Super smart students invited to join Mensa

Nine super smart students from one school have been invited to join Mensa after achieving top scores in IQ tests.
Connor McDonald, 11, from Castleford has recently received a perfect test score from MENSA. Ref: AB191a0516Connor McDonald, 11, from Castleford has recently received a perfect test score from MENSA. Ref: AB191a0516
Connor McDonald, 11, from Castleford has recently received a perfect test score from MENSA. Ref: AB191a0516

Two of the Castleford Academy pupils, Connor McDonald, 11, and Joseph Clayton, who is 14 today, received 162 points – the highest possible mark.

Seven more youngsters reached a score of between 152-161, which means their IQs are in the top one or two per cent of the population and allows them to be invited into the society.

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Assistant headteacher Simon Prinsep said: “We are absolutely really proud of them. It’s a fantastic achievement. It’s a really, really hard test that’s in timed conditions.

“There’s no revision or preparation they can do for it. This is their raw intelligence.”

The school broadened out the age range of pupils it puts forward for the test to include all year groups this time – and it was the most successful crop of entrants yet.

Kim McDonald, mother of Connor, said: “He didn’t think he had done very well. He came home quite down in the dumps after taking it.

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“Then he was absolutely over the moon. We’ve always known he’s been super smart but to get that accolade is beyond what we expect of him.”

The pupils who achieved an IQ score of between 152-161 are Tristan Robson, Bethany Johnson, Aydin Sari, Jay Lindsay, Grace Tankard, Gabriela Zbonikowska and Lucy Clayton.

The academy has offered to pay for them all to join Mensa.

Sarah Clayton, mother of brainiac siblings Joseph and Lucy, 12, said: “They were delighted and proud that they both managed to get high enough marks to be inviited to join.”