CHILDREN from two Stourbridge primary schools will be taking on the top young minds of the Midlands tomorrow (November 25).

After beating off competition from fellow Stourbridge pupils, students from Blanford Mere Primary School and Pedmore C of E Primary School have made it through to the regional semi finals of the National Young Mathematicians’ Awards.

The annual event, organised by tuition provider Explore Learning together with the NRICH Project at the University of Cambridge, entailed a set of first rounds across the UK, with Colley Lane, Blanford Mere, Pedmore, The Ridge, Brierley Hill and Greenfield Primary Schools competing in the Stourbridge heat earlier this month.

Carey Ann Dodah, head of curriculum at Explore Learning, said: “Maths is so often regarded as a subject that can put children off their studies but this competition shows that not only is it fun and engaging, but a fantastic opportunity to build on teamwork, reward children’s success, develop their confidence and realise their skills for numbers.

“The children will be challenged to solve a multi-layered, high-level problem and will be assessed on their ability to get to the root for the problem, teamwork and their true mathematical thinking.”

Blanford Mere and Pedmore pupils will now aim to become one of the top five teams in the country in order to go through to the grand final of the competition at the University of Cambridge on December 8.