National Maths Competition Challenges our Seren Learners

On Tuesday 19 May 2026, our Year 8 Seren students took part in an exciting online national maths competition, delivered in conjunction with the Seren Academy and Axiom Maths, hosted through a live webinar with the University of South Wales.

The event brought together 50 schools online, with our school proudly entering six teams into the challenge. Working in small groups of up to four, learners were introduced to a complex mathematical problem during the live session and guided through strategies to approach it before working collaboratively to submit their solution.

This year’s challenge transported learners to the ancient city of Atlantis, where they were tasked with solving a fascinating puzzle: determining the exact day of the week a monumental cuboid structure, built in honour of the goddess Tina, was completed. To crack the code, students had to carefully sift through a series of information cards, identifying relevant clues, organising data, and applying logical reasoning and mathematical problem-solving skills to reach the correct answer.

The Seren Challenge is designed to encourage teamwork, resilience, and high-level mathematical thinking. As well as testing numerical skills, it requires learners to communicate effectively, justify their reasoning, and work strategically under pressure.

The competition culminates in an exciting next stage: the two highest-performing teams from each region will be invited to attend the final event at the University of South Wales on Tuesday 14 July. Finalists will take part in collaborative mathematical activities and a further live problem-solving competition against some of the brightest young mathematicians in Wales.

All six of our teams represented the school brilliantly, demonstrating excellent teamwork, determination, and mathematical creativity throughout the challenge. We are incredibly proud of their efforts and look forward to hearing the results.