TWO young mathematicians have seen their performances in a national test add up to two gold awards.

Aaron Day, 11, and Vibhav Sajjan, ten, from Barnard Castle Preparatory School, in County Durham, each achieved the top award in the Mathematical Association Challenge, which is open to the most able primary school children in the country.

The boys, who are both in year six, now stand a chance of being selected for the national final in February.

Aaron, who lives near Stanhope, County Durham, said: "I was quite confident that I'd got the first 16 questions right, but there were ten more marks at stake from the harder questions at the end.

"I never really thought I could get so many right."

Vibhav, from Darlington, said: "I have just practised for a long time.

"Maths is my best subject and I do quite a lot at home as well as what I learn at school."

The boys' teacher, Christine Lane, said they had always shown aptitude for logical thinking and problem-solving.

"That's stood them in very good stead for this exam," she said. "It's the youngest level of test but in senior school the boys can enter the junior and senior challenges if they want to. They've done very well so far and we're very proud of them."

Silver award winners from Barnard Castle Prep School were Jonathan Wanless, Elizabeth Hallam, Christopher Moore, Lucy Parkinson, Daniel Swires and Jordan Woodley, while bronze awards went to Gabriella Hazell, Lottie Holmes, Elizabeth Gorman and Rory Abraham.