Simon Singh, founder of the Good Thinking Society and author of The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets, believes that parents should ferociously ‘lobby their children’s schools’ if they still don’t run the annual Maths Challenge. For those not familiar with it, the Maths Challenge is a phenomenally well-organised competition run by the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust (UKMT). It doesn’t cost much to enter — £13 for ten papers (for ten pupils) — and is a massive opportunity for children from all backgrounds.
UKMT, a charity founded in 1996, aims to ‘advance the education of young people in mathematics’. It works with schools and volunteers to arrange junior, intermediate and senior challenges. There are follow-up rounds, Olympiads, team events, mentoring schemes and summer schools. About 700,000 children participate every year.
Throughout my career as a maths teacher, I have seen too many maths-savvy children cruise through GCSE content but left unfulfilled or even under-prepared for the challenges of further study.
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