Years 10 & 11

Huge congratulations to Charlotte in Year 11 who has been selected to be Co-Chair for Universify Education’s Student Council this year. Applications were received from across the UK so this is wonderful news, and an amazing opportunity! We know Charlotte will bring enthusiasm and dedication to her role.

Students at KS4 are given opportunities via the UKMT Maths Challenge, language days at Oxford University, Art work displayed in the local community, and reading lists to challenge and inspire.

Individual mentoring is given to Year 11 Most Able students to assist them through their GCSE exam year and gives extra support on top of the revision sessions already offered by departments.

In Year 11 MA students are given the opportunity to participate in Oxford University’s St John’s College ‘Inspire’ programme. The Year 11 programme is a free online course which focuses on one central question which is approached from a variety of viewpoints. Each class (approximately once every 3-4 weeks) will include articles, quizzes, and competitions. Students can decide how many of the classes to participate in.  Each class also includes information on making informed choices about A Level subjects, conducting research and effective note-taking, writing essays, problem-solving and revision skills. Following the online courses, students can then apply to attend a summer school at St. John’s College in the August after their GCSE exams.

Students must apply to ‘Inspire’ in the first half term of Year 11. Follow the link below to apply for Inspire.

https://www.sjc.ox.ac.uk/study/working-schools/-inspire/year-11/

The links below will get you thinking in new and exciting ways about a number of subjects:

14-16 years

Big thinking with real-world impact

  • BBC Future– A series of articles exploring interesting questions, from ‘What’s the best age to learn a language?’ to ‘Can AI help cure loneliness?’
  • Springboard videos– These videos bring you cutting-edge research from Oxford’s graduate students on a wide range of topics – from climate change and colonialism, to microbiomes and mathematical logic. Each video offers an introduction to a new topic, plus lots of activities and further resources to explore.
  • Ted Talks– Short and fascinating talks discussing bold ideas.
  • Zooniverse– A chance for you to contribute online to real-life research projects.

For all subjects…

  • In our time– BBC Radio programme exploring a wide range of historical topics with academics and experts from around the world.
  • My HE Plus– Created by the University of Cambridge, this website helps you to explore subjects beyond the classroom.
  • Oxford Podcasts– More than 5,000 hours of podcasts and lecture series on a range of subjects from the University of Oxford.
  • St John’s College Inspire Digital– A collection of articles, TED talks, videos, and competitions that delve into selected topics and enhance learning.
  • Worcester Bookshelf Project– A project run by Worcester College that involves sharing, recommending and reviewing books across a range of subjects.

Subject-specific resources

  • Art – The Louvre -A virtual tour of the Louvre Art Gallery in Paris.
  • Art – The National Gallery– An online version of the National Gallery’s collections, where you can explore works of art.
  • Biology –Royal Society of Biology – An educational resources hub from the Royal Society of Biology.
  • Chemistry –Isaac Chemistry – Online platform for GCSE and A-level students studying Chemistry.
  • Chemistry– Royal Society of Chemistry – Chemistry resources, from podcasts to online games.
  • Classics– Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – A series of videos exploring the Classical world through the videogame Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
  • Classics –Classics TL;DR – An animated series where we break down the ancient world, so you can delve right into the original stories.
  • Computing –GeomLab – Introduces you to some of the most important ideas in computer programming.
  • Computing, Mathematics – National Museum of Computing– A virtual tour of the National Museum of Computing in Bletchley Park.
  • Economics – Freakonomics– An introduction to economics and policy making.
  • Economics – The Economist– Expert commentary on current affairs and the economy.
  • Engineering– I Want to Study Engineering – If you’re interested in studying Engineering, take a look at these online problems and puzzles.
  • Engineering– Tomorrow’s Engineers – Activities designed to introduce you to engineering principles and examples of engineering challenges in real life.
  • English– Diseases of Modern Life Resources – A range of sample texts from primary sources useful for preparing for AQA’s English GCSE ‘unseen 19th century literary non-fiction’.
  • English– The Poetry Foundation – An interactive website, including videos and audio clips, to make poetry come to life.
  • English and History– Lest We Forget Project – A project aiming to collect and digitally archive First World War artefacts stored in bedrooms and attics across the UK.
  • Geography– Royal Geographical Society – Geography resources, including podcasts, online lectures and articles.
  • History – Anne Frank Museum– A virtual tour of the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam.
  • History – British Museum– A virtual tour of the British Museum in London.
  • Law– BBC Law in Action – A radio show that analyses the law stories featured in the news.
  • Mathematics – Oxford Mathematics Alphabet– The Mathematics Alphabet presents engaging mathematical ideas and the latest research.
  • Mathematics– Plus Mathematics – An online magazine aimed at celebrating Mathematics.
  • Modern Languages – Duolingo– A resource for studying languages, available both online and as an app. It offers 30 languages and the format means you can study whenever suits you.
  • Modern Languages, Linguistics– Creative Multilingualism – Find out how languages open doors to lots of different careers with Creative Multilingualism.
  • Music –Classical Music – The official website of the BBC Music Magazine, featuring podcasts, reviews and artist interviews.
  • Politics – The New Statesman podcast– Detailed analysis of politics.
  • Politics– Oxford Politics blog – A blog sharing research and analysis from the University’s Department of Politics.
  • Physics– British Physics Olympiad – Annual physics competition, including past papers and other resources.
  • Physics– Isaac Physics – Online platform aimed at students studying GCSE and A-level Physics.
  • Science – American National Museum of Natural History– A virtual tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
  • Science – Museum of Natural History tour– A virtual tour of the University’s Museum of Natural History.
  • Science– Oxford Sparks – An online portal for engaging with the exciting scientific developments happening at Oxford.