King’s Ely student to compete in prestigious maths contest

October 21, 2020

A King’s Ely student has been selected to represent the UK in an international mathematics competition.

Eleanor MacGillivray, who is in Year 12 at King’s Ely Senior, is one of only six students from the UK who has been chosen to compete in the 2020 Balkan Mathematical Olympiad (BMO) – a 4.5 hour competition taking place in November.

The BMO, now in its 37th year, was due to be held in Romania this year, however it will take place remotely now due to Covid-19. It is an international mathematical contest for Secondary School students under the age of 20.

The main aim of the BMO is to challenge, encourage and develop mathematically gifted students in all participating member countries, as well as give pupils experience and preparation for the International Mathematical Olympiad. The UK has competed as a guest team in the BMO since 2005.

Eleanor has been chosen following the maths training camp that she attended at Trinity College in Cambridge last year. This makes her one of the youngest students to be selected to represent the UK in the BMO.

Speaking about her selection, Eleanor, who is from the Bury St Edmunds area, said: “I am delighted to have been selected for the team and I am very much looking forward to the challenge. It would have been fantastic to go to Romania, but in the circumstances, I am very grateful that it is going ahead at all. This is a wonderful opportunity for me, and it is a privilege to be part of the UK team. I love the challenge of maths and hope to pursue it at university.”

Audrienne Bezzina, Head of Maths at King’s Ely Senior, said: “This is the latest success in a series of fantastic results that Eleanor has obtained since joining King’s Ely Junior. To reach this sort of level at her age demonstrates all the hard work that Eleanor puts into her maths. Her determination to succeed in these competitions will be an asset in the team representing the UK. We wish her and the team the very best of luck.”

To discover more about opportunities at King’s Ely, please visit: www.kingsely.org