Academy students make appearance on Mayor’s Fund Count on Us Challenge training video. Hafiz (Year 13) explains what happened behind the camera.

The Jack Petchey’s Count on Us Challenge with the Mayor’s Fund for London, is a maths tournament for students in Year 7 to 9 across the Capital.
Students are tested on a multitude of mathematical challenges including, geometry and algebra tasks. Not only does it test their mathematical fluency, but also requires problem solving and team work.

There are four rounds in the competition:

1. 24– It’s simple, make the number 24 with the four numbers given on the card!
2. Gridlines Geometry– a variety of geometry problems where you have to find a solution using the 10 number cards you have been given. Pythagoras’ Theorem, mensuration (area, volume, perimeter) and angles are tested here.
3. Game of Hex– a strategy game where you have to create a path from one side of a hexagonal grid to the other side. Played with counters on a board when practising and with players on a mat at the tournament.
4. Coding and Algebra– a problem solving round with lots of unexpected surprises! Ceasar Shift Cypher Codes are used to code and decode messages; while also solving some quite tricky algebraic equations.

Hammersmith Academy has been part of the competition for the last 5 years and hosting rounds of the competition in the Academy Theatre in the last 4 years. Year 10 students from the Academy have also taken part in work experience with the Mayor’s Fund for London team for the last 3 years. So when the competition organisers wanted to film video tutorials for training purposes, it was only right they came to HA!

Students in Year 9 and 10, along with Ms Suganthakumaran, Ms Weber and Mr Sykes feature in the tutorial videos. The aim of the videos is to help teachers and students learn about the different rounds so that they are ready to compete in the competition.