Challenges As Well As Competitions

I stance it mightiness last helpful to delineate together a listing of national maths challenges in addition to competitions. Please allow me know what I've missed!

Key Stage 2
The Primary Maths Challenge
This lovely maths challenge from the Mathematical Association is aimed at pupils inwards Years 5 in addition to 6 inwards England in addition to Wales, P6 in addition to P7 inwards Scotland, in addition to Years 6 in addition to seven inwards Northern Ireland. 63,000 children took business office inwards 2016. In November, children sit down a 45 infinitesimal private maths newspaper at their schoolhouse in addition to are awarded a certificate for achievement or participation. High scoring pupils are invited to direct maintain business office inwards a bonus circular the next February. Example papers (for both the Nov challenge in addition to the Feb bonus round) tin hand the sack last downloaded here. It costs £11 for a pack of 10 papers.

Examples of questions from the Primary Maths Challenge

The National Young Mathematicians' Awards
This squad maths competition, instantly inwards its 8th year, is run inwards conjunction alongside NRICH and is designed to inspire in addition to challenge talented mathematicians from across the UK. Schools tin hand the sack move into a squad of 4 children from Year 6 or below. The showtime circular is a regional knock out undertaken at an Explore Learning centre inwards early on November. Winners become through to the Semi-Final at the halt of November, in addition to the Grand Final takes identify at the University of Cambridge inwards December.

Primary Team Challenge

The UKMT provides a prepare of gratis resources for schools to run their ain squad maths challenges. These may last helpful for: 

• a master copy schoolhouse running their ain maths effect for Key Stage two pupils
• a secondary schoolhouse running a maths effect for children from feeder primaries
• a maths hub, multi university trust, local potency or other organisation running a regional maths effect for master copy children

Key Stage 3
Junior Mathematical Challenge
The Junior Mathematical Challenge is a multiple-choice contest for students upwards to Year 8 inwards England in addition to Wales, Year S2 inwards Scotland or Year nine inwards Northern Ireland. It is run yesteryear the UKMT inwards Apr each year. Over 300,000 students participated inwards 2017.

The toll is £13 per pack of 10 papers. Like the other private challenges listed here, students consummate their newspaper at schoolhouse inwards attempt weather on the designated date. To recognise the highest performers, the spill out scoring 40% of participants are awarded bronze, silverish in addition to gilded certificates inwards the ratio 3:2:1. Around 1,200 of the real highest performers are invited to direct maintain business office inwards the Junior Mathematical Olympiad and some 5,000 to direct maintain business office inwards the Junior Kangaroo.

It's worth checking out the UKMT Problems on Diagnostic Questions in addition to the UKMT Problems on DrFrostMaths for interactive practice.

Example enquiry from the 2017 JMC

Team Challenge
The Team Maths Challenge is a UKMT contest which gives pupils the chance to tackle a diversity of engaging mathematical activities patch developing teamwork in addition to communication skills. It is opened upwards to students inwards Year 8 in addition to 9, in addition to equivalent yr groups inwards Scotland in addition to Northern Ireland. Each schoolhouse is invited to move into a squad of 4 pupils to a Regional Final. Regional Finals run at over 65 centres across the Great Britain from Feb to April. Entry costs £35. The winning squad at each Regional Final volition have an invitation to the National Final which takes identify inwards June.

National Cipher Challenge
The National Cipher Challenge runs from Oct to January. It is a gratis contest offered yesteryear the University of Southampton. It has been running since 2002, in addition to regularly attracts entries from teams at over 700 United Kingdom schools in addition to colleges. Students of whatever historic menstruum tin hand the sack direct maintain part, then schools frequently promote this contest to teams from all yr groups. Entrants are prepare a serial of 8 codebreaking challenges online, alongside points awarded for speed in addition to accuracy.

The Alan Turing Cryptography Competition
Now inwards its 6th year, the Alan Turing Cryptography Competition is aimed at secondary schoolhouse children at Key Stages three in addition to 4. This gratis contest is organised yesteryear the University of Manchester in addition to runs from Jan to April. Like the National Cipher Challenge, entrants are prepare codebreaking challenges online. In May in that place is an Alan Turing Cryptography Day inwards Manchester which includes a prize ceremony.

Key Stage 4
Intermediate Maths Challenge
The Intermediate Mathematical Challenge is a UKMT multiple-choice challenge for students upwards to Year eleven inwards England in addition to Wales, Year S4 inwards Scotland or Year 12 inwards Northern Ireland. It takes identify at schools inwards Feb in addition to costs £13 per pack of 10 papers. High scorers are invited to compete inwards the Intermediate Mathematical Olympiad or Kangaroo.

Year 10 Maths Feast
The Maths Feast is a squad contest run yesteryear the FMSP for Year 10 students. It promotes occupation solving in addition to communication skills in addition to takes identify inwards the boundary term. Around seventy events direct maintain identify each yr across the solid reason attracting entries from over 750 schools. Materials from previous competitions are available which schools tin hand the sack role equally enrichment activities to prepare occupation solving skills.

Example enquiry from the FMSP's Maths Feast

Key Stage 5
Senior Maths Challenge
The Senior Mathematical Challenge is a multiple-choice challenge for students upwards to Year thirteen inwards England in addition to Wales, Year S6 inwards Scotland, Year fourteen inwards Northern Ireland. Organised yesteryear the UKMT in addition to run inwards schools inwards November, it is £13 for a pack of 10 entries in addition to spill out performers are invited to direct maintain business office inwards the British Mathematical Olympiad Round 1 or the Senior Kangaroo.

Example enquiry from the Senior Maths Challenge 

Senior Team Challenge
The Senior Team Mathematics Challenge is organised yesteryear the FMSP inwards partnership alongside the UKMT. This annual contest takes identify inwards Nov in addition to attracts entries from over 1,000 schools throughout the UK. Winners of the regional heats are invited to the national in conclusion inwards London inwards February.

---

I direct maintain alone included UK-wide challenges here, simply in that place are a large position out of regional competitions too. For example, Rock Wrangles are wonderful events inwards which Year 6 in addition to Year seven students compete on Times Tables Rockstars. In 2017 Rock Wrangles took identify inwards v cities inwards the summertime term.

The Scottish Mathematical Council has been running an annual Mathematical Challenge since 1976 which is divide into Primary, Junior, Middle, in addition to Senior Divisions.

I promise this listing is helpful! Please produce allow me know of whatever national annual competitions that I've missed. If you're interested inwards international maths competitions, banking concern tally out the listing on Wikipedia.

If you're looking for other enrichment ideas, direct maintain a expect at my posts on in-school speakers, maths trips.

5 Maths Gems #77

Welcome to my 77^th gems post. This is where I portion some of the latest news, ideas too resources for maths teachers.

1. Interactive Manipulatives
Jonathan Hall (blogged near the features of MathsBot concluding year. Jonathan has latterly added lots of novel content to MathsBot, including a laid of virtual manipulatives which are good worth exploring. They are real helpful for demonstrating things on the board earlier students accept a become amongst actual manipulatives, such equally algebra tiles too Dienes Blocks.

2. Revision Maze
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 GCSE nine - 1 revision resources.

3. AQA Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Level Resources
AQA has launched its A score maths e-library. I position a lot of travel into this projection then I actually promise it's useful. It's a non bad identify to search for resources when pedagogy the novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level. AQA has too published a novel laid of topic tests for Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level.

Links to these theme tests too other novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 score resources tin travel constitute on my New Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Level Support page.

4. Stickers
Have yous seen these amazing stickers from Maths Gear? Take a infinitesimal to read through them. I beloved maths jokes! 

If you're always buying a introduce for a maths teacher, I recommend 2 bright websites for mathsy gifts: mathsgear.co.uk and presentindicative.com.

5. Rolling Numbers
Naveen Rizvi (blogged near the importance of joining the MA. Recent rumours that our profession mightiness lose the FMSP - i of our most highly valued organisations - way it is straightaway to a greater extent than of import than always to bring together the MA. We require to come upwards together equally a profession to brand our voices heard. Please bring together if yous haven't already.

I'm looking frontward to seeing lots of maths teachers at here. There are alone a few spaces left inwards my workshop then if yous desire to come upwards along too haven't chosen your workshops yet, delight do.

In illustration yous missed them, hither are my recent posts:

• Challenges too Competitions
• The New GCSE Debate
• Cover Work

I too updated my new Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 score resources page too my Topics inwards Depth page, too I've added a few novel Pret homeworks (thanks to continuing generous contributions!).

In Oct I volition travel presenting on resources at the Power of Six Conference inwards London. Do banking concern stand upwards for this i out - tickets are straightaway alone £50 too in that place are some first-class speakers lined upwards to present.

Finally, don't forget to mass tickets for the Festival of the Spoken Nerd Tour! I'll travel at the Redhill surgery on twelfth October. Can't wait!

Bcme 9

Tickets went on sale for BCME today. This is exciting news! BCME (the British Congress of Mathematics Education) brings together the members of the Joint Mathematical Council of the Great Britain (JMC) for ane big mega-maths-conference. It takes house inwards Warwick over 4 days inwards the Easter holidays... together with it volition last huge! The give away of speakers is staggering.

These events withdraw maintain been running since 1991. BCME 8 took house inwards Nottingham inwards 2014. Given that I'm even so a relative newbie to the maths conference scene, this volition last my get-go e'er BCME. And I am rattling much looking forrad to it.

I acquire to a lot of conferences these days, but BCME is rattling dissimilar to the conferences I normally attend. For the final iii years I've gone to a La Salle conference every term - I absolutely adore these events. I can't recommend them enough. BCME is a totally dissimilar form of event. I run across it every bit an extra bonus conference to attend side past times side year, on transcend of my green La Salle conferences.

Unbelievably, in that place are over 350 sessions to select from at BCME! I can't fifty-fifty start out to imagine how difficult it volition last to choose! This does hateful that in that place volition last plenty to appeal to everyone though, from EYFS through to university. I'm looking forrad to seeing lots of speakers who I haven't seen before.

If you lot attend all 4 days of BCME together with so you lot tin acquire to 10 dissimilar sessions, addition there's loads of other materials going on including a give away of plenary speakers together with social events. Hannah Fry (I dear her!) is speaking afterwards dinner on the Th night. On the Fri in that place is a particular trial to celebrate the life of Malcolm Swan.

Of class you lot don't withdraw maintain to attend all 4 days - in that place are diverse dissimilar ticket options. If, similar me, you're worried most the terms of this event, together with so you'll last pleased to withdraw heed that bursaries may last available from the LMS together with UKMT.

Below I've listed some examples of sessions, precisely to laissez passer you lot a flavor of what's going on. All 350+ sessions await amazing! Do depository fiscal establishment jibe out the session booklet to run across the whole lot.

A6 - Variation: beyond the definitions - Anne Watson

This session volition last a workshop of mathematics tasks together with give-and-take to opened upwards up a hit of meanings together with roles for 'variation' inwards mathematics teaching. Some of the jargon precisely about this word is taken every bit prescriptive, when it is only descriptive - in that place is to a greater extent than to describe. 

A10 - Mathematics from East to West - Andra Ghencea 

The aim of the session is to await at the differences together with similarities betwixt the approach inwards the teaching together with learning of mathematics inwards Eastern versus Western Europe. The chance to explore both worlds inwards depth, through personal educational activity together with function inwards the educational sector, has given me a clear icon of what leads to mastery inwards the subject.

B10 - The Black Heroes of Mathematics - Nira Chamberlain 

The 2017 released film, Hidden Figures, is based on the truthful floor of a grouping of dark woman individual mathematicians that served every bit the brains behind calculating the momentous launch of the NASA astronaut John Glenn into orbit. However, these mathematicians of coloring are non the entirely 'Hidden Figures'. In this this talk, The Black Heroes of Mathematics, nosotros volition hash out other inspirational men together with women who overcame obstacles to essay that 'mathematics is really for everybody'! 

B11 - Making Resits Work - Emma Bell together with Anna Bellamy 

Compulsory mathematics GCSE resits are a thorn inwards the side for students together with practitioners alike. In this session - run jointly past times 2 teachers, for teachers - inquiry together with do come upwards together to examine how nosotros tin best assistance those students. Anna Bellamy's inquiry focusses on Student Voice together with the effects the forced resits withdraw maintain on those students spell Emma Bell specialises inwards motivation, ensuring that students withdraw maintain belief together with confidence inwards their mathematical abilities. How tin nosotros brand mathematics resits function for all of our students?

 B17 - Teaching multiplication amongst deep conceptual agreement - Katie Crozier

This workshop volition explore how deep conceptual agreement together with visualisation of multiplication tin last developed through exposing construction together with making connections. Part of the workshop volition explore the usage of the Numberlink Board, developed through activity inquiry inwards the Y4 classroom, to learn multiplication facts amongst understanding. 

D17 - Pop-Up Maths - David Sharp 

In this creative together with active session, you'll brand pop-up 3D shapes, including cubes, tetrahedrons together with dodecahedrons. You'll also brand flexagons, including tri-tetra-flexagons together with tri-hexi-flexagons. We'll await at how these tin last used inwards the classroom.

G14 - Ideas that transformed my teaching - Jo Morgan

In 2014, Jo joined the mathematics teaching community on Twitter. Within months it had transformed her teaching. Immersed inwards resources, scrap together with advice, Jo felt empowered to seek novel ideas inwards the classroom. Inspired past times best practice, she started to refine her teaching routines together with approaches. In this session Jo volition portion some of the most effective changes she's made over recent years.  

G4 - Many Mischievous Mathematical Misconceptions - Craig Barton 

Using information from the tens of millions of answers to questions on my Diagnostic Questions website, together amongst the actual written explanations given past times students, I volition unearth some of the most surprising, interesting together with deadly mathematical misconceptions that our students hold. How produce these misconceptions vary past times historic menses group? What are the most of import misconceptions to resolve early on inwards club to preclude problems farther downward the line? And is attempting to resolve misconceptions to a greater extent than problem than it is worth? Expect a chip of controversy, every bit good every bit a fresh circular of everyone's favourite quiz: Guess the Misconception. 

Doesn't it await awesome? Bookings are opened upwards now.

Save The Fmsp!

A score teachers dear The Further Maths Support Programme, together with it's clear to run into why. It has actively supported us for many years, having a at nowadays comport on inwards our classrooms. Just expect at the uptake of maths together with farther maths H5N1 score inwards England - an incredible success story that tin survive partly attributed to the effectiveness of the operate of the FMSP.

Taken from MEI's Annual Review 2016 - 17

The FMSP makes H5N1 score maths together with farther maths accessible to students who otherwise would non own got the chance to accept it. Imagine a gild inwards which our most talented mathematicians halt studying maths aged sixteen because they alive inwards the incorrect surface area or larn to the incorrect school. It's clear to anyone amongst fifty-fifty a shred of social conscience that the operate of the FMSP is incredibly important.

What's changing?
In answer to the Smith review, the Department for Education announced a novel Level 3 Maths Support Programme (L3MSP), amongst £16 1 K one thousand of funding from Apr 2018. Although nosotros were led to believe that this was exciting 'new money', my agreement is that it volition supervene upon the previous score 3 support. Hence the Core Maths Support Programme together with the much loved Underground Mathematics own got already gone, together with the FMSP (in its electrical flow form) volition larn too.

In MEI's recent newsletter it said that the FMSP volition popular off on to furnish H5N1 score maths together with farther maths back upward for schools together with colleges until the novel L3MSP is inwards place.

So the FMSP, which has been running since 2005, volition survive superseded past times the L3MSP adjacent April.

The novel L3MSP volition back upward Core Maths together with H5N1 score mathematics together with farther mathematics, but volition focus on the DfE's twelve 'Opportunity Areas' (these were selected from areas identified past times the Social Mobility Commission every bit having especially pitiful social mobility). So I retrieve this way that those of us who operate inwards schools exterior of those Opportunity Areas volition run into our score 3 back upward withdrawn, or at to the lowest degree reduced.

This suggests that most of us volition no longer own got access to the FMSP's affordable high character preparation courses on how to deliver H5N1 score topics. This comes at a fourth dimension when nosotros are pedagogy a brand novel H5N1 score curriculum (which, especially for the farther maths specification, requires a slap-up bargain of dependent area noesis development) together with nosotros own got dwindling numbers of specialist maths teachers. This also comes at a fourth dimension when H5N1 score uptake may own got dropped significantly due to the comport on of the novel GCSE. We won't know official numbers for a while, but at my schoolhouse nosotros were surprised that our H5N1 score maths uptake brutal past times 32% this twelvemonth - I for certain promise that this is non illustration of the national picture. Either way, given the electrical flow situation, the timing of these changes couldn't survive worse.

What tin nosotros do?
We're likewise belatedly to salve Underground Maths together with the Core Maths Support Programme, but possibly we're non likewise belatedly to salve the FMSP. We postulate to construct our voices heard! We postulate to construct sure that the Department for Education knows where nosotros stand upward on this.

If score 3 back upward volition cease inwards all but the Opportunity Areas from Apr 2018 thence the Department for Education postulate to survive transparent inwards their communication almost this. Maths teachers postulate to know that this is happening.

I'm hoping that nosotros tin practise something almost this. If I own got to organise an actual protestation exterior the DfE thence I will! Just scout me.

I'm only a instructor - I spider web log independently without income or affiliation - but I retrieve this is worth fighting for.

#savethefmsp

5 Maths Gems #78

Welcome to my 78^th gems post. This is where I portion some of the latest news, ideas in addition to resources for maths teachers.

1. Access Maths
I start blogged virtually Gems 47. Last calendar week he started sharing a novel laid of resources for GCSE teachers. One matter that caught my oculus was his 100 'Crossover Style' questions revision mat. I accept to laid embrace for my Year 11s on Fri in addition to they'll survive getting this activity, printed on A3.

There are loads of novel resources on Grant's 9 - 1 GCSE page, many of which I accept straightaway added to my resource libraries. Do banking concern stand upward for them out.

2. Puzz Grid
Dave Taylor (@taylorda01) tweeted virtually an addictive website called Puzz Grid where you lot tin easily educate your ain grids or play other people's grids. It's a timed game where you lot accept to guide groups of 4 squares that are linked together. Dave shared 1 of his ain creations here.

This website industrial plant only as good for maths as it does for other subjects. It's actually fun - accept a larn in addition to you'll encounter what I mean.

3. Parallel Line Mazes (again!)
In my Gems 26 in addition to I accept used it inwards lessons many times since then.

I had forgotten that in that place were like in addition to as awesome activities inwards the geometry department of Daniels's blog until he mentioned it afterwards #mathsconf13. So I decided to characteristic this resource 1 time again - the minute fourth dimension it's been inwards a gems post - because I honey it.

4. Add 'Em Up
I spotted an action that I've non seen earlier inwards this tweet yesteryear Jae Ess (@jaegetsreal)

2-step eqn notes today in addition to prepped a @saravdwerf add together em upward action for exercise tomorrow #teach180 #iteachmath pic.twitter.com/NtSHfQRTR2

— Jae Ess (@jaegetsreal) 10 Oct 2017

The watch is that each grouping of 4 students is given a card. Each pupil solves 1 of the 4 problems. Once they've all solved their problems they add together upward their answers in addition to the amount should equal the seat out inwards the middle. If it doesn't in addition to thus the grouping has to expect at the 4 solutions in addition to figure out which 1 is wrong. Sara Van Der Werf (saving the FMSP, in addition to I blogged about BCME 9.

Colin Foster (@colinfoster77) shared a great article that he wrote for the MA magazine Mathematics inwards School. It's virtually dissimilar methods for finding the nth term of a sequence. If you're teaching quadratic sequences this year, order it a read. This is the sort of dependent land noesis evolution that teachers ask to a greater extent than of!

If you lot learn mixed attainment or you're an FE instructor teaching GCSE resit in addition to thus banking concern complaint that 2 conference dates accept been announced in addition to added to my conferences page. The adjacent Mixed Attainment Maths Conference is inwards London on 27th January. The GCSE Maths Resit Conference is on 17th March inwards Sheffield.

I'm speaking virtually resources at the Power of Six Conference in London this Thursday. Do tell howdy if you're in that place (though I accept to larn out at 11am to larn dorsum to schoolhouse for a 1pm lesson, thus sad if I accept to rush off!). 

Finally, my maths instructor friends in addition to I had a bully fourth dimension at the Festival of the Spoken Nerd show inwards Redhill on Thursday. It's non besides belatedly to larn tickets for the tour - I highly recommend it!