Prime Musings

Via Kentnews

The growing number of parents pulling their children out of private schools because of the credit crunch is set to increase pressure on the state education system in Kent.

“I think that pressure is going to increase given the current credit crunch because west Kent is where the highest proportion of parents live who send their children to private schools.”

The Local Government Association (LGA) surveyed 150 councils in England and found that 6.2 per cent had already been contacted by parents applying for state school admissions for pupils in private education.

This book provides step-by-step maths worked examples covering all the topics needed to pass the 11+ Maths and Common Entrance Maths.  This book is suitable for students in the UK and International Students who also take the common entrance.

A write-up about us in the Telegraph Launchpad:

Video from Nasa on ratio and proportion.

Kent grammar school tests will take place on the 18/19 September 2008 for children attending a Kent Primary School and 20th September 2008 for out of county children.

When entrepreneurs in the Dragon’s den ask for say £100,000 in return for 5% of their businesses, the dragons would have to do a quick mental maths calculation to work out how much the business is being valued at.  In simple 11+ maths style, the question would be:

If 5% of a number is £100,000, how much is the number?   A quick solution is to divide 100 by the percentage and multiply the number by this answer.  So in this case 100/5 = 20, so the entrepreneur thinks his business is worth 20 x £100,000 or £2,000,000.

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Parents often find it difficult to motivate their children to prepare for the 11+ and common entrance exams during the holidays.  One simple work-around is to do only one subject for one hour as early as possible.   This frees up the rest of the day to do fun things.

An interesting piece in the business angel blog about percentages:

“This brings me on to one of the key points I have learned in business over the last few years. It is really crucial that Entrepreneurs understand percentages. That is the relationship between numbers. You need to see how a 1% fall in sales will affect your profit and hence your valuation (in the above case the relationship is 3 - a 1% fall in sales led to a 3% fall in profits). It is never straightforward.”

The arrangements for 2008 are as follows:

• Year 6 children will take two multiple choice tests in Verbal Reasoning and Mathematics
• The Mathematics test will be held on Tuesday 16 September and the Verbal Reasoning test on Wednesday 17 September
• Results will be posted to parents by first class post on 16 October 2008
• The closing date for secondary school application forms to be submitted is Friday 24 October.

Source

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The guradian posted an interesting maths question from old 11+ maths exams:

“A man left home at 11.30 a.m. and cycled 5 miles to a railway station at the rate of 12 miles an hour. He waited 10 minutes at the station and then travelled by train a distance of 36 miles at the rate of 24 miles an hour. At what time did he reach his destination?”

What they did not show as usual was how to get to the answer.  So here goes:

Start - 11.30 a.m.

cycled to the station 5 miles at 12 miles in 1 hour, or 12 miles in 60 min.  This is the same as saying 1 mile in 60/12 minutes or 5 minutes. So he will do 5 miles in 25 minutes.

He waits for 10 minutes.

Travels by train 36 miles at 24 miles an hour or 24 miles in 60 minute .  This is the same as saying 2 miles in 5 minutes [dividing by 12 a common factor of 24 and 60] .   He will travel 36 miles [ 2 x 18 ] in 18 x 5 or 90 minues.

So the total time from the time he started would be 25 + 10 + 90 minutes or 125 minues.  1 hour is 60 minutes so 125 minutes is 2 hours and 5 minutes.

So he arrives at 11.30 —- 1 hour —> 12.30 —– 1 hour —-> 1.30 p.m — 5 minutes —> 1.35 p.m.

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