Pupils from Luton’s Bushmead Primary School reach finals of national maths competition

Pupils from Bushmead Primary School in Luton proved hard work equates to success by reaching the finals of a national maths competition held at Oxford University.

The Quiz Club National Inter-school Quiz Championship sees pupils from schools all over the country go head-to-head in the qualifying rounds for the chance to make it to the semi-finals and finals.

The finals took place on July 3 at Oxford University, where the Luton team was up against 45 other teams.

The team members, Layla Badi, Mario Malaj, Arsene Maxwell, Rohan Bodalia and Rahul Bodalia, finished in fourth place in the semi-finals and were invited to Oxford for a chance at taking home the trophy. They were the only team in Bedfordshire to qualify for the final round.

The team attended an extra-curricular club run by one of the teachers, Mrs Shobina Ahmed, in preparation for the competition. She said: “They worked very hard preparing for the finals, where they secured thirty-first place.

“It was a great aspirational visit for the children who would normally not have the opportunity to visit places like Oxford University. While we didn’t place in the top spots, the children had great fun and learned valuable team-work skills and developed their existing maths skills. This is certainly an experience that the children and, us as teachers, will remember for years to come.

"Thirty-first place in a national competition is a fantastic achievement for the pupils, and their school, the only one in Bedfordshire to reach the final round. They have made their town and teachers proud.”