The Challenge is a competition which gives students the opportunity to tackle a variety of engaging mathematical activities while developing teamwork and communication skills.

In the  Group Round  teams work to solve ten questions of varying type and difficulty in the time allowed.  Each team must decide their own strategy: whether to work in pairs, individually or as a team.  The next round was the  Crossnumber .  This round is similar to a crossword but with numerical answers.  Teams work in pairs; one pair has the across clues and the other pair has the down clues.  The pairs work independently to complete the grid using logic and deduction.

The third round was the  Shuttle .  In this round teams compete against the clock to correctly answer a series of four questions. Each team is divided into Pair A (given Questions 1 and 3) and Pair B (given Questions 2 and 4).  Question 1 can be solved independently of the others, but the answer to each subsequent question is dependent on the previous answer, referred to as T in Questions 2, 3 and 4 (e.g. T is the number that you will receive).  The final round was the Relay.  Teams split off into pairs, taking it in turns to solve problems.  This round involves lots of movement as well as Mathematics: a race against the clock with lots of lively activity and excitement.

Seventeen schools were present and by lunchtime the Ivybridge Community College students were in the top three.   After a hectic Relay round the Ivybridge students finished  fourth overall.

Congratulations to Alexander, Isobel, Jasmine and Alisha for working so splendidly as a team of competitors.