Matholympics – Stan's Cafe Theatre Company

Washwood Heath Academy, Birmingham
5th February, 2016

Stan’s Cafe were invited by the mathematics department at Washwood Heath Academy to create a fun maths event for World Maths Day. They wanted us to work with Year 7. Our solution was Matholympics a combination of foot speed and brain speed.

Four groups of sixty students each spent an hour in a mental and physical tussle for the new Matholympics trophy. Each group was divided into ten teams, two for each house. The scores from each group were added together to result in an overall winning house.

Round 1: What’s best wrestling – testing proportions, percentages, ratios and time.
Round 2: The Shapes Relay – identifying 2D & 3D shapes.
Round 3: What’s in my basket hurdles – creating and simplifying equations.
Round 4: Probability diving – testing the calculation of probabilities.
Round 5: Equation marathon – identifying variables.

The winner of the inaugural Washwood Heath Academy Matholympics was Chamberlain House.

Credits

Performed by:Year 7
Matholympics devised by: Kerry Murdock with James Yarker
Quizmaster: James Yarker
Referees: Jack Trow, Marlien van Liempt
Thanks to: Miss. Majothi for all her help making it happen, plus Mr. Barnes and Andrew Fox.

2017

Saltley Academy & Washwood Heath Academy.

We introduced various logistical improvements for this second year of Matholympics ‘sports day for maths’. We also added a new concluding round based on degrees and directions. This project was originally commissioned by Washwood Heath Academy who took it for the second time this year.