Mr Clutterbuck’s Christmas Holiday Challenge

This is not something that even the most knowledgeable and hardworking Coombe Hill pupil will be able to do by themselves. This challenge is designed for you to discuss with your parents, your grandparents and your family friends so get as much help as you can. Don’t worry if you can’t answer them all – some are very hard.

A copy of this Challenge is on the school website and through Parent Mail. You may find the pictures easier to see on-line

There are prizes for the winners but do not forget to fill in the tie-break question at the end, just in case there is a draw.

Please note that the judge’s decision is final and where there is more than one possible answer the one on the judge’s answer sheet is the one to be accepted – unless it is stated otherwise in the question.

This year, there are few guests helping to set the questions:

Ms Dunn starts: Question 1.

Mr Clutterbuck wins the lottery! Because he is a very generous man he decides to build a new amazing school in Kingston. Mr Clutterbuck chooses you to design and start the building process. You will be working for a month during the Summer holidays. You are offered two payment options.

Either: i)One penceon the first day, two penceon the second day, and double your salary every day thereafter for the thirty days; or

Or: ii) Exactly £1,000,000.

  1. Which option do you choose?______
  2. Why?______

Question 2 from Ms Englefield:

Can you identify the teachers below?

Ms Englefield has distorted some of the staff pictures so they look very strange like this one of her. Can you guess who they are? To make it harder, I am only showing you part of the picture – and sometimes not even the right way round. The first one might be quite easy!

ABC D

E F G H I

Question 3

If you thought that was easy, can you work out who these famous people are and what they are known for? Write your answers in the box overleaf.

Question 4

Over the year, I am asked lots of different questions by pupils. Below are some of my answers, but can you work out what I am being asked? There is one mark for accurately working out the right question but you will also get a mark if your question makes the judges laugh:

  1. In about ten minutes
  2. Ahem, let’s just say around 40
  3. Blue obviously
  4. Yes, I am
  5. I haven’t got one because I am the Head Teacher

What were the questions?

A.

B.

C.

D.

E.

Question5: What do you think the following initials stand for:

  1. LOTR______
  2. PAP______
  3. HDM______
  4. HPATGOF______
  5. TKAM______
  6. WTP______
  7. NEF______
  8. JE______
  9. What very specific thing links all of the above and their order? ______

Question 6: Name the next possible word in the sequence – in some cases there may be more than one answer. Be warned. Some of these are straightforward but others are based on a very devious idea from Mr Held.

  1. Ticket, Help, Day, Paperback______
  2. Sticky, Exile, Goats, It’s,______
  3. Birmingham, Blackburn, Brentford, Brighton,______
  4. Henry, William, William, William,______
  5. Red, Blue, White, Orange,______
  6. Russia, Sweden, England, Greece,______
  7. Eagle, blackbird, albatross, buzzard,______

Question 7.

Which is the odd one out? The answer we are looking for is very specific and not always the most obvious!

  1. Chargers, Cowboys, Colts, Ponies______(it is not the first letter!)
  2. Banana, Cherry, Junk, Laser,______
  3. Attack, Fight, Revenge, Return, ______
  4. Alec, Duncan, Angus, Malcolm,______

Ms Ransom asks Question 8a: What day of the week, date and year was it when Britain changed from shillings and pounds to pounds and pence?______

8b: What major world event changed lives in November 1989? ______

Tie Break

The return of the limerick challenge. Complete the Limerick below in the best way you can. Limericks need to rhyme in a certain way so I have given you an example

An elderly man called Keith
Mislaid his set of false teeth – second line rhymes with the first
They’d been laid on a chair,
He’d forgot they were there - third and fourth lines also rhyme
Sat down, and was bitten beneath – last line rhymes with the first

There once was a teacherfrom Coombe,

______

______

______

______

Please hand in your answers to the school office by Monday 9th January. Wishing you all a Happy Christmas holiday and a fantastic New Year!