Walsall schoolboy genius joins Mensa

Ten year old Toby Liu from Walsall has become a member of the high IQ society Mensa after scoring an impressive 160, ranking him in the top one per cent of the population.

As one of the youngest to sit the test – the minimum age is 10 and a half – Toby’s teachers at the town's Hydesville Tower School say his achievements are 'even more astounding'.

Headmaster Warren Honey said: “This truly is an impressive result and we are all very proud of what Toby has achieved. He worked really hard to earn his high score, so a huge well done from us all.”

Toby added: “I wasn’t expecting to do so well and I’m really pleased with myself. Mathematics is my favourite subject and I hope to go on to do really well in this subject when I go to senior school next year”.

Mensa – the high IQ society – was formed in 1946 and aims to identify and foster human intelligence for the benefit of humanity and provide a stimulating intellectual and social environment for its members.

To qualify for membership, anyone taking a recognised IQ test needs a score that places them in the top two per cent.

Depending on the type of test taken, this will be either be a score of at least 132 or 148.

John Stevenage, chief executive of Wolverhampton-based British Mensa, said: “We are delighted to welcome Toby and have him join up with the other young people in Mensa.

"We hope he enjoys tapping into the knowledge and expertise that is available from other members.”

Mensa currently has around 20,000 members in the UK and 110,000 worldwide. More than 1,300 of the members in the UK are aged 16 and under. The youngest is currently two and a half and the oldest is 103.

Celebrities reported to have qualified for membership include TV presenter Carol Vorderman, author Zoe Barnes,US actress Geena Davis, Who Wants to be a Millionaire winner David Edwards, boxer Nicky Piper and swimmer Adrian Moorhouse.