 23:56

I wonder if any knowledge mums know if it's possible to sit the follow on rounds on another
day? I thought that my ds was sitting it tomorrow but his year group are going on a trip and now he thinks that he is sitting later this week .

GreenTulips · 10/06/2019 23:57

Look up UKMT all the info is on there

Winchester2019 · 10/06/2019 23:59

Thank you , I did look but it doesn't mention if the follow on rounds can be sat on a different day.

GHGN · 11/06/2019 07:15

No, it must be taken on the day of the paper. It can be taken at any time during that day though.

Winchester2019 · 11/06/2019 08:01

Thank you.

awomanwhogetsthingsdone · 11/06/2019 17:44

Hi, just to add that actually the UKMT will mark any papers sat with the week, but that the marks won't be 'official', as theoretically DCs could have found out what was on the paper in advance of sitting it.

Lots of info here and FAQs here.

Hope everyone's DCs did well and more importantly enjoyed the experience.

Lightsabre · 12/06/2019 11:16

Ds had to guess a couple but at least there weren't any marks deducted for wrong answers. He was only one question off from qualifying for the Olympiad so a very proud mum here.

PenguinsRabbits · 12/06/2019 11:28

DD sat the Olympiad yesterday and DS was supposed to sit Kangaroo. But DSs science teacher kept him and 19 others back 20 mins so he couldn't do it. He's ASD and had been looking forward to this for months so had lots of tears, especially as was kept back for something that in his SN plan they are not supposed to keep him back for. Then school sent him home when he could have sat it later. So effectively he's disqualified. They only told him on the morning if exam he had got through too though at least I guessed that in advance. DDs went well though and she said could do all Olympiad paper.

Lightsabre · 12/06/2019 11:48

PrnguinsRabbits that's terrible and I hope you kicked up a stink! Glad your dd was able to do the Olympiad questions - it sounds like she has a positive attitude! My ds is not very confident and is surrounded by very able mathematicians (10 into the Olmypiad) many of whom are tutored or have teacher/numerate parents so I'm so pleased he got this far.

PenguinsRabbits · 12/06/2019 12:14

Thanks Light I have raised it, though they are ignoring me atm. It does say on UKMT website you can sit it a few days late but they won't give you a certificate unless school burns down. DS laughed at that and decided burning down school would only be worth it for a real kangaroo 😎

Your DS did really well to come 1 mark off, mine was 99 so hopefully will get it next year. Its odd how some schools dominate competition, noticed quite a few privates and grammars with 10 in but then other privates and grammars with non in but still very selective. DD isn't normally confident or positive but she was only one she knows through to Olympiad so made her confident. She did then decide no point preparing as no kids to beat. I am reasonably numerate but didn't take maths past GCSE so aren't much help with Olympiad. Getting to stage where I have to look it up myself first 😳

W0rriedMum · 12/06/2019 19:18

In some schools they keep it very low key. Mine had no practice papers - the ethos is to turn up and do your best! Other schools in the area take it so seriously.
@PenguinsRabbits how do you know which schools have high numbers as a matter of interest (noseyness)?

PenguinsRabbits · 12/06/2019 20:00

On the UKMT site latest press releases there's a list of schools through to finals of team competition. If you google some of those names and Olympiad quite a few have 10 students or so in. One private one I saw had weekly Olympiad club lessons and got 10 in and quite a few medals but makes it hard for your comp school kid to compete. One of grammars think maybe Latymer had about 10 in normally. Schools often put in on their website if they get lots in. DD also surveyed her friends but she was only one who was through, no one at her London grammar she went to last year got in. There are 1200 in it.

W0rriedMum · 12/06/2019 23:19

Wow! I thought every school was as relaxed about this as my kids' school. Weekly club indeed!
Thanks for the info.

PenguinsRabbits · 12/06/2019 23:55

There two very high achieving private schools by us - one doesn't mention UKMT, the other mentions a weekly maths club, regular lunchtime lectures by Maths Professors, a weekly Olympiad club which appears to run all year and a team maths coach. 😱 Not like my kids comp where kids get they have reached second round day of second round.

Glaciferous · 13/06/2019 12:59

I don't think all private schools do intensive coaching. DD's school entered approx 220 for the junior challenge and got about half of those through to the next rounds (a quarter of those to the olympiad and the rest to kangaroo). As far as I know, all they did was look at a few past papers the week before. DD got into the kangaroo round which she was quite surprised about tbh (so was I).

GrouchingTiggerHiddenSomething · 13/06/2019 13:40

@PenguinsRabbits I'm feeling quite cross on your behalf - a real failing on the part of the school to deny your DS a chance to sit it! I was feeling a little cross that the timing of the JMO paper my DS sat meant that he missed all but the last 10 minutes of lunch so there was no food left but that's pretty insignificant really.

I know some private schools do take it very seriously, certainly one of the big ones near us does. The maths teacher DS had last year was pretty gobsmacked when they had 3 through to the JMO, I think they had 3 in it this year as well but I'm not sure. Doing well for a pretty small comp anyway!

Glaciferous · 13/06/2019 17:33

I think anyone who gets through has done well! Those questions are hard!

PenguinsRabbits · 13/06/2019 21:05

Thanks Grouching That's very good 3 from a small comp through to Olympiad. DD has done a survey of her friends (a few comps and one London grammar and no-one through to Olympiad except her). Though think kids like having someone to compete against - DD was super competitive until got to Olympiad then when she found no-one else had got it she said no point, no-one I know to beat. I told her you will be bothered after the paper and now of course she is. Though she may have still done well. I've seen the questions but wouldn't know what a perfect answer looks like.

Lightsabre · 14/06/2019 14:25

Does anyone know when theKangaroo /Olympiad results are out please? I can't get into the website.

PenguinsRabbits · 14/06/2019 15:20

Solutions are on JMC website for Kangaroo now and solutions for Olympiad due to be posted w/c 24 June. They haven't said when results are being sent out - with Intermediate it was about 3 weeks I think but they put in news section results being sent now. Nothing up yet.

Lightsabre · 16/06/2019 08:00

Thanks!