Students in Years 10 and 11 at UTC South Durham are celebrating the results of the UKMT Intermediate Mathematical Challenge they participated in earlier this year.

The UK Maths Trust runs the annual competition which tests students on their mathematical reasoning, precision of thought, and fluency. Competitors achieve Bronze, Silver, or Gold certificates based on their results, and the top performers are invited to take part in the Pink Kangaroo, a follow on competition.

Of the UTC students who participated in the competition: 3 achieved gold, 4 were awarded silver, and a further 7 attained bronze. Those with gold certificates are in the top 6% of students nationally, the 4 with silver are in the top 20%, and the 7 bronze certificate holders are in the top 40%.

Year 11 student Rosie Stonehouse, and Year 10 students Owen Shepperson and Jayden Hawcroft were awarded gold. Rosie also won a certificate for achieving the best result at UTC, and Owen was awarded a certificate for having the best results in his year group. Rosie, Owen and Jayden have all qualified for the Pink Kangaroo, putting them inside the top 8000 students in the country.

The other students who were awarded certificates were: Sophie Simpson, Sam Bewick, Paul Orchard, Alisha Khan, Alycia Simpson, Darcy Abbs, Ethanial Whyvell, Harry Brown, Loui Kinnie, Mohib Khan, and Oscar Stockdale.

Speaking about the results, UTC Principal Tom Dower said: “Everyone at UTC is incredibly proud of the achievements of the students who participated in the Maths Challenge, and we are delighted to see that so many students have been awarded certificates. The results show the commitment of the UTC Maths team and the strength of their teaching.”

UTC South Durham is a specialist technical school and Sixth Form for 14-19 year olds. Based on the Newton Aycliffe Business Park, the school opened in September 2016 and focuses on STEM education.

Photo: Sophie Simpson (left) and Owen Shepperson (right) with their UKMT Maths Challenge certificates