Young whizzkids who worked out how many sheep and hens made up eight heads and 22 legs are the maths champs of London’s East End.

The self-named ‘Hexadecagon’ team from Poplar’s Woolmore Primary school were clear winners in this year’s Number Partners Challenge run by Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership.

A record 73 teams were up for the challenge from 13 East End schools, with nine teams reaching the hour-long grand final.

“Numeracy is a critical life skill,” the Partnership’s Becky Feetham explained. “Our volunteers make maths fun for pupils and gives them insight into how it can help them in later life.”

Pupils had to work out some tricky problems, including the sheep and hens poser, in the maths contest finals held at XL Catlin insurance company in the City.

Runners up were ‘Beanishy Beano Returns’ from English Martyrs Primary school at Tower Hill.

All the finalists are being taken on a trip to Brighton’s University of Sussex to find out what it’s like to be a student college student.

The partnership sends volunteers from commerce and business into schools in deprived areas to help pupils aged seven to 14 be confident and motivated in numeracy.

The volunteers are paired with youngsters for half-an-hour a week to play fun maths games, which also brings the children into contact with role models from the world of work.

There are 450 Number Partners working in 37 Tower Hamlets primary schools. They arrange teams to compete in tough rounds of maths challenges that stretch the children by using problem-solving, logic and teamwork.