The Big Bang Competition recognises and rewards young people's achievements in all areas of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), whilst providing them with the opportunity to build their skills and confidence in project-based work.
The Competition is open to all UK residents in full-time education or training (year groups 7 to 13 and Scottish/NI equivalent). We are revising the programme and entry procedure for 2020/21 and will be announcing these details soon.
Finalists compete for over £20,000 worth of amazing prizes , including top and runner-up prizes in the Junior, Intermediate and Senior categories for science and engineering, as well as the coveted titles of GSK UK Young Engineer of the Year and GSK UK Young Scientist.
Visit our How to get started page for advice and inspiration, and read the rules and eligibility for 2020 (2021 Finals).
If you have any questions, please contact us at competitions@thebigbangfair.co.uk
If you are in Years 7-13, you are invited to enter a very short story to be in with a chance of winning up to £100.
Oxford are looking for a complete story, written in Spanish using NO MORE THAN 100 WORDS.
They are looking for imagination and creativity, as well as your ability to write in Spanish. Your use of Spanish will be considered in the context of your age and year group: in other words, we will not expect younger pupils to compete against older pupils linguistically.
There are two categories: Years 7-11 and Years 12-13. A first prize of £100 will be awarded to the winning entry in each category, with runner-up prizes of £25. The winning entries will be published on our website.
The UKMT Individual Maths Challenges are lively, intriguing multiple choice question papers, which are designed to stimulate interest in maths in large numbers of pupils.
intermediate UKMT is the second of the 3 levels and is aimed at 14/15 year olds.
The papers contain 25 multiple choice questions. Of these, the first 15 are more accessible whilst the final 10 will provide more food for thought.
Gold, silver and bronze certificates are awarded to 40% of participants nationally in the Intermediate Challenges,
The most successful participants are invited to enter follow-on rounds; Kangaroos (multiple choice questions) or Olympiads requiring full written answers.
Young Scot is the National Youth Information Agency, providing young people aged 12-26 with a mixture of information, ideas and incentives to help them become active, informed and confident citizens.
No formal qualification required! • Interest in the issues surrounding young people, Scotland and your digital world • Able to work within a group • Have the flexibility, commitment and willingness to travel across Scotland
Peterhouse hold an annual Science essay competition for students with a keen interest in their chosen science.
Competitors are advised that the main focus of the essay should not be material previously or currently being studied by the entrant as part of their sixth form studies. The entrant may refer to topics that will be studied in future so long as, at the time of the closing date, the entrant has received no formal tuition on the topic in question. All entries must be verified by a Head of Sixth Form or Head of History confirming that the essay is the entrant’s own work and that the main focus of the essay is not something which they have hitherto studied in the sixth form classroom.
The prizes are open to all students in year 12 or equivalent (i.e. in their penultimate year of school and usually aged 16 or 17), regardless of nationality or school country. Essays must be written in English.
Each competition has a prize pool of £750. Winners will be contacted by post -...
Peterhouse hold an annual essay competitions for students with a keen interest and high writing calibre in English.
Competitors are advised that the main focus of the essay should not be material previously or currently being studied by the entrant as part of their sixth form studies. The entrant may refer to topics that will be studied in future so long as, at the time of the closing date, the entrant has received no formal tuition on the topic in question. All entries must be verified by a Head of Sixth Form or Head of History confirming that the essay is the entrant’s own work and that the main focus of the essay is not something which they have hitherto studied in the sixth form classroom.
Each competition has a prize pool of £750. Winners will be contacted by post - please make sure your postal address and other contact details are entered correctl
If you are an enthusiastic and motivated 16-18 year old student wishing to have an unforgettable and inspirational summer experience, our Warwick Pre-University Summer School is for you.
- Experience a taste of Warwick with like-minded peers, one of the UK’s highest ranked universities - Eight nights on Warwick’s beautiful self-contained campus - Two nights in London, including lots of time to enjoy the capital city and a visit to LSE
- Choice of two courses taught by top Warwick faculty - Economics and Finance OR A Taste of Social Sciences - Visits to the famous University City of Oxford - Great mix of academic and personal development sessions as well as social and cultural activities; so it’s fun as well as educational - A fully catered programme with no hidden costs.
The University offers two streams as part of the Summer School;
Introduction to Economics and Finance and A Taste of Social Sciences. NOTE: Given the spread of COVID-19 and the turmoil associated with...
The deadline for all tasks was 12 noon, Friday 13 March 2020 . The prizegiving ceremony will take place in Oxford in June, and winning entrants will be invited to attend with a guest. Reasonable travel expenses will be covered.
Open to ages 9-18
NCH is inviting competition essay entries from students who are currently in their penultimate year of secondary education (Y12 equivalent in the UK).
The selection of essay titles engages across a broad range of humanities and social sciences topics and are looking receiving entries from talented and intellectually curious students who show passion and academic potential in the humanities and social sciences. Entries welcome from students located anywhere in the world.
Held in December, this two-day residential programme brings together senior leaders who identify as LGBT from across a range of sectors and industries.
You will reflect on what it means to be an authentic leader and explore how to create a more inclusive culture within your organisation.
If you are aged 18 to 25, thinking about your future and wondering how your sexual orientation and/or gender identity relates to the workplace and your career aspirations, the Stonewall Young Leaders programme could be for you.
Each year, the Admissions team organises a free week-long residential summer school intended for those studying anywhere in the UK who still have a year to complete at school. The aim is to demystify elite universities and to equip students with the knowledge and insight to make high-quality applications to top universities.
During the week, participants take part in a varied programme of academic and social activities designed to give insight into what university study would be like. Students will live in a university hall of residence and attend academic sessions in two subject areas of their choice. Sessions are also held on the UCAS application process, personal statements and student finance to ensure advice and guidance are given on all aspects of the journey to university.
Sutton Trust Summer Schools are free of charge. Not only is your place free, but we will also pay for your transport, accommodation, food and all activities and resources. There really is no cost to...
Our Pre-University Summer School at the University of Exeter is designed for students between 15 and 18 years of age who would like to learn more about their ideal study choice at university and beyond in an international environment.
The summer programme is designed to give students an insight into their possible future at university and then take them beyond by giving everyone the opportunity to look at careers and even develop some of the practical skills of these careers while learning from each other with different international perspectives.
A key stream throughout the programme is to also provide the opportunity for students to develop their life skills that would be required first of all within Higher Education and then beyond in their professional lives, including intensive studies of some of the global challenges facing these careers from outbreaks of disease in developing countries to economic crashes and international security. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic we have...
The Queen Mary Summer School is a great opportunity to discover what it’s like to study at one of the UK’s top universities, while living in one of the coolest parts of London!
The Summer School programme features a broad range courses, put together by our world-class academics in a variety of disciplines. You can specialise according to your interests.
We regret to inform you that due to the ongoing coronavirus situation, the Queen Mary Summer School 2020 has been cancelled.
This is in line with precautions being taken by universities across the UK to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. We made this difficult decision because the safety of our students and staff comes first. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this may cause you.
The course is divided into two interconnected sections. The first section considers social media functionalities and social media strategies for marketing and corporate dialogue. You will look at a range of the major social media platforms including Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube, and their influence and use in business contexts.
In the second part of the course, you will be introduced to the most relevant Internet standards to support data and interactions between users, both internal and external to a company or organisation.
You will have the opportunity to explore key topics in the business use of social media including Web 2.0, the main social media platforms today, social media use by international companies and organizations, corporate dialogue, and social media strategies and metrics.
03 August - 14 August 2020
The King's College London Pre-University Summer School is open to high-achieving students who are about to start or who are enrolled in their final two years of high school, and are typically aged 16 and 17. Students must be aged 16 as of 1 September 2020.
As this is an intensive social and academic experience delivered by King's Faculty, it is essential that all applicants are independent, mature and motivated students.
As part of the application process you will need to upload the following:
official confirmation of your most recent high school grades
a personal statement
a reference letter from your school
evidence of your English language proficiency (if your first language is not English or if English is not the language of instruction at your school).
An exciting two-week summer school at The Royal Veterinary College, University of London. You will gain veterinary skills and knowledge that will be recognised by the RVC if you choose to apply.
Earn one week of veterinary experience in our globally-recognised animal hospitals and research facilities.
Get a taste of student life at the RVC and meet our student ambassadors and academic tutors.
Receive world-class teaching alongside your peers.
Explore London one of the world’s most exciting cities as well as the beauty of the English countryside.
Challenge yourself and make friends from around the world
Please note, this is a competitive programme with 50 places available to the strongest applicants. As well as being assessed on your academic suitability, we will also use the personal statement part of the application to help us decide who to offer places to. Successful applicants will be notified in May that they have a place.
Programme: Sunday 2nd August -...
The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) conduct cetacean surveys, from their live-aboard research yacht Silurian, between April and October every year.
HWDT welcome aboard paying volunteers to assist with data collection and help monitor the various cetacean species found in Hebridean waters.
Join HWDT and have the experience of a lifetime, exploring the wilds of the Hebrides whilst contributing to a long-standing dataset – the basis of effective conservation.
Teen Team Surveys provide a fantastic experience for younger environmentalists, with participants gaining the fundamental skills required to forge a career in marine conservation. The protocol during the Teen Team Surveys is exactly the same as the Cetacean Monitoring Programme, however there will be more staff provision to offer insight and support.
Duration: 7 days
Cost: £995 per person
Participant age: 16-17
The Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) is an active citizenship programme that raises awareness amongst young people about philanthropy and their local community. Each participating school, each year is responsible for directing a £3000 YPI grant to a local charity through a unique programme of teamwork, research and competition. YPI is all about creativity and passion, leaving the four walls of the classroom behind, and supporting the issues young people care most about.
With the YPIS, students have an opportunity to research the needs of their local community and find an issue which they passionately believe in. Identify your individual strengths, skills and weakness and support one another to be a rounded and collective team.
The Science Challenge is the Royal College of Science Union's (RCSU) annual science communication competition. Requiring entrants to demonstrate their skills in scientific debate and reasoning, the Science Challenge tests the ability of today's young scientists to teach the public about the science that affects their lives.
Entries are now opened to all Imperial and school students worldwide. Check out our judges and their questions for this year's competition!
Covering subjects including Politics, Sociology, Social Policy, and Economics, the course will use the theme of Equality to explore how this topic appears in different disciplines across the area of Social Sciences.
You will have the chance to explore and stimulate your own interests in a range of topics, and to deepen your understanding of contemporary social issues. By reading the thinking across different disciplines, you will develop study skills that are both interdisciplinary and inter-textual.
The course will explore a variety of topics connected to equality: from questions of freedom, inequalities and the re-distribution of wealth to examining how social scientists investigate and answer questions about society. You will consider the approaches of key academic thinkers including J.S. Mill, Adam Smith, Isiah Berlin, and Hannah Arendt.
This course is suitable if you are in your penultimate or final year of high school (aged 16-18) and planning to attend university to...
