Online

Subject specific events & enrichment resources for students 

Oxplore: The Home of Big Questions (KS3, 4, 5)

Oxplore is an innovative digital outreach portal from the University of Oxford. As the ‘Home of Big Questions’ it aims to engage those from 11 to 18 years with debates and ideas that go beyond what is covered in the classroom. The big questions aim to tackle complex ideas across a wide range of subjects and draw on the latest research undertaken at Oxford. Oxplore aims to realise aspirations, promote deeper thinking and stimulate intellectual curiosity. This could be an effective tool to aid thinking and discussion skills development. You can find out more about Oxplore and explore some of the Big Questions.

Inspiring Digital Learning Materials (KS4, 5)

The University of Oxford has compiled the best of our digital resources to support learning and exploration. They can help parents and teachers to feed the curiosity of growing minds and inspire them to think broadly. These resources can also enable older students to explore their passions and interests further, and to discover more about Oxford. You can find these all on one website.

Competitions for pupils (KS3, 4, 5)

Several colleges and departments of the University of Oxford run competitions which are open to students from schools and colleges.

Preparing an entry for one of these competitions is a valuable experience for academically motivated students so please do encourage your students to enter. There are also some exciting prizes to be won. Further details can be found on the Undergraduate Admissions website.

Trinity Talks (KS4, 5)

Trinity’s postgraduate students and academics are offering supercurricular enrichment to secondary and sixth-form students at state schools. The interactive sessions feature a college academic or postgraduate discussing their area of academic interest and expertise, with a mix of topics ranging from the politics of Brexit and the future of plastics to the sequencing of the human genome and Virginia Woolf’s modernism. Trinity’s Access and Outreach team also provide a brief overview of super-curricular enrichment and how it relates to thinking about higher education. Each session contains a Q&A for participants with the academic and the Access team. Check out the website for registration details or browse a YouTube playlist of previously recorded talks.

Library Quad

An enrichment resource bank for secondary school students interested in delving deeper into their subject area. Students can explore the collection of resources, including books, online channels and documentaries all recommended by the current undergraduate students from Trinity College. There is lots to explore across many subject areas, including Computer Science, Music and History. Take a look at Library Quad for yourself!

Support for teachers

Trinity College Online Teacher Support Programme

Trinity's year-long online Teacher Support Programme is made up of six one and a half hour sessions each taking place after the school day. Whilst the programme begins in January each year, teachers are encouraged to join at any point or just for those sessions they would find most helpful. Whilst we offer a completion certificate for those attending all sessions there is no requirement to do so.

In these sessions, we aim to provide up to date practical information and guidance relating to the Oxford application process and the purpose of each stage, for example, the admissions tests and interviews. We also have the broader aim to provide teachers with guidance that may help them to support their pupils in all higher education applications, as well as those who may have the potential to apply to Oxford.

The six sessions include:

• An introduction to the University of Oxford and the admission process
• Supporting students through the process of writing a competitive personal statement
• Writing the teacher reference – what top universities are looking for
• Relevant enrichment activities for pupils – raising attainment and enhancing future academic success
• The admissions tests – supporting your pupils to prepare
• The interview – supporting your pupils to prepare

The programme also offers guidance to teachers and other school colleagues about pupil enrichment activities known to develop the skills associated with a raise in attainment and of benefit for university level study.

We particularly welcome applications from non-selective state schoolteachers who have little or no experience of the University of Oxford, pupil progression to the Russell Group or Higher Education in general.

To register your interest in the next programme please contact [email protected]

For families

Trinity College outreach for parents & carers

When it comes to deciding the next steps after school, everyone benefits from the support of the family and friends who know them best.

The team at Trinity College run an online live session for parents in which we cover questions about costs and finance, student support and well-being. These interactive sessions give parents the chance to ask questions and meet current students. The aim of our parent sessions is to explore the following themes:

• The benefits of going to university alongside the costs
• What the University of Oxford has to offer prospective applicants
• Helping parents and carers feel more confident about their role in supporting their child's future choices

We run these sessions in the summer and autumn term, and they are advertised through our linked schools. Parents can also book onto a choice of dates independently, so look out for our emails to share with parents. To discuss planning a session specifically for your students’ parents please get in touch to discuss directly by emailing [email protected].

Further Online support

As a parent it is not always easy to know how to help, so the University of Oxford wants to make sure everyone has to hand the information that might be needed.

The University has produced a website page and a downloadable guide explaining why we believe university might be the right next step for a child and why Oxford might be a good fit. There's advice on how students should set about choosing what to study, preparing for university and how to put in a strong application.

Oxford wants parents and carers to know that students are in safe hands at Oxford and how seriously we take their wellbeing. We also understand that parents will need to be clear on how costs will be covered, and to be reassured that our financial support for UK students is some of the most generous offered by any university. This information and the written guide can be found on Oxford's dedicated parent and carer website.

Events and activities in humanities subjects

Medieval and Modern Languages Year 9 Day

A one-day programme of languages workshops which includes languages that are both part of the school curriculum as well as those unfamiliar to most state-school students. Contact [email protected] for more information.

History Skills Workshop

The History Faculty offers a selection of free online History Skills Workshops to state secondary school, sixth form and FE college pupils from across the UK. Workshop topics include concepts & historiography, history research skills, and primary sources. Further details including how to book a workshop can be found on the Faculty of History website. 

Sixth form literary masterclass

These workshops focusing on literary texts which are part of the A-level modern languages syllabus are open to state school students in years 12 and 13. Contact [email protected] for more information.

History Online Teacher Workshops

The History Faculty's online Online Teacher Workshops are designed to support the development of practical history skills and provide advice on making a competitive application to selective universities such as Oxford. The workshops consist of 3 elements – supporting the development of History Skills, making a competitive application & teacher Q&A. Further information and details of how to book can be found on the Faculty of History website.  

English Faculty Teachers' Conference

This one-day online event for teachers offers an introduction to studying English at Oxford, taster lectures, admissions talk, Q&A with academics and Faculty members to understand how to help teachers support their prospective students (especially considering the impact of the pandemic). For more information, please email [email protected]. 

English Faculty Teachers Days

These upcoming events are a shorter version of the English Faculty Teachers' Conferences, consisting of taster lectures and resources presentations to teachers for classroom use. For more information, please email [email protected].

Events and activities in Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences subjects

RSC Women in Chemistry

This is an online multi-institutions project for girls aged approx. 10-14 to engage in fun challenges based on current research, as well as an opportunity to engage with the researchers. Find out more on their website.

Bebras computing challenge

The Bebras Computing Challenge introduces computational thinking to school students (year 2 to 13). Each participant answer questions (online in their own school) that focus on computational and logical thinking. Find out more on the Bebras website.

Unsung Heroes of Science

This video competition is run by Hertford College for 16-18-year-olds, challenging them to make a short video celebrating an unsung hero in a STEM field. Find out more on the competition website.

Oxford Online Maths Club

This free and interactive weekly super-curricular maths livestream features problems, puzzles, mini-lectures and activities. Find out more on the Maths Institute website.

Royal Institution Masterclasses

This super-curricular subject enrichment in Mathematics features repeat engagement over the course of three years (year 9 pupils are invited back for a programme of year 10 sessions, then invited back again for year 11 sessions). To find out more email [email protected]

Events and activities in medical sciences subjects

Online resources in population health

Explore science through a collection of online content, including animations and short films about clinical trials, and a demonstration about lab tests for population health research. Email [email protected] to find out how to access the materials.

Resilience to stress

Building resilience to stress is an important skill to develop. This programme helps students understand what happens in their brain when they are stressed and gives practical tools to combat stress immediately and in the future. Find out more on the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging website.

Neuroscience Experience

This week-long programme allows 24 Year 12 students to experience neuroscience and psychiatry research through interactive, in-depth workshops on everything from fMRI experimental design, data collection and analysis to medical genetics and experimental medicine. Find out more on their website.

Events and Activities offered by Oxford's Gardens, Libraries and Museums

Ashmolean Museum online primary school programme

The Ashmolean offers a virtual programme for primary schools, which includes a live taught session delivered by member of Ashmolean team supported by online resources eg films, games, images and activities. Find out more on the Ashmolean website or email [email protected] for more information.   

Pitt Rivers Museum online primary school sessions

These interactive online sessions are based on the museum collections and the National Curriculum for Key Stage 1 & 2 pupils. For more information visit the Pitt Rivers website or email [email protected].

History of Science Museum primary schools programme

The History of Science Museum offers a wide range of science and cross-curricular facilitated workshops for all key stages physical and virtual. For more information visit the programme website or email [email protected]. 

Ashmolean Museum online secondary programme

The Ashmolean offers creative online sessions inspired by collections supporting the curriculum through a mixture of live taught sessions supported by online resources. For more information visit the Ashmolean website or email j[email protected].

Pitt Rivers Museum online Secondary School and FE Sessions

These interactive online sessions are based on the Pitt Rivers museum collections and the National Curriculum for pupils in years 7 to 13. For more information visit the museum website or email [email protected].

Natural History Museum Youth Programme

Oxford University Museum of Natural History is passionate about working with young people to help create the next generation of natural scientists and offers a varied programme of activties especially for young people in their own time. For more information visit the museum website or email [email protected].

Bodleian Library live virtual lessons

Some of the Bodleian's in-person workshops are also available to schools as remote online sessions. Topics include EPQ Study Skills and Moments in Medicine. For more information consult the Bodleian website or email [email protected].

Ashmolean Museum Student Teacher Training

As part of the Ashmolean Museum's ongoing links with Oxford Brooke and Oxford University, the museum's Education team contribute to both universities' teacher training programmes with sessions about learning from objects, designing a creative curriculum, and more. For more information email [email protected].