Two youngsters have shown they are both maths masters after achieving their GCSEs five years early.

Friends Daniel Mullins, from Higham, and Jeremy Agudeogu, from the Isle of Grain studied for the exams while they were still at Cliffe Woods Primary School in Rochester.

Jeremy, 10, and Daniel, 12, achieved the highest grade they could in their GCSE maths exam

Daniel, 12, and Jeremy, 10, took the tests in November at The Clarendon Royal Hotel in Gravesend.

Daniel, a fan of calculus, said: "We started doing maths quite some time ago and thought why waste the time we're spending learning, why not carry on, why not test ourselves with the next level, GCSEs.

"GCSEs are definitely different to what we learn at primary school. We had to learn an entire new set of maths and an entire new way of learning, but it was fun.

"I wasn't especially good at the start - I began like everybody else - but then my dad started teaching me and it grew from there.

"I think I'll have to redo my maths GCSE with my secondary school, but doing the exams now are good because it tests what I can do.

"Doing it early has definitely helped me step into my new secondary school as it's one less class that I don't really have to worry about."

Daniel began preparing for his higher maths exam - which is geared towards higher grades - while he was in Year 6 and Jeremy began revising for his foundation maths exam in Year 5.

The boys actually took their exams a year later than planned, thanks to Covid-19 delays. By this time, Jeremy was in Year 6 and Daniel was in Year 7 at his new school, Sir Joseph Williamson's Mathematical School, in Rochester.

Jeremy said: "When I was half way through Year 4, my head teacher saw that I was really good at maths.

"During an assembly he called me to his office and asked me if I wanted to do my GCSEs early. I said yes and that's how it all happened.

"I found the learning fun, but some of the questions definitely were challenging. There were some questions that I hadn't seen before.

"I realised I was good at maths when I was in Year 2. It started off with me enjoying my lessons but the enjoyment grew bigger as I continued learning.

"I'm definitely going to have to do my GCSE all over again, because there is no way I'm not going to do it in Year 11, but I'm probably going to try and do A-level maths before I go to university.

"I've achieved my foundation GCSE, so I'm going to do my higher exam at some point this year, when Covid-19 doesn't cancel it anymore.

"I think what I've learned so far will help me when I do my actual exams because I can't forget all of what I've learned.

"At the moment I'm ahead of most of my class and that has helped me in Year 6 and is preparing me for secondary school early."

Jeremy's mum, Dola Ogunleye, a 40-year-old business partner with the NHS, said: "Even at the age of one, Jeremy would stop when we were out on walks and read every single number and letter on every car and house we passed.

"And for every house we passed, if we came back another time and passed it again, Jeremy would remember the number.

"One time he even remembered all the numbers and letters of the wifi password for someone's internet after only seeing it once months before.

"They have fun doing maths. Jeremy enjoys it so much that when I'm thinking of consequences to discipline his behaviour I say he won't be able to do his GCSE maths and he always gasps and says 'no, no I'm sorry'. He wants to learn maths, he really does enjoy it."

Daniel's dad, Mark, a 54-year-old maths and physics teacher at Saint George's Secondary School, Gravesend, said: "What the boys have done is very impressive.

"But what is more impressive is that they have fun doing it, because they're not driven. They just love maths and like doing it.

"It's nice to see a couple of young kids enjoying what they do, so we're very proud, but also pleased they're doing something that they love.

"Daniel is not hyper-bright or anything, he just loves maths and works hard at it."

Daniel achieved a 9 on his paper, the top mark on the higher exam, and Jeremy achieved a 5, the top mark on the foundation exam.

Timothy Muggridge, head teacher at Cliffe Woods Primary School, said: "I am simply delighted for the two boys. What they have achieved is simply superb.

"Both have shown tremendous tenacity and continued to work hard during these somewhat tricky times educationally.

"Very few primary aged children take GCSEs. However, we have been fortunate, at Cliffe Woods Primary School, to have had three students in the last two years pass their maths GCSE, which is something that we are incredibly proud of.

"I am sure that the boys have an incredible future ahead of them, their potential is incredible."

The boys hope to find careers within the mathematical industry.

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