Wondermaths Challenge Overview
Having set up and run the very successful Count on Us Primary Challenge for the Mayor’s Fund for London for the last 10 years, Val at The Maths Zone is excited to launch the NEW Wondermaths Challenge for London’s primary schools.
What is the Wondermaths Challenge?
The Wondermaths Challenge is a maths enrichment programme and tournament for primary pupils in Years 4 and 5 across London. After using the Wondermaths activities and resources in school with their class, Year group and/or maths club, teachers will select a team of 5 pupils to participate in a very exciting tournament, starting with regional Heats and culminating in a tense and hard-fought Final.
Why should we take part in the Wondermaths Challenge?
The Wondermaths Challenge is designed to challenge and motivate your young mathematicians, exciting them with problem-based maths activities and fast paced mental arithmetic tasks. Pupils will gain confidence is working through maths problems, taking risks and thinking outside the box, to find solutions in challenging activities.
The Wondermaths Challenge encourages pupils to work collaboratively, sharing ideas, listening to each other, as well as individually, challenging themselves.
What maths activities will our pupils be involved in?
The Wondermaths Challenge supports and enhances the primary maths curriculum. It focuses on:
What will the Wondermaths Challenge look like in my school?
After attending an initial training session, teachers return to school having accessed each of the activities, materials and resources required to set up the Wondermaths Challenge programme.
Most schools will set up Wondermaths after school or lunchtime clubs. Many will also use the resources and activities in class, to support the maths curriculum. The activities are designed to allow participation by all pupils. Teachers may differentiate by the number of challenges within each of the activities that pupils engage with.
What support will schools be provided with?
I took part in the Count on Us Primary Challenge. What is new?
An exciting new offer:
Exclusive access to an online programme, post-Tournament from Simon Singh!
Because The Maths Zone will be managing and running the Challenge ourselves, we can now provide more immediate and ongoing support, such as:
How much will participation in the Wondermaths Challenge cost?
We will be offering a two-tier pricing strategy:
When does the Wondermaths Challenge programme start?
It sounds fantastic. How do I sign up?
Simply fill in the Wondermaths Challenge Registration Form (click here for link), with details for your school, letting us know whether or not you require the School Resource Kit and that you have read and agree to adhere to the School Participation Agreement, linked to in the Registration Form.
What is the Wondermaths Challenge?
The Wondermaths Challenge is a maths enrichment programme and tournament for primary pupils in Years 4 and 5 across London. After using the Wondermaths activities and resources in school with their class, Year group and/or maths club, teachers will select a team of 5 pupils to participate in a very exciting tournament, starting with regional Heats and culminating in a tense and hard-fought Final.
Why should we take part in the Wondermaths Challenge?
The Wondermaths Challenge is designed to challenge and motivate your young mathematicians, exciting them with problem-based maths activities and fast paced mental arithmetic tasks. Pupils will gain confidence is working through maths problems, taking risks and thinking outside the box, to find solutions in challenging activities.
The Wondermaths Challenge encourages pupils to work collaboratively, sharing ideas, listening to each other, as well as individually, challenging themselves.
What maths activities will our pupils be involved in?
The Wondermaths Challenge supports and enhances the primary maths curriculum. It focuses on:
- Mathematical reasoning, solving increasingly sophisticated problems, using shape, number and pattern problems.
- Mental maths – focussing on developing quick recall of number bonds – using the very popular 24® Game.
- Statistics and measurement, within problem based collaborative codebreaking tasks.
What will the Wondermaths Challenge look like in my school?
After attending an initial training session, teachers return to school having accessed each of the activities, materials and resources required to set up the Wondermaths Challenge programme.
Most schools will set up Wondermaths after school or lunchtime clubs. Many will also use the resources and activities in class, to support the maths curriculum. The activities are designed to allow participation by all pupils. Teachers may differentiate by the number of challenges within each of the activities that pupils engage with.
What support will schools be provided with?
- Wondermaths Challenge Teacher Guide
- Wondermaths Challenge Pupil Activity Book
- Wondermaths Kit, with resources needed for the Challenge
- Online support, via our new Wondermaths website
- In-school tournament pack.
I took part in the Count on Us Primary Challenge. What is new?
- School teams will now consist of 5 pupils (previously 3).
- There will be 4 rounds instead of 3.
- The 1st round will include a challenging new activity.
An exciting new offer:
Exclusive access to an online programme, post-Tournament from Simon Singh!
- ‘In a first for primary school maths competitions in the UK, we will be offering all pupils involved in this year’s Wondermaths Challenge the chance to join an online maths enrichment programme once they are in Year 6. This will provide a vital bridge between their Wondermaths experience and starting secondary school, maintaining the momentum and excitement gained from being part of their school maths team’.
Because The Maths Zone will be managing and running the Challenge ourselves, we can now provide more immediate and ongoing support, such as:
- Online Newsletters, sharing ideas and best practice.
- Fortnightly challenges for your clubs (to keep them on their toes).
- Q&A sessions
- Visiting new schools to help them get started.
How much will participation in the Wondermaths Challenge cost?
We will be offering a two-tier pricing strategy:
- Participation and Resources cost: £190.00 includes training, support, access to all support materials, participation in Tournaments PLUS a complete School Resource Kit, consisting of dice packs, 24 Game card packs, Dominoes and Pentominoes Tubs.
- Participation cost only: £110.00* includes training, support, access to all support materials, participation in Tournaments PLUS dice packs.
When does the Wondermaths Challenge programme start?
- Training will take place in early November, to allow schools time required to set up and start using the activities in class and clubs before the Christmas break. There will be two separate sessions, a shorter one for schools/teachers who participated in Count on Us and an all-day session for schools new to The Maths Zone’s challenges and did not participate in Count on Us.
- The regional Heats and Final will take place in the summer term.
It sounds fantastic. How do I sign up?
Simply fill in the Wondermaths Challenge Registration Form (click here for link), with details for your school, letting us know whether or not you require the School Resource Kit and that you have read and agree to adhere to the School Participation Agreement, linked to in the Registration Form.
