Young number crunchers get competitive at Imperial

Over five hundred school students aged seven to eleven, competed at Imperial yesterday for a maths quiz with a difference. Mental Maths , hosted by the Outreach team on 4 July, is the first of its kind for the College, with students from five schools taking part in a morning of activities, designed to increase their interest in maths. Children from St Mary Magdalene CE Primary School in Westminster as well as students from St Mary and St Pancras, St Mark's, Emmanuel and St Paul's Primary Schools - all based in Camden, had their fingers pressed on the buzzers for the game-show style maths quiz, which tested their multiplication, division and general numeracy skills. Mental Maths was developed by Catherine Salvadore Paleotti, Assistant Headteacher and maths leader of learning at St Mary Magdalene's, who approached Imperial to host the event. "Keeping children enthusiastic about maths at an early stage is vitally important if we are to ensure that enough students go on to study maths or science at university." Annalisa Alexander, Acting Head of Outreach, who welcomed the students to Imperial said: "Keeping children enthusiastic about maths at an early stage is vitally important if we are to ensure that enough students go on to study maths or science at university. This event is an effective way in which we can make the subject fun and enjoyable and by hosting it at the College the children have also been able to get an insight about what it's like to go to university." As well as taking part in the quiz, students also heard from Luke Bacon (Mathematics), who recently completed his degree.