Swindon students have proven to be maths wizards after achieving success in the final stage of a national mathematics competition.

In January, students from New College in Swindon successfully completed the final stage of the Ritangle Mathematics competition, which is led by Mathematics Education Innovation (MEI).

The team spent 10 hard weeks answering questions and problem solving.

When registration for the Ritangle competition opened in October 2023, New College Swindon A Level Maths students were up against five other teams.

The New College Swindon team, captained by Tom Kowalik, submitted correct answers to all the questions in the competition, leading them to their success in the final.

Their solution to the challenging final question, on Jamboree Pairings, earned them a Commendable Team title and a mention on the competition website.

A Level maths programme lead, Cristina Pontet said: “This was a great opportunity for our A Level Maths students to showcase their passion for the subject, demonstrate excellent problem-solving skills as well as an ability to communicate effectively and to maintain focus under pressure.

"We are thrilled with the news and very proud of their achievement!”

A spokesperson for the competition said: "Ritangle 2023 launched on 2 October and saw over 1200 teams register and tackle a series of challenges over ten weeks in a bid to be crowned Ritangle 2023 champions."

Of the 1200 teams that entered, only 153 were able to submit correct answers for the final question, which included the Swindon team.

The winners, however, were Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet with ten other schools finishing as runner ups.

You can see New College Swindon on the Commedable Team list on the Ritangle champions page here - https://mei.org.uk/ritangle-2023-champions/

New College Swindon was formed by the merger of Swindon College and New College in 2020.

A New College spokesperson added: "We sit at the heart of the Swindon community, striving to provide the best education and development opportunities for the whole region.

"Working with local and national employers, the College trains, develops and nurtures the next generation of creative and aspirational thinkers.

"The ‘One College for Swindon’ ethos gives all learners in Swindon and the surrounding areas flexible access to high-quality teaching and learning, offering GCSE’s up to Degree-level courses for ages 16 and up."