Millburn quiz team's '˜Top Class' challenge

Young television viewers have been tuning in with interest to catch a '˜Top Class' performance by a Coleraine School.
The Millburn Primary School team in the studio. INCR 40-759-CONThe Millburn Primary School team in the studio. INCR 40-759-CON
The Millburn Primary School team in the studio. INCR 40-759-CON

The Millburn Primary team is competing a the brand new quiz show on CBBC to find out which school will be crowned the “smartest in the UK”.

In the previous round they overcame Brandhall Primary School from the West Midlands and next up this Friday (3.55pm) it’s Greenfields Community Primary School in their quarter-final match.

Millburn, which has 370 pupils, got involved in the Top Class adventure after the producers contacted all schools in the UK, inviting them to apply.

Teacher Ruairi McClean takes up the story: “ Following a rigorous application process, which involved the children having to complete a complex test with questions covering all areas of the curriculum and a FaceTime interview, our school received the news that we had been successful and that we would travel to Glasgow to play our first round match.

“For some team members this was their first time on an aeroplane and they certainly won’t forget the experience of being treated like celebrities in Glasgow - getting their makeup done, being filmed etc.

“The quarter-final match involves us playing a primary school from Newcastle, England - as we are the only school from Northern Ireland to successfully get through the application process, Millburn Primary School is flying the flag for Northern Ireland in a quest to be named ‘Britain’s smartest school’.”

Mr McClean also got his knowledge put to the test during the ‘test the teacher’ segment of the broadcast, but it is the children’s experience that he is keen to highlight.

He continued: “The school got involved because we want to endeavour to give our children as many different positive experiences as is possible.

“It’s not often that something like this comes along and in keeping with the ethos of the school - we strive for success in anything that we do.

“There has been such a buzz within the wider Millburn PS community about the appearance of our children on this quiz show.

“The outstanding performance of our P7 kids will be sure to inspire the younger children in the school.”

Millburn performance against Brandhall still can be viewed on the BBC iPlayer.

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