The final week of term saw Shiplake College come alive with mathematical competition as the Intermediate Maths House Championship took place. Organised by the Maths Department, the event drew strong engagement from pupils and staff alike, combining daily problem-solving with a lively head‑to‑head finale.
Throughout the week, points were earned through a series of daily maths questions, which encouraged careful reasoning, clear working, and independent thinking. These were complemented by a face‑to‑face competition held on Thursday 19 March during lunchtime, where teams competed in three fast‑paced rounds: buzzer, countdown and relay hosted by Year 13 maths students Zac Powel and Zack McConkey. The turnout for the main event was excellent, creating a buzzing atmosphere that lasted for the full 35 minutes.
Reflecting on the standard of competition, Head of Mathmatics Mr Davis said:
“Congratulations to all competitors who put lots of effort, enthusiasm and skill into answering three head‑to‑head rounds of questions. The room was full of amazing maths calculations for a full 35 minutes!”
Teams of six, made up of two pupils from each of Years 9, 10 and 11, represented their houses, with final placings decided by the combined points from the daily questions and the three competitive rounds.
After the results were announced in whole‑school assembly, the final standings were confirmed as:
- Orchard
- Skipwith
- Everett
- Welsh
- Burr
Orchard secured a convincing victory, finishing with a sizeable lead. The winning team consisted of Rory Collar and Tommy Morgan (Year 9), Harry Perkins and Ben Keown (Year 10), and Z Miles and Nathan Wong (Year 11).Following their announcement in whole‑school assembly by Year 13 maths student Felicity Hudson, the winners were invited to receive the championship trophy and shake hands with Headmaster Mr Howe during the presentation.
The Maths Department would like to thank everyone who took part, including staff who supported the daily challenges and contributed to their house totals. The championship was a fitting end to term, celebrating problem‑solving, teamwork and a shared enjoyment of mathematics. Congratulations to Orchard on taking the win, and well done to everyone who got involved.
