HEAD ON… It all adds up

March 20, 2017

As a mathematician myself, I believe that a solid understanding and appreciation of the subject has a phenomenally positive effect on many areas of children’s lives.

Perseverance, determination, self-confidence and intellectual rigour are just a few of the personality traits a mathematician will develop at Monmouth School.

The well-documented link between music and maths, for example, also highlights how the language of arithmetic and the rules of logic can propel creativity to new levels.

For these reasons, maths is the largest single subject department at the school with eight specialist teachers who produce a significant part of its teaching materials.

They also offer support in the form of maths surgeries most lunchtimes and before school for any pupils who would benefit from additional help in the subject.

In the last five years, over 70 per cent of pupils have achieved an A or A* in the subject at IGCSE and more than 99 per cent have gained A* to C.

Mathematically-minded boys at Monmouth are also given exciting opportunities to showcase their skills further afield.

On March 10, our four-strong team from Years 8 and 9 performed fantastically at the regional round of the UK Mathematics Trust Team Challenge.

Coming first out of 23 teams from as far away as Shrewsbury and Cheltenham, the fast-thinking quartet will now compete in the competition’s national final in London on June 19.

It’s no coincidence that one of the winning team, 13-year-old Robin, has reached Grade 5 on the organ and plays the clarinet to Grade 8.

Taking part in extra-curricular events like this brings the subject to life for our pupils, and almost half of them continue their mathematical studies into the Sixth Form, when gifted pupils can also take on further maths.

The pass rate for these exams has been 100 per cent in the last five years, with almost 90 per cent of candidates achieving A* to B grades.

A good proportion of pupils studying the subject at A level go on to university to read physics, engineering or maths, including a number who are accepted into Oxford or Cambridge.

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