Four Year 8 students from St Mark’s School have recently been selected to take part in a series of weekend Mathematics Masterclasses at the University of Bath. The programme aims to inspire students to improve their problem solving skills and academic rigour whilst encouraging the uptake of mathematics at degree level.
The first session focused on the theme of ‘Multiplication’ and included a workshop and demonstration by Oxford University lecturer, Vicky Neale. Students were challenged to study and predict patterns in a series of dots based on their factors. The topic then moved onto working with Modular Arithmetic investigating how to represent different times tables as modular values. Kes, Emily, Ben and George were encouraged to discuss their findings and share ideas before discovering that their topic for the day is currently being taught during the first year of a Degree in Mathematics!
This valuable experience is just one example of the school’s continued dedication to providing wider learning experiences that stretch and challenge students academically.