A Year 7 pupil at Lawn Manor Academy has achieved the school’s highest ever score in one of the UK’s most difficult maths challenges, winning a place in the nation’s elite mathematics Olympiad.
Patrick Gillen, 12, won Gold and Best in School in the UK Mathematics Trust’s Junior Mathematical Challenge and is the first pupil from Lawn Manor Academy to reach the national event. Only around 2,000 of the very highest performers in the UK are invited to take part in the Junior Olympiad.
Each year, the UK Mathematics Trust sets pupils from years 7 and 8 high-quality problems to encourage mathematical thinking. Pupils who take part sit two applied maths papers under exam conditions, and have to complete them using mental arithmetic, as calculators are not allowed.
Freya Koza, who teaches maths at Lawn Manor Academy, which is part of the Royal Wootton Bassett Academy Trust, said Patrick is a remarkable young mathematician.
“When maths teachers look at the question papers even they gulp, knowing the pupils taking part will be trying to solve the problems in their heads, rather than with the help of calculators,” she said.
“But Patrick, who is in the younger of the two school years competing, was completely unfazed, and just got on with the challenge. We are tremendously proud of him. He has managed to achieve an amazing feat getting into the Olympiad, and we’ll all be rooting for him to do as well as he possibly can.”
Patrick is very modest about his wins.
“I enjoy doing maths problems, that’s the way my mind works,” he said.
“I’m looking forward to doing the Olympiad next.”
