Holy Rood Maths

Pi day approaches- watch this space…

Problem of the Week 160! Please do not comment the solution so others can work it out too. Instead, like this post or comment a thumbs up if you think you have the correct answer! The solution will be posted in the comments on Thursday afternoon. #Problem #UKMT #Maths

Happy Lunar New Year - welcome to the Year of the Horse! 🧧🐎 Wishing all our students, staff, alumni and friends, in St Andrews and around the world, a very happy and prosperous Spring Festival. #EverToExcel

The world has lost a mind whose work guides us every day. Gladys West, a pioneering mathematician whose contributions helped make modern GPS possible, has passed away at 95, peacefully on January 2026, surrounded by family and friends. West’s mathematical models of the Earth’s shape became a critical foundation for satellite navigation, allowing precise positioning anywhere on the globe. Her work helps guide everything from airplanes and ships to smartphones and emergency services, though she once joked that she still preferred using paper maps. Born in 1930 in rural Virginia, West grew up in the South, working on her family’s farm and walking miles to a one-room schoolhouse. She originally planned to study home economics, but discovered a love for geometry that led her to pursue mathematics. A scholarship took her to Virginia State College, where she earned her degree and later a master’s in mathematics. In 1956, she joined a U.S. Navy research facility in Dahlgren, Virginia. Over a 42-year career, West worked with early computers to develop algorithms that accounted for the Earth’s irregular shape, gravity, and tidal forces, refinements that were essential for accurate satellite positioning. Without the mathematical groundwork she helped establish, the global navigation systems used today would not function as they do. For most of her career, West’s contributions remained largely unknown outside scientific circles. Later in life, she received major honors, including induction into the U.S. Air Force Hall of Fame and the Prince Philip Medal. She inspired generations of scientists and mathematicians.

Well done to our ‘Pupils of the month’ for November #achieving #hardworkpaysoff

Well done to the pupils of the month from October!

The Senior Mathematical Challenge results are out! 🎉 A huge thank you to all the students — over 100,000 participants — as well as the teachers and volunteers who made this possible. Well done, you!

Well done to everyone on their results today, we are so proud of your hard work. #doorsopening

All about the Stats for footballers- bbc.co.uk/news/videos/c3…

Well done to Louis who achieved a gold award in the UKMT junior challenge, then a bronze in the Regional Kangaroo final! We are so proud of you! #inspiringmathematician @UKMathsTrust

Hall of fame winners 2025- well done to this group from 2T. They chose Dr Karen Meyer from @dundeeuni We will invite Dr Meyer to visit in the new term. #metaskills #confidentindividuals

1P trying the yellow (harder) tarsia today! They got really far despite very little time! #groupwork #AgainstTheClock #numeracy #meta-skills

During todays tutor assembly the top three pupils received certificates for the @sumdog P7 transition contest. Well Done! @st_marys_leith ,St Catherine’s,@stjohnvianneyPS @Porty_StJs @StNiniansRCPS St Frances RC

oops most of these pictures were from the S4 treasure hunt! Pupils doing exam questions from multiply topics.

S3 pupils talking part in outdoor education with a volume exam questions

P7 Pupils going a tarzia as part of the 3 days transition visit. #teamwork #meta-skills #numeracy

P7 Transition contest has finished! 241 students took part answers 70,611 questions! Top pupils from each cluster school will get a certificate during the three day visit! @st_marys_leith St Catherine’s @stjohnvianneyPS @Porty_StJs @StNiniansRCPS St Frances RC

The second half of S2 have finished presenting for Hall of Fame S2TVWY #InformationHandling #communication #teamworkmakesthedreamwork #talking #meta-skills