Their achievement was recognised by the teacher marker from South Hampstead, who described the boys as “exceptional” – praise that was richly deserved after a day of impressive mathematical thinking and teamwork.
Once the competition began, the CLS team quickly demonstrated their strength. Their first group round was nearly flawless, losing just six marks from the 60 available – a result that placed them among the top eight schools in a highly competitive field that included Westminster Under School, Latymer Upper, Highgate, South Hampstead and JAGS.
The pupils maintained this high standard throughout the day, consistently achieving near-perfect scores and completing the final relay round with an impressive ten minutes to spare. The final standings saw CLS finish in third place, behind Highgate in second and Westminster Under School as overall winners — an excellent result given the strength of the competition.
CLS has a strong history in this competition, having previously reached the National Finals and placed in the top three nationally on three occasions, winning the title in both 2013 and 2014. Following last year’s return to full competition after the pandemic – when CLS reached the National Final – there is still a possibility that this year’s high score could see the team qualify once again.
In the meantime, the pupils should be immensely proud of a fantastic performance. Pranav and Daryl now look ahead to the Grey Kangaroo and Cayley Olympiad, while Luca and Oscar will take part in the Junior Mathematical Challenge shortly after the Easter break. Congratulations to all four pupils on an outstanding achievement.