Tighes Hill Public has produced the best ever individual school result in the Newcastle Permanent Primary School Mathematics Competition.
Three year 6 students, Dimitri He, Isac Johansson and Wenyu Zhou, achieved perfect marks in the 45 minute, 35-question exam, which they sat back in August with zero help from calculators, rulers or other mathematical instruments.
Their fellow year 6 pupils Tama Besuijen and Harry De Bock only got one question wrong each, achieving the second and third highest scores respectively due to the weighting of the questions.
Year 5 student Sofia Stojko also received a District Award for her achievements in the test.
Competition director Merv Curran said there had never been three students from the same school achieve perfect marks in the test since its inception in 1981.
"We didn't anticipate three students would score 100 per cent," he said.
"To back it up with second and third is just outstanding.
"It's not just what you see at the top either. There were strong performers below them as well."
The winners were presented with their awards and a prize account at a small ceremony on Wednesday.
There was also success in the mathematics competition elsewhere in the Hunter.
Hunter Valley Grammar School student Benjamin Mcclintock took out first place in the Year 5 division, while Seaham Public School student Jack Moroney achieved third in the same division.
More than 17,500 students across 290 regional NSW schools took part in the competition this year and Newcastle Permanent chief customer experience and delivery officer Paul Juergens said it was pleasing to see so many students continue to excel in the exam after four decades.
"We know this year has been a difficult year for students, teachers and parents but the outstanding results of Newcastle students clearly reflects continued dedication and commitment of many to learn and test themselves despite these external challenges," Mr Guergens said.
The mathematics competition is the largest and longest running competition of its kind in Australia. More than half a million year 5 and 6 students have participated since it began 39 years ago.
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