Christmas 2026 Live Maths Courses: Your Complete Guide
The Intermediate Maths Challenge is on Wednesday 27th January and the Primary Maths Challenge Bonus Round follows in February, so the Christmas holidays are a great time to do some preparation. The Junior Maths Challenge is further off, on Wednesday 5th May, but the most successful students have their preparations well underway at this point (and also know that the benefits of maths challenge questions go much further than just winning certificates! Whilst I have competition preparation in mind when teaching these classes, they’re really about understanding maths more deeply and enjoying the subject, so they are very suitable for students wanting to improve their maths and problem-solving and to enjoy some challenging material, whether or not they are taking the challenges.
Four courses run from Monday 28th December to Friday 1st January, for ages 9 to 16. Everything is taught live by me (Kevin), with lesson notes and replay videos available after every session.
Monday 28th December to Friday 1st January
All courses run daily from Monday 28th December 2026 to Friday 1st January 2027, 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. All times are UK time.
For students who qualified for the Bonus Round, and for 11+ preparation
If your child qualified for February’s Primary Maths Challenge Bonus Round on their November performance, this course is exactly the preparation they need for the follow-on paper.
We work through the more sophisticated problem-solving the Bonus Round asks for. The questions demand deeper mathematical thinking and more systematic approaches than the main challenge, and the last few drop the multiple choice and ask for the answer outright.
For students sitting 11+ exams in January, this course is invaluable. The level of thinking the Bonus Round asks for lines up closely with what the most selective schools test, and the multi-step problem-solving, logical reasoning and numerical sophistication all feed straight into those papers.
All the questions will be Kevin’s original creations, written from analysis of previous Bonus Round papers and 11+ papers from top schools. It’s about developing the mathematical maturity to meet an unfamiliar problem with confidence. Students are very welcome whether or not they are actually taking the Bonus Round or the 11+, because it is excellent problem-solving practice either way.
Building geometric reasoning
If your child took our October Junior Core Topics or Advanced 1 course, this is the natural next step. Geometry, shape and space problems turn up consistently in the hardest JMC questions, and it is the area students most often find difficult to revise on their own.
We explore angle problems, area and perimeter, coordinate geometry and 3D visualisation. These topics ask for a different kind of thinking, more visual and more spatial, and they usually reward an elegant insight rather than computational power.
The course complements the arithmetic and algebra of Advanced 1. Together they cover the full range of advanced technique needed for JMC Gold certificates and for qualification to the follow-on rounds.
Even if you didn’t take October’s courses, this is accessible to any strong Year 7 or 8 student who is comfortable with basic geometry and wants to develop sharper spatial reasoning.
Geometric technique for the hardest IMC questions
The Intermediate Maths Challenge is on Wednesday 27th January, so this course lands about four weeks before the paper. Geometric problems appear consistently at the hard end of it, and this week develops the technique those questions need.
We cover coordinate geometry at an advanced level, trigonometric problem-solving, properties of circles and geometric proof. These problems ask for computational skill and geometric insight together, the ability to notice a pattern in a shape and then exploit it.
If you took our October IMC Core Topics or Advanced 1 course, this is the geometric complement to that algebraic and numerical foundation. Together they make thorough preparation for the full range of IMC questions.
The course is particularly worthwhile for students targeting Gold and hoping to qualify for the Grey or Pink Kangaroo and the Olympiad rounds, where the same geometric reasoning is asked for again.
For students aiming at the very top of the paper
This is our most demanding IMC course, for students pushing for the highest scores, aiming at Olympiad qualification, or who simply enjoy the hardest problems for their own sake.
We explore competition mathematics at its most sophisticated: elegant problem-solving techniques, advanced number theory, geometric insight, and the kind of thinking that separates a good performance from an exceptional one.
The problems go beyond typical IMC preparation. They build mathematical maturity, pattern recognition and the confidence to approach something completely unfamiliar. Students often find that afterwards even the hardest IMC questions feel more manageable.
It suits students who achieved Gold in previous challenges and want to push further, and those who enjoyed the October Advanced courses and are ready for the next level. This is the course where I get to teach the mathematics I most enjoy teaching.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the course really run on New Year’s Day?
Yes. Friday 1st January is the fifth and final session of each course. It is recorded like every other session, so if that particular morning is spoken for, your child can watch it back.
What if I can’t attend every session live?
Every session is recorded and available for at least one month afterwards, with lesson notes. If you cannot make a class live you will be able to catch up.
My child didn’t take the October courses. Can they still join Advanced 2?
Yes. Each course is self-contained and starts from what the topic needs rather than from what October covered. If you would like to work through the earlier material first, recorded versions of the October courses are available from the live classes booking page.
My child is not taking the competition. Can they still join?
Yes. The courses are built around challenge-style problems because those are the most interesting ones, not because the competition is the point. Any student who enjoys being stretched at this level is welcome.
Can I book a single session rather than the whole course?
No, the courses are booked as a complete week. The five lessons build on each other, which is what makes a week of teaching worth more than five separate lessons.
How to Book
All bookings can be made via the button below, or see more information on the live classes page. If you are unsure which course is right, email hello@mathsaurus.com and I will help you choose.
About Your Teacher
Expert Teaching from Dr. Kevin Olding
After obtaining First Class undergraduate and Masters degrees in Mathematics from Magdalen College, Oxford, Kevin taught at Westminster School and Dulwich College. He later completed his PhD in Mathematics at the University of Bath while founding Mathsaurus.
Kevin’s students have achieved places at leading UK schools and universities, with many earning Olympiad medals. Over 50,000 students have taken Kevin’s courses, with a combined social media following of over 65,000 across YouTube and TikTok.