Two Yarm School students are in the top 25 percent of a prestigious national maths competition.

Abhinav Ramisetty, 16 and Rebecca Keetley, 16, achieved this success in the second stage of the United Kingdom Mathematics Trust (UKMT) Senior Mathematical Challenge Paper, with Gautam Sathyamurthy, 17, also qualifying for the Senior Kangaroo challenge.

The Senior Kangaroo challenge is only open to invited students in schools and colleges in the UK, based on a qualifying score which varies from year to year.

In total, 28 Yarm School Lower Sixth Form students have taken part in this years’ Senior Mathematical Challenge which is a 90-minute, multiple-choice competition aimed at students across the UK. It encourages mathematical reasoning, precision of thought, and fluency in using basic mathematical techniques to solve interesting problems.

Commenting on his competition success, Abhinav said: “I was so pleased to learn that my hard work had earned me a place in the next stage of the competition, and placing in the top 25 percent was very exciting.”

Rebecca added: “Extra-curricular competitions such as the UKMT challenges offer the opportunity to explore the subject way beyond the syllabus at school and it’s a real badge of honour to get through to the Kangaroo stage as it is exclusive to the highest scoring participants.”

Gautam said: “I felt very proud to have been selected for the Senior Kangaroo, the competition was fierce and I would like to pass on my congratulations to Rebecca and Abhinav for scoring in the top 25 percent.”

Michael Pointon, Teacher of Mathematics & Chemistry at Yarm School, said: “This is a huge achievement for the pupils. The UKMT Senior Mathematical Challenge is a great way for our pupils to showcase their maths skills, and the highest scoring pupils are recognised by being invited to the next stages.

“We encourage our pupils to take part in additional competitions and challenges where possible, as they make great additions to their CV in readiness for college and university applications.”