Maths clubs and competitions · Maths CAS idea
Organise an inter-house maths competition
CreativityServiceProject-ready
Design and run a one-day maths competition between houses or tutor groups, with rounds for different ages, marking and prizes.
Where the maths comes in
Writing original questions at several levels, balancing rounds so that no group is favoured, and designing a fair scoring system.
Which CAS strand it fits
- Creativity: The arts, and other experiences that involve creative thinking.
- Service: Unpaid, voluntary work with others that also has a learning benefit for you.
Your CAS coordinator decides how an experience counts at your school. Strand summaries are provisional (our words, being checked).
How to run it
- Form an organising committee and agree a date with the school calendar.
- Write and test every question yourselves; have a teacher check answers.
- Plan the logistics: rooms, timings, markers, results.
- Publish results and ask participants what to change for next year.
This can grow into a CAS project if your CAS coordinator agrees: see planning a maths CAS project.
How to evidence it
- Question drafts with test-player comments
- Run sheet and timings
- Results and a short feedback survey
Date everything and keep it in your school's CAS portfolio as you go. More on what counts as evidence.
Reflection prompts
Questions to think about, not answers to copy. Write your reflections in your own words, in whatever form your school accepts.
- What did you change after testing questions on real students?
- What went wrong on the day, and how did you respond?
- How would you hand the event over to next year's organisers?
Learning outcomes this often gives a chance to show
- Initiative and planning. What did you plan, and what did you have to change once you started? Who did you need to ask for permission or help, and how did you go about it?
- Collaboration. What did someone else bring that you could not have done alone? Describe a disagreement or a mix-up in the team. How was it resolved?
- Challenge and new skills. What could you not do at the start that you can do now? Which moment felt most uncomfortable, and what did you do next?
Whether you meet an outcome depends on what you actually do and reflect on, not on the idea. Outcome labels are our short summaries, being checked.
Safety and ethics
- All questions must be your own (no copying from past competition papers).
- Plan for students with access arrangements, such as extra time or large print.
Agree every plan with your CAS coordinator first. Safety and ethics for maths CAS.
Problems and strategies for a club: competition maths.