UK Mathematical Trust Senior Challenge

Last term, all Year 12 and 13 students, and some Year 11s, sat the UK Mathematical Trust Senior Challenge. Three students performed exceptionally well, and qualified for subsequent rounds. Lauren Gore and George Berry (both Year 12) reached the Kangaroo Round, while Gordon Chan (Year 11) qualified for the British Mathematical Olympiad, where he scored a Merit.


Bletchley Park Trip

For the first time in three years, the Birchwood Maths Faculty organised our trip to Bletchley Park, the home of the World War 2 codebreakers. This year, we also teamed up with
Technology to incorporate a visit to the National Museum of Computing next door.
Over 130 Students took part in a ciphers workshop where they deciphered challenging codes to learn the identity of a Russian spy who worked at Bletchley during the war. They were also given a tour around the site by one of the park’s knowledgeable guides, and had time to explore the huts where Alan Turing and his team would have worked.
At the National Museum of Computing, students saw a collection of computing equipment from the 1940’s up to the early 21st century. They were able to see first hand the world’s
oldest working computer in action, and they were able to try out some “vintage”
computer games that will be familiar to many of their parents and teachers such as Lemmings, Pacman and early Simpson’s game. It was a very enjoyable day for the students, and we are looking forward to taking the current Year 8 to Bletchley next year!
Mr Summers, Maths


UKMT senior Maths challenge

Each year, a handful of students are entered for the UKMT senior Maths challenge, and this year both Alex Sawyer and William Blakey were entered for more prestigious competitions following their outstanding results. Alex was entered for the UKMT Kangaroo in which he received a certificate of qualification. William was entered for the incredibly challenging Maths Olympiad, in which he managed to achieve a certificate of merit. This was a sterling effort and both boys should be immensely proud of themselves in what is their last Maths challenge at Birchwood.


UKMT

Junior Maths Challenge

Many of our students volunteered to take part in the annual Junior Maths Challenge. This was an online, timed challenge with some very difficult problems. Our students performed extremely well, and I would like to give a special mention to the students pictured as they achieved certificates for their particularly high scores. Thank you and well done to all that took part.
Miss Bull, Maths


Aerozone

Two groups of lucky Year 8 students visited Stansted’s Aerozone on the 3 and 4 July for a fantastic STEM based school trip. On both days we were greeted with a presentation on the history of the airport and its development over the last 75 years and then, depending on the day, students either met some armed police, were spoken to about apprenticeships in the fire service or were lucky enough to have a fascinating talk from one of their pilots. The second session either involved a visit to the Ryan Air hangar where students got to see a full size plane in bits, spoke to a trainee
engineer, sat in or even flew a flight simulator and some lucky students, and teachers, got to have a go on the emergency slide.


UKMT

UKMT Intermediate Mathematical Challenge

180 of our GCSE students took part in the UKMT Intermediate Mathematical Challenge. Our top mathematicians faced 25 multiple choice questions covering a broad range of topics that tested their problem solving and reasoning skills.
This is a nationwide competition in which the top-performing participants receive a Gold, Silver or Bronze certificate. Birchwood achieved 7 Gold, 15 Silver and 23 Bronze certificates, which is outstanding. Well done to all those who participated and a huge congratulations to all of those who achieved a certificate and qualified for future rounds; we are very proud!


Primary Links

Primary links with Birchwood

Year 6 students, from nine local primary schools, have been attending Birchwood to help stretch and challenge their maths skills. To conclude their time at Birchwood they showcased their work by building a truncated icosahedron decorated with all the maths they had learnt.
The winning teams were Northgate for decoration, St Michaels and All Saints for structure.

Mrs Cox, Maths

 


Maths Back to School

Back to School for Year 7 and 8 Parents

Birchwood’s Maths department held another ‘Back to School’ evening for Year 7 and 8 parents. Twenty two brave parents came along and took part in a carousel of Maths lessons ranging from Nth term to Pythagoras’ Theorem to Chinese Grid Multiplication. After an hour and a half, they left with minds bursting with useful mathematical knowledge and tummies full of tea, sandwiches and cakes.
Feedback was fantastic and we look forward to running the event again next year. Thank you to my Maths colleagues for making the evening possible and to Mr Kadlec and his catering team for providing the delicious refreshments.

Miss White, Maths.

 


Maths Back to School

Maths Back to School Evening

Are you confused by your child’s Maths Homework?
If so, why not come along to .....
Birchwood’s ‘Maths Back to School Evening’

Please see attached poster for details.


Storm

Storm Aviation

Dr Allen and Mr Chumbley accompanied fourteen of our Maths students from Years 10 to 12 to Storm Aviation at Stansted Airport. Storm Aviation is keen to forge links with Birchwood and for our students to have an idea of the opportunities available to them with south-east based companies. We were given a fascinating tour of the company’s facilities which included a maintenance hangar and a teaching room – in which we learned about some of the applications of Mathematics in flight as well as aircraft maintenance and engineering. The students were enthusiastic and fully engaged throughout the day, asking many intelligent questions and came away with a sound knowledge of the opportunities available to them in the aviation industry.