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The University of Southampton
Mathematical Sciences

School children hone their skills in maths masterclasses

Published: 9 April 2015

School children have been flexing their maths skills at a series of workshops organised by the University of Southampton.

Pupils from 12 different schools, mainly based in Hampshire, attended five Royal Institution Mathematics Masterclasses aimed at helping talented year nine students.

The annual sessions are designed to encourage, inspire and engage young people in the art and practice of maths.  Invited speakers share their insight, enthusiasm and passion for the subject and help the pupils to develop their own expertise.

Ruth Edwards, Senior Teaching Fellow at the University's Southampton School, said: "The wonderful thing about these sessions is that they give pupils the opportunity to discover the beauty of mathematics and gain deeper understanding by exploring concepts that they would not normally meet on the school curriculum."

The events were organised by Ruth Edwards and Gillian Staerck from Amery Hill School in Alton.  Speakers at the workshops ranged from experts in their field in higher education, to a representative from IBM.  They covered a diverse range of topics from the mathematics of the universe, to maths in computing software.

Kate Bartlett, from the University's Recruitment and Outreach team, said: "The children had a fantastic experience which broadened their knowledge of maths and helped open their eyes to its real-world value.

"I'm delighted that the University has been able to enrich their learning and raise their aspirations in this way."

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