Rydal Penrhos is celebrating after a Year 8 pupil achieved an exceptional top 1% score in the UKMT Junior Kangaroo Challenge.

Mathematics has been a source of tremendous optimism at Rydal Penrhos over recent times, with fantastic results coupled with huge pupil engagement and enthusiasm.

From the exceptional GCSE and A-Level results produced each year to the high calibre of case-study presentations prepared by our Year 13 Mechanics pupils, there are countless demonstrations of mathematics continuing to thrive across all age groups.

In this light, we are pleased to share the latest good news story from the faculty. Matthew Przybylko, a Year 8 pupil, has achieved a Certificate of Merit in the esteemed UKMT Junior Kangaroo.

The Junior Kangaroo serves as a prestigious follow-on event from the renowned UKMT Challenge, attracting only a select fraction (approximately 3-4%) of participants who have excelled in the Junior Maths Challenge. Matthew’s exceptional performance secured him a place among this distinguished group.

Notably, Matthew’s outstanding score of 118 places him within the top 1% of pupils who participated in the original challenge. His remarkable achievement exemplifies his exceptional aptitude and dedication, earning him well-deserved recognition for his mathematical prowess.

We would also like to offer our congratulations to Attilio Nguyen, who demonstrated similarly exceptional maths skill on the way to qualifying for the UKMT Junior Kangaroo himself. While narrowly missing out on the Certificate of Merit, Attilio’s performance underscored his impressive mathematical ability.

We are immensely proud of Matthew and Attilio for their efforts. Their achievements exemplify the standard of excellence that we aim to encourage in all our pupils, not just in Maths but in all parts of school life. With Dr Adamson taking responsibility for the Maths and Computer Science faculty from September 2023, we look forward to another brilliant year for all things Maths at Rydal Penrhos.