STUDENTS from Queen Elizabeth’s Sixth Form in Crediton found a winning formula in the regional finals of the Senior Maths Team Challenge.

The team of Ella Kershaw, Troy Sharples, Sean Hao and Nathanael Alcock beat a host of high-achieving schools on their way to the title.

The students first had to tackle ten group questions and they achieved full marks in nine of the ten problems.

That was followed by a challenging cross-number puzzle with complex sums in the millions and finally a mini-relay of questions working in pairs.

Maths teacher John Wright said: “The students were absolutely fantastic. They showed so much talent and crucially the ability to work well as a team in a pressured situation.

“This event is the premium competition for maths in the UK – nearly every school in the country enters.

“Last year we came really close to reaching the final for the first time, so to get there this year was even more rewarding.”

School principal Richard Newton-Chance said: “We are incredibly proud of the achievements of these excellent mathematicians.

“It’s great to see their enthusiasm and effort reap such rewards. Of course, they couldn’t do it without the help and encouragement of brilliant teachers.”

The team will now head to London for the national final.

The last three winners have been Westminster, Harrow and Eton.