School children find Kingston University 'statistically significant'

Posted Wednesday 25 November 2009

Year 12 maths students from Rosedale College in Hayes, Middlesex, found themselves getting to grips with random numbers when they visited Kingston University for the Royal Statistical Society's annual schools lecture recently.

The University invited local schools and colleges to bring their students along to hear the seventh annual lecture, this year presented by Keith Parramore from the University of Brighton.

Entitled 'The Bottle Factory - Order from Chaos', the lecture examined the concept of randomness in statistics. Mr Parramore then demonstrated how random numbers could be generated and used to provide solutions in business.

Dean of the Faculty of Computing, Information Systems and Mathematics at Kingston University, Professor Tim Ellis, said the University was pleased to be able to share its facilities and knowledge with the local community. "The lecture was an opportunity for students to find out about the wider practical aspects of statistics," he said. "For those considering studying statistics in higher education, it proved an ideal way to get involved and find out more about the subject."

Principal of Rosedale College Clive Neathey said the experience was ideal for students including those that had only just started studying the subject. "As a Foundation School with a particular interest in mathematics, technology and science, it's great to take the students outside the classroom to find out about how statistics can be applied in the real world," he said.

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