Maths Society Visiting Speaker: Dr David Land

Aditya's review of the Maths society talk this week:

"Dr Land’s talk may have been advanced, yet the knowledge passed on was a window into the financial world and had much application of maths beyond the classroom. He started from a definition of duration and applied it to mortgages to pensions. The models he created accurately described the financial world, ending with an absurd but eye opening example of the CO2 emissions share by a corporation through their assets; leading to them having to plant hectares of trees to offset their emissions. Despite the sometimes dense notation, the meaning became easier and easier to understand and was an incredibly educational opportunity for us all."

- Aditya B

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 ...

16+ Interview - What's it like to join St Paul's?

Two students who joined St Paul's in L8th, Conrad and William, discuss the their experience of joining the school. Arav of the Maths Society volunteered to interview the students.

BMO1 Results 2025

It was another successful year for the students who qualified for the British Mathematical Olympiad Round 1 (BMO1). Of the 85 students who took part, 35 received merits, 25 received distinctions, and 7 students qualified for BMO2. Having 7 students qualify for BMO2 is a fantastic achievement, especially given that only around 100–120 students nationwide reach this stage each year. This is also the highest number of merits and distinctions the school has ever attained in BMO1. Well done to all the students who took part — your hard work is truly paying off! Here is a selection of questions from the six problems on the BMO1 2025 paper, courtesy of UKMT. The full paper and mark scheme are available here :

SPS Mathematics Blog