Maths Week

Maths Week is always a hotly anticipated event in the calendar at Epsom College Malaysia, and the 2026 edition did not disappoint. Throughout the week, students participated in activities both in and out of lessons which celebrated the joy of mathematical problem-solving.

In lessons, students in every year group completed Maths Shuttles in the sports hall, whereby teams work in two sub-groups to pass answers to each other and build on those answers, like a relay of answers rather than a relay of runners. It tests speed, accuracy, teamwork, and communication because the second sub-group can’t start their question until they have the answer from the first, and so on. Students have to remain calm under pressure whilst working without a calculator!

Another in-lesson activity enjoyed by students was the Puzzling Polygons wall, where students solved problems relating to 2D shapes of all levels. Level 1 was accessible to Prep School students, whilst Level 5 proved a challenge for even our most able A-Level Further Mathematicians.

Outside of lessons, Year 12 students delivered a fascinating presentation in the GC about our number system. During tutor time on Wellness Wednesday, students in every year group had fun learning and performing a song about the area of a trapezium!

The highlight of the week, however, was certainly the inter-house maths competition. 102 students from Years 7-13 competed in two rounds of frantic mathematical problem-solving during CCA time. Round One was Dragon Maths, in which students raced to complete maths problems whilst running around the dining hall to check their answers and collect their next question. Round Two was the Crossnumber, a challenging numerical crossword puzzle in which students had to apply logic and knowledge whilst under time pressure. The live scoreboard beamed up on the dining hall wall meant students could see in real time as first place changed hands, adding to the sense of chaos and excitement.

A huge thank you to Mr Baloyo and the Maths Department for a wonderful week, and well done to all the students for their enthusiasm for maths!

Ms Olivia Archibald
Assistant Headteacher, Curriculum