Maths & Science Challenge

Every June, King Edward’s runs a Maths & Science Challenge Day for local prep and primary schools.  Each school is invited to bring six Year 5 pupils with a Maths or Science talent. Teams of six are pre allocated and are mixed from each school to encourage teamwork, communication, and collaboration.

Families are invited to join in for the final workshop and stay for afternoon tea.

Aims

Invitation for a maximum of six pupils each from local schools to take part in a day comprising 40 maths puzzles and two different science challenges. Guests have to use their imagination and intelligence to decipher the maths conundrums, which range in standards of difficulty as quickly as possible.  Each one is then signed off by a member of staff before the pupils can move on to the next puzzle. The aim is to complete as many as possible, usually between 25-30 over half a day either morning or afternoon.

The teams in science take part in two different challenges during the morning or afternoon using a variety of apparatus in the science classrooms and labs. The task is to solve a mystery through forensic evidence.

Resources

Teaching and non-teaching staff, catering.

Impact

Pupils work in teams of six. Each team is made up of three pupils from one school who work together as a group for the whole day. Their aim is to solve two individual science riddles using the equipment and apparatus in two different labs, and to decipher and work out as many maths challenges as possible and have them signed off by an adult over the a half day period.

After lunch, the pupils swap challenges and spend the afternoon solving the crime dilemma in the science department, or the maths puzzles.

The result is excitement, fun and lots of noise.

Pupil Involvement

This event is only open to guest prep and primary schools and does not include King Edward’s pupils.

Frequency

Annually in June during the Summer Term.