5th Form Presentations

The teachers in the mathematics department are always looking for ways to give pupils scholarly opportunities beyond the core curriculum topics. Lessons often develop mathematical ideas well beyond the syllabus but pupils require time to research ideas, then spend time reflecting on what they have read before practising questions and developing a deeper understanding for themselves. They then need the opportunity to discuss ideas with others so their understanding can be scrutinised.

With this in mind, following the summer exams, the top two 5th form (Year 10) sets embarked on a two week investigation into a non-syllabus topic such as fractals, modular arithmetic and infinite series. At the end, each pupil presented their findings. The class asked some searching questions about anything that wasn’t clear.

The 16+ Mathematics Entry Exam for St Paul’s School

The mathematics entrance exam at 16+ is taken in November for entry to study A Levels in the following September. The content of the exam is the Edexcel IGCSE syllabus but does not include the topics of arithmetic series and differentiation. The emphasis is on number and algebra skills. The test for entry in September 2026 onwards will be non-calculator. When you apply to St Paul’s, we need to know whether you intend to take single mathematics A Level or further mathematics A Level. Pupils who do well on the entrance papers across all their chosen subjects are invited for interview. Interviews are taken by subject specialists at St Paul’s School and last 20-30 mins. The aims of the interview are to: gauge your ability to apply the GCSE mathematics skills in unfamiliar questions. to understand your reasons for choosing the subject. to investigate the additional problem-solving skills you have developed through classes and your independent studies. We realise that not ...

Problem Solving with Mykhailo

The maths society had the pleasure of welcoming one of our own, Mykhailo who presented a captivating talk on problem solving in mathematics. He began by telling us of his journey through mathematics, starting in Ukraine at the humble age of 7, where he agreed to compete in his first Olympiad in return for some Lego - a worthy reward. By the age of 11, however, he began to lose interest until a remarkable geometry teacher reignited his passion. From that point on, he was completely hooked on geometry, so much so that his Olympiad scores r eflected his singular focus: 0/7, 0/7, 0/7, and finally, 7/7, as he excelled in geometry alone. He, therefore, decided that it would be best for his progress if he stopped doing geometry altogether, focusing instead on the other 3 areas of math: Algebra, Arithmetic, and Number theory. He led us through a series of questions, seemingly impossible at the face of it but very manageable after explanation. Among the problems were a complex simultaneou...

Hans Woyda Final vs King's College School Wimbledon

Yesterday, six months after kicking off the 2024-25 Hans Woyda season with our annual friendly against SPGS, we were at long last on our way to the final. There was a palpable tension around the school site and an unmistakable atmosphere of excitement and anticipation, making it abundantly clear that the entire school had their minds on that afternoon’s Mathematics fixture. As I set off for the match with Yidong (4 th ), Shyamak (6 th ), Adavya (L8 th ), and Eason (U8 th ), accompanied by Dr Stoyanov for moral support and intimidation, pupils and staff had even gathered by the towpath to wish them well; unfortunately, they all seemed to be facing the wrong direction, but it was touching nevertheless. We made our way to the City of London School (which offered its services as neutral territory for the final), discussing tactics on the tube and working through a set of warm-up questions. We met the King’s College School Wimbledon side in the lobby as we arrived, and based on previou...

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