Our very popular Year 12 Problem Solving Conference in Wimborne returned this year on 8 March for the first time since Covid. Despite moving the conference from our usual January slot to March, snow still threatened to stop play, but we refused to let it stop us from solving problems!
While we had minimal snow in the south of Dorset, schools attending from further afield had a trickier drive to Queen Elizabeth’s School, and two of our speakers were snowed in at Bath and Bristol. As a result, we had to make some last-minute changes to the programme and workshops. However, QE School were fantastic hosts in accommodating the last-minute alterations, and the attending students and teachers adapted brilliantly.
Some highlights were watching over 130 Year 12 mathematicians solving complex problems in groups on magic whiteboard sheets on every surface of the hall imaginable. Along with Ben Sparks delivering his Magical Maths talk via Zoom and still managing to have a whole room engaged and on the edge of their seats!
This conference introduces students to the problem-solving requirements of university entrance tests.
Those students who expect to take a MAT or TMUA test can join our online regular problem-solving classes on Saturday mornings to help them prepare.
by Jo Denton