The Hans Woyda Mathematics Competition is run every year between 64 schools across London, organised into 16 Leagues of 4 teams.
In the second group stage match of the season we played KCS, a fixture that we would have expected to be soundly thrashed fourteen years ago when I arrived at Emanuel – things, however, have changed dramatically during that time! KCS arrived with a formidable reputation, having narrowly lost last year in the quarter finals to Saint Olave’s Grammar, but they progressed, going on to beat St. Paul’s Boys in the final, so we knew it was going to be tough.
Against the odds, we were comfortably leading after the first two rounds, partly thanks to Jessica (Year 11). and Farhan (Year 9)’s impressive solutions to the geometry problems. A couple of minuscule errors in the mental arithmetic round, were very costly, but we recovered well to convincingly win the team round. The tie ebbed and flowed from there until the final ‘race’ round, with both teams tied on 28 points. Despite our best efforts, KCS managed to produce some lightening quick solutions and eventually pipped us to the post.
Final score: Emanuel 32: KCS 36.
Lucy M. (Year 13) in her last year at Emanuel was fantastic, as was Sam (Year 12), who always manages to handle the intense pressure with consummate ease. As the saying goes, ‘It is only a game and nobody died’, but it is still a loss that hurt and will, I hope, make us more determined than ever as we move forward.
Mr. Leadbetter (Teacher of Mathematics/Head of Lyons House/Societies Coordinator)
