80 girls from Years 9, 10 and 11 were selected by their teachers as ‘capable of but unconvinced by’ the prospect of A Level Mathematics, and came to Tottenham to have their heads turned. Potentially a tough crowd! But Dr Aoife Hunt swept the entire group up with her on a brilliantly pitched mathematical journey into the heart of crowd modelling (about which she is a global expert; and a local expert – given that she was part of the team that advised on the Spurs stadium right beside the school!).
The ‘unconvinced’ were turning – but there were still a few sceptical heads wondering whether there was room for 80 more crowd modellers like Aoife. The eight diverse success stories that followed, from the mouths of women who had lived and fought and thrived on maths all their professional lives seduced any of the remaining ‘unconvinced’. The students had a chance to chat to their panellists afterwards, during a problem-solving ‘fair’, and the nascent statisticians, modellers, data analysts, finance managers, cryptographers, lawyers, and engineers all found someone to engage with and identify with.
The event was organised with the help of Maths4Girls, and the STEM ambassadors, both of whom can arrange for individuals mathematical professionals to come into your school to inspire your Key Stage 4 students. Or watch this space for more events like it in the summer.