A Lawn Manor Academy pupil achieved the school’s highest ever score in a nationwide maths challenge, earning a place in the UK’s elite mathematics Olympiad.
Patrick Gillen, a Year 7 student, won gold and Best in School in the UK Mathematics Trust’s Junior Mathematical Challenge. He was the first pupil from the school to reach the event.
The modest 12-year-old said: “I enjoy doing maths problems, that’s the way my mind works. I’m looking forward to doing the Olympiad next.”
The UK Mathematics Trust gives pupils from Years 7 and 8 high quality mathematical problems to solve.
Youngsters who take part in the challenge sit two applied maths papers under exam conditions and have to complete them using mental arithmetic without the assistance of calculators.