October Half-Term Mathematics Courses: Your Complete Guide
The October half-term (27-31 October 2025) presents a perfect opportunity for mathematical development. Whether your child is preparing for the Primary Maths Challenge in November, building foundations for the Junior or Intermediate Challenges in the new year, or simply looking to strengthen their problem-solving skills, we’ve designed five intensive courses to help them progress.
Strategic Timing for Competition Preparation
This timing is particularly strategic in the mathematics competition calendar. For Primary students, it’s the final preparation window before November’s challenge. For Intermediate students (Years 9-11), it’s the ideal moment to build strong foundations well before the January competition, avoiding the last-minute rush that many families experience. For Junior students (Years 7-8), starting preparation now for April’s challenge means developing deep understanding rather than cramming techniques.
The half-term format allows for five consecutive days of focused, 45-minute sessions to allow students to build momentum, to develop confidence, and to see genuine progress without the pressure of fitting sessions around school commitments.
Course Overview
All courses run daily from Monday 27 October to Friday 31 October 2025, with 45-minute sessions each day. Every session will be recorded and available for at least one month after completion. This means you can catch up on anything missed, or review material as many times as needed.
Primary Maths Challenge | 10:00 AM | Ages 9-11
Perfect timing for November’s competition and excellent for 11+ preparation
This course focuses on the core topics that appear year after year in the Primary Maths Challenge. We’ll work through problem-solving strategies for arithmetic, logic puzzles, geometry, and numerical reasoning. The format mirrors the actual challenge, helping students build both skills and confidence.
All the questions will be Kevin’s original creations, designed based on questions from recent years and will help students to develop the mathematical thinking to be able to tackle unfamiliar problems. It’s not about memorising techniques; it’s about building genuine problem-solving ability.
The overlap with 11+ preparation is substantial. The problem-solving approach, the mathematical thinking, and many of the specific topics align perfectly with what selective schools test. Whether you’re preparing for November’s challenge, January 11+ exams, or both, this course will strengthen your child’s mathematical foundations.
Junior Maths Challenge Core Topics | 11:00 AM | Ages 11-13
Building the essential foundations
If your child is in Year 7 or 8 and will be taking the Junior Maths Challenge in April/May, this course covers the fundamental topics that form the backbone of success.
These aren’t the very hardest problems in the JMC, but they’re the ones that determine whether students achieve Bronze, Silver, or Gold. Many students miss out on higher certificates simply because they haven’t fully mastered these core areas. This course ensures those foundations are solid and will also allow students to confidently move on to the Advanced courses later in the year.
Even if your child is still in Year 6 or younger, they’re very welcome if they’re working at this level. The Junior Challenge is an excellent target for strong primary students.
Junior Maths Challenge Advanced 1: Arithmetic, Number and Algebra | 1:00 PM | Ages 11-13
For students targeting Gold and beyond
This is where we move beyond the fundamentals into the territory of the hardest JMC questions – for students aiming for Gold certificates and hoping to qualify for the follow-on Junior Kangaroo and Junior Olympiad rounds.
We’ll explore divisibility rules, number patterns, algebraic thinking, and the kind of clever arithmetic that appears in questions 20-25 of the JMC. These are the problems that separate good performances from exceptional ones.
If your child achieved Bronze, Silver or even Gold in a previous JMC and wants to push for Gold or qualification for the follow-on rounds, this course will challenge and develop them.
Intermediate Maths Challenge Core Topics | 2:00 PM | Ages 13-16
Essential skills for IMC success
The Intermediate Challenge in January is just around the corner, and this course covers all the core material that students need to be able to reach the Bronze and Silver certificate boundaries and beyond. There will be lessons on the core topics in number, geometry and problem-solving, and plenty of practice on original challenge-style problems.
We’ll work through problems methodically, building both speed and accuracy. By the end of the week, students should feel significantly more confident about these fundamentals, ready to tackle the IMC and to move on to the Advanced courses. Many students also take the Advanced course at the same time – they are designed to complement each other well.
Intermediate Maths Challenge Advanced 1: Arithmetic, Number and Algebra | 4:00 PM | Ages 13-16
Targeting the hardest IMC questions
This course tackles the more sophisticated topics needed for the IMC, with a particular focus on problems in number theory, arithmetic and algebra, as well as some mixed-topic problem-solving questions. [A second Advanced course focused on geometry and problem-solving questions will run in the Christmas holidays (separate booking required).]
These are the skills needed for questions 16-25 of the IMC and will help students reach a Gold certificate and qualification for the Kangaroo and Olympiad rounds.
Who Teaches These Courses?
All five courses will be taught personally by Dr Kevin Olding. With a first-class MMath from Magdalen College, Oxford, and a PhD in Probability and Mathematical Finance, Kevin brings deep mathematical expertise to every session. He taught at some of the UK’s most prestigious schools, including Westminster School and Dulwich College.
Over nearly two decades of teaching, Kevin has worked with thousands of students at every level, from those taking their first maths challenge to those competing in the Olympiads. His approach combines mathematical rigour with a genuine understanding of how to make complex ideas accessible and enjoyable for students of all abilities.
Key Information
Recordings: All sessions are recorded and available for at least one month. If you can’t attend live, or if your child wants to review material, you’ll have full access to everything.
Age Groups: The age ranges are guidelines. Younger students who are working ahead are always welcome in higher-level courses. However, older students should stick to their age-appropriate level or higher.
Booking: You must book the complete course – individual sessions aren’t available separately. This ensures continuity and allows us to build concepts properly across the week.
How to Book
All bookings can be made via the buttons above or below or from our live classes page here: https://mathsaurus.com/live-maths-and-problem-solving-classes-for-ages-9-18/
We recommend creating an account during booking, as this makes accessing Zoom links much easier.
Questions?
If you’re unsure which course is right for your child, feel free to email hello@mathsaurus.com for guidance based on their current level and goals. You can also sign up for a webinar with Kevin here – you can join an upcoming live session or watch a replay of the last session.
The October half-term is a valuable opportunity for mathematical development. Whether your child is preparing for an upcoming challenge or just wants to build solid foundations for the future, these courses will help them progress with confidence and also help students enjoy and develop a deep appreciation for mathematics.