WHEN 11-year-old Andrew Slattery started at “big school” he was no stranger there – he’d been attending almost daily for a year.
Maths whizz-kid Andrew (pictured) was sent three times a week from his primary school to join pupils three years older than him at Culcheth High School, near Warrington, for mathematics.
After a year attending top set, Year Nine maths lessons, head of department Matt Lamble set Andrew and all the other pupils in the class an old SATs examination.
Not only did Andrew come top – he scored the highest mark ever achieved at the school.
Mr Lamble said: “It was an incredible achievement.
“When Andrew first joined the class he was very quiet for the first few lessons, but he soon fitted in and impressed the other students, who are all three years older than him.”
Andrew’s gift for mathematics was first spotted when he was in Year Two at Twiss Green Primary School, Culcheth.
At first he used to join the year above for maths lessons, but by the time he reached Year Six he was ready to study at an even higher level.
His mother, Alison Norris said: “It was Andrew’s teachers who identified his talent in maths. We hadn’t noticed anything at home.
“In every other respect he is just like any other boy of his age.
“We think it is marvellous that the primary school and the high school were able to work together to give him the opportunity to attend the maths lessons at the high school.”
Andrew is still studying maths with his older friends in the top set – now Year 10 – and is well into the GCSE maths course.
High school deputy head Alyson Middlemass said; “This is an example of how Culcheth High School has developed it’s curriculum to enable students to access subjects and courses at a rate appropriate to their needs.”
