A team of mathletes are jumping for joy after being crowned winners of a competition which saw them beat 36 other schools.

The students at Bancroft’s School in Woodford Green showed their competitive side at the regional heat of the UK Maths Trust’s senior team maths challenge.

Team members Alex Yan, Swasthi Surendran and Sonya Kalsi, who are in Year 12, were captained by Year 13 student Soumya Krishna-Kumar.

They were pitted against teams from across the capital during the three-round challenge held at Queen Mary University of London on Wednesday, November 28.

Speaking after the unexpected win which is a first for Bancroft, Soumya, said, “I really enjoyed both the training sessions and the day itself, and I am excited about competing again in February.

“The team is particularly strong this year and I look forward to seeing how we perform in the finals.”

The contest consisted of three rounds including the group round which saw the team work together on questions before being split into pairs for the cross number challenge.

A shuttle round finished off the competition which involved answering questions back and forth.

The Bancroft's team enjoyed a strong start, obtaining perfect scores in the first two rounds.

In the final round they held onto their 100 per cent record right up until the final five minutes when they slipped up.

But their past performance in the challenge meant they had already done enough to win.

The aim of the competition is to provide enrichment opportunities for the aspiring mathematicians nationwide and helping them to develop their teamwork skills.

After celebrations have ended, the team will start preparing for the national final which will be held at the Royal Horticultural Hall in London on February 5.

They will face off against the winners of the other 14 regional heats around the UK for a national trophy.