YOUNG mathematicians from King’s Ely have exceeded expectations in the UK Intermediate Mathematical Olympiad, with Christina Dong scoring full marks.
This is a phenomenal achievement, matched by only another five students in the whole of the UK. It also reflects Christina’s potential for further study at any of the world’s top universities.
Christina and classmate Chikashi Shirakawa Rison, who are both in Year 11 at King’s Ely International, were awarded gold medals, a Certificate of Distinction and a book prize, along with the other top achievers in the country.
Year 9 King’s Ely Senior student Sam Lachmann received a Certificate of Merit, placing him in the top 200 nationally.
All three pupils were invited to take part in the Olympiad, which is a two-hour paper requiring full written solutions and proofs, following their successes in the UK Intermediate Mathematical Challenge earlier this year. Top sets from Years 9 to 11 sat the Challenge. Christina scored full marks and Chikashi got all but one correct, which is also an exceptional achievement. Sam Lachmann received a Gold certificate, as did Christopher Le, Emily Shu, Sam Hirons, Alex Piggot, Felix Peck and Run Li in Year 11; and Eris Guo, Panupong Pornsirianant, Tom Lu and Adrienne Schneider in Year 10.
Teacher Steve Cavill said: “To score full marks in the Mathematical Olympiad is a remarkable achievement for any student, particularly for a student from overseas. Chikashi and Sam scored excellent marks as well and should be very proud of their achievements.
“We are also extremely pleased with the results from the Mathematical Challenge. Nationally, only 40% of entries receive a certificate, so we are delighted that over two thirds of King’s Ely’s entries achieved Bronze, Silver or Gold certificates.”
In addition to the courses available in the main school, King’s Ely International (KEI) offers overseas students in Years 10 and 11 the opportunity to study intensive GCSE-based courses to prepare them for further study in the UK. KEI can currently accommodate 55 international students each year and is renowned for its excellent academic results. More information is available on the school’s website, www.kingsely.org