Super-Curriculars and Resources

Summer schools and taster days – visit a university in person, check out courses, or find out about them online.

Many universities run summer events, and you can search on the UCAS website to find them – here. They include:  

• -UNIQ: Oxford University’s summer school – here 
• -Sutton Trust: summer schools at Cambridge, Bristol, Cardiff, Durham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Imperial, Sheffield, Nottingham, Royal Vet College, St Andrews and UCL – here 
• University of London taster courses – here   
• Insight into University: virtual STEM projects – here  

MOOCs – free online courses in most subjects:  

• Futurelearn – here 
• Coursera – here  
• Stanford – here 
• MIT – here 
• Harvard – here 

Things to listen to (many subject areas!): 

• Gresham Lectures – here 
• In Our Time archive – here 
• University of Oxford podcasts – here 

Young Archaeologists’ Club – here 

British Museum – here 

Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford – here 

Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge – here 

Archaeology Podcast Network – here 

Naked Archaeology Podcasts – here 

Magazines

• Current Archaeology – here 
• Archaeological Review – here 

Reading

Wood, Human Evolution: A Very Short Introduction  

Videos

• Lecture on money in the ancient Americas – here 
• Lecture on the political economy of pre-colonial African states – here

RIBA resources – here 

Young Architect website – here 

RIBA Stirling Prize – here 

Essential Freehand Drawing Exercises – here 

Magazines 

• Architect’s Journal – here 
• Architectural Review – here 
• International Design – here 
• Scroope – here 
• Dezeen – here 

Books

• Bachelard, The Poetics of Space  
• Davidson Cragoe, How to Read Buildings Pallasmaa, The Eyes of the Skin  
• Perec, Species of Spaces and other Pieces 

Arabic Learning Resources – here 

Japanese Learning Courses – here 

Middle East Study Association – here 

Society for Asian Studies – here 

Reading

• Preparatory Reading, Cambridge, Arabic – here 
• Preparatory Reading, Cambridge, Chinese – here 
• Preparatory Reading, Cambridge, Hebrew – here 
• Preparatory Reading, Cambridge, Japanese – here 
• Preparatory Reading, Cambridge, Persian – here 
• Knight, Chinese Literature: A Very Short Introduction 

Placements to apply for:

• Nuffield Research Placements  
• Apply to join a hands-on STEM research programme in the summer of Year 12 – here 
• In2Science Summer Placements  
• Apply to join a hands-on STEM research programme in the summer of Year 12 – here 
• Year in Industry placements  
• If you plan to take a gap year, it’s worth looking at Year in Industry placements – paid placements for 10-12 months – here  

Listen to: 

• Radio 4 science programmes  
• An archive of programmes from BBC radio to show recent ideas in science – here 
• In Our Time  
• The Science archive of this regular Radio 4 programme where experts discuss specific academic topics – here 
• Gresham Lectures  
• A series of lectures on Science from Gresham College in London – here

Online activities and problem solving: 

• Oxford Sparks  
• Oxford University STEM stories and activities – here

Websites and online reading: 

• New Scientist
• Magazine with current stories in science and technology – here 
• Nature 
• Magazine with current stories in science and the natural world – here 
• Women in STEM  
• Articles and information about women in STEM careers – here

Challenges and competitions: 

• School science
• Competitions and challenges for schools – here

Placements to apply for: 

• Nuffield Research Placements  
• Apply to join a hands-on STEM research programme in the summer of Year 12 – here 
• In2Science Summer Placements
• Apply to join a hands-on STEM research programme in the summer of Year 12 – here  
• Year in Industry placements  
• If you plan to take a gap year, it’s worth looking at Year in Industry placements – paid placements for 10-12 months – here 

Listen to: 

• Radio 4 science programmes
• An archive of programmes from BBC radio to show recent ideas in science – here 
• In Our Time
• The Science archive of this regular Radio 4 programme where experts discuss specific academic topics – here 
• Gresham Lectures
• A series of lectures on Science from Gresham College in London – here  

Online activities and problem solving: 

• Oxford Sparks
• Oxford University STEM stories and activities – here 
• Brilliant 
• Practical problem-solving online – here  

Websites and online reading: 

• New Scientist
• Magazine with current stories in science and technology — here 
• Nature
• Magazine with current stories in science and the natural world – here 
• Women in STEM  
• Articles and information about women in STEM careers – here 

Challenges and competitions: 

• School science  
• Competitions and challenges for schools – here

British Museum – here 

Open University MOOC – here  

In Our Time (Radio 4), Culture archive – here 

Classical Art Research Centre, Oxford – here 

The Roman Society – here 

Orbis – Geospatial Network Model of the Roman World, Stanford – here  

Reading

• Cambridge Reading List – here 
• Omnibus (archive of magazines) – here

Overall: 

• Oxford Department of Computer Science 
• Suggestions for reading and activities for prospective applicants – here 

Placements to apply for: 

• Year in Industry placements
• If you plan to take a gap year, it’s worth looking at Year in Industry placements – paid placements for 10-12 months – here 
• Nuffield Research Placements  
• Apply to join a hands-on STEM research programme in the summer of Year 12 – here 

Listen to/watch: 

• Gresham Lectures  
• A series of lectures on Computing from Gresham College in London – here 
• Radio 4 science programmes  
• An archive of programmes from BBC radio to show recent ideas in science – here 
• 3Blue1brown 
• Grant Sanderson’s animated Maths YouTube Channel – here 

Online activities and problem solving: 

• NRICH 
• Cambridge COVID resources: Maths at Home – here 
• Isaac Computer Science 
• A free online platform to learn about Computer Science – here  
• NASA  
• STEM engagement activities from NASA – here 
• Oxford Sparks  
• Oxford University STEM stories and activities – here  
• Brilliant 
• Practical problem-solving online – here  
• UK Maths Trust 
• Maths enrichment and challenges – here  
• STEM Support Programme 
• Cambridge’s support for the STEM entry test, and helpful resources to develop your Maths skills even if you’re not taking STEM – here 
• Project Euler 
• A series of Maths and computational challenges – here 

Websites and online reading: 

• New Scientist  
• Magazine with current stories in science and technology – here 
• Nature 
• Magazine with current stories in science and the natural world – here 
• Shetl-Optimized  
• A blog about Quantum computing – here 
• Chalkdust 
• A magazine for the mathematically curious – written by students at UCL – here 
• Women in STEM  
• Articles and information about women in STEM careers – here 

Challenges and competitions: 

• School science  
• Competitions and challenges for schools – here  
• Python Challenges 
• Challenges for Sixth Formers, using Python, created by Christ Church, Oxford – here  
• The British Information Olympiad 
• The National Computing Competition for schools and colleges. Registration usually takes place in November – here 
• Bebras 
• A Computing challenge for students introducing computational thinking – here 
• The National Cypher Challenge 
• The new challenge, the Body in My Library, begins 7 September 2023 – here 

Books: 

• Dewdney, The New Turing Omnibus: 66 Excursions in Computer Science  
• Gribbin, Computing with Quantum Cats  
• Houston, How to Think Like a Mathematician  
• Penrose, The Emperor’s New Mind  
• Hromkovic, Algorithmic Adventures: From Knowledge to Magic  
• Singh, The Code Book: The Secret History of Codes and Codebreaking 

Videos: 

• Ethics in the Age of AI 
• Sir Nigel Shadbolt from Oxford University – here 
• The Josephus Problem 
• A Numberphile video looking at this famous problem in Maths and Computing – here

Placements to apply for: 

• Medic Mentor (Dentistry stream)
• A support network of current practitioners helping school students gain experience and build better applications; summer schools, virtual work experience and conferences – here.  Unlike many projects, Medic Mentors have a minimal cost – and if there is a charge, talk to your teacher.  State schools can often access projects free. 
• Nuffield Research Placements  
• Apply to join a hands-on STEM research programme in the summer of Year 12 – here  
• In2Science Summer Placements  
• Apply to join a hands-on STEM research programme in the summer of Year 12 – here 

Listen to: 

• Radio 4 science programmes  
• An archive of programmes from BBC radio to show recent ideas in science – here 
• In Our Time  
• The Science archive of this regular Radio 4 programme where experts discuss specific academic topics – here 
• Gresham Lectures  
• A series of lectures on Science from Gresham College in London – here 

Online activities and problem solving: 

• Oxford Sparks  
• Oxford University STEM stories and activities – here 
• Brilliant 
• Practical problem-solving online – here 

Websites and online reading: 

• New Scientist  
• Magazine with current stories in science and technology – here 
• Nature 
• Magazine with current stories in science and the natural world – here  
• Women in STEM  
• Articles and information about women in STEM careers – here 

Challenges and competitions: 

• School science  
• Competitions and challenges for schools – here  

Placements to apply for: 

• Year in Industry placements  
• If you plan to take a gap year, it’s worth looking at Year in Industry placements – paid placements for 10-12 months – here 

Listen to: 

• Freakonomics 
• A podcast series on day-to-day economics issues – here  
• 50 Things that Made the Modern Economy  
• Tim Harford’s BBC podcast series on inventions, ideas and innovations which have helped create the economic world – here 
• Cambridge Lecture 
• Advice to someone applying to study Economics – here 
• 2020 Stoner Lecture 
• Professor Janet Currie on ‘Child Health as Human Capital’ – here 
• Gresham Lectures  
• A series of lectures on Business from Gresham College in London – here  

Online activities and problem solving: 

• Maths for Economists 
• Cambridge’s mathematical challenges for those considering an Economics degree – here 

Websites and online reading: 

• The Economist  
• The website of the weekly journal focusing on current affairs, international business, politics, technology and culture – here 
• Plus magazine online 
• Articles about Bringing Maths to Life – here 
• The Institute of Economics Affairs website 
• Articles, events, conferences and resources for students – here  
• The National Institute of Economic and Social Research  
• News and blog from the body that is set up to understand the economic and social issues that most affect people’s lives – here  
• The International Monetary Fund 
• The IMF looks at key issues in international economics – here  

Reading: 

• The Cambridge University reading list 
• A reading list recommended by Cambridge for those considering an Economics degree – here 

Placements to apply for: 

• Nuffield Research Placements  
• Apply to join a hands-on STEM research programme in the summer of Year 12 – here 
• In2Science Summer Placements  
• Apply to join a hands-on STEM research programme in the summer of Year 12 – here 
• Year in Industry placements  
• If you plan to take a gap year, it’s worth looking at Year in Industry placements – paid placements for 10-12 months – here 
• Arkwright Engineering Scholarships 
• For Year 11 students (those in their GCSE equivalent year), this programme offers work experience, challenge and support for budding Engineers – here 

Listen to/watch: 

• Radio 4 science programmes  
• An archive of programmes from BBC radio to show recent ideas in science – here 
• In Our Time  
• The Science archive of this regular Radio 4 programme where experts discuss specific academic topics – here 
• More or Less 
• BBC radio podcasts making sense of statistics – here 
• Gresham Lectures  
• A series of lectures on Science from Gresham College in London – here 
• 3Blue1brown 
• Grant Sanderson’s animated Maths YouTube Channel – here  

Online activities and problem solving:

• Oxford Uni Maths club  
• Oxford University’s Maths Faculty online support and webinar recordings on interesting Maths problems. There is also support for MAT – here 
• Oxford Sparks  
• Oxford University STEM stories and activities – here 
• Brilliant 
• Practical problem-solving online – here 
• STEM Support Programme 
• Cambridge’s support for the STEM entry test, and helpful resources to develop your Maths skills even if you’re not taking STEM – here 
• I Want to Study Engineering 
• A website to help you compete for engineering places at top universities – here 
• Isaac Physics  
• A website for teachers and students with resources to develop your understanding of Physics – here 
• NASA  
• STEM engagement activities from NASA – here  

Websites and online reading: 

• New Scientist  
• Magazine with current stories in science and technology – here 
• Nature 
• Magazine with current stories in science and the natural world – here 
• Women in STEM  
• Articles and information about women in STEM careers – here 
• Chalkdust 
• A magazine for the mathematically curious – written by students at UCL – here 
• National Grid: Live Status 
• Data, games and ideas on a blog by Kate Morley – here  
• Drawdown 
• The world’s leading resource for climate solutions – here  
• Engineering.com 
• Articles and resources to find out more about engineering – here 
• Royal Academy of Engineering 
• Stories and materials to encourage interest in engineering – here  

Challenges and competitions:  

• F1 in Schools 
• A team challenge for schools – here 
• Greenpower 
• A challenge to design, build and race an electric car – here 
• School science  
• Competitions and challenges for schools – here 
• Python Challenges 
• Challenges for Sixth Formers, using Python, created by Christ Church, Oxford – here  

Reading:  

• Solen and Harb, Introduction to Chemical Engineering: Tools for Today and Tomorrow  
• Denn, Chemical Engineering: An Introduction 
• MacKay, Sustainable Energy without the Hot Air – download the book here 
• Cambridge University’s recommended reading for budding engineers – here

Read online: 

Oxford English Faculty online resources to allow you to find out more about writers or literary movements.  All texts are provided online free.  

• 10-minute bookclub – here 
• Great Writers Inspire – here 
• Writers Make Worlds – here 

British Library 

The Discovering Literature section of the UK’s national library allows you to explore writers, their style and their context, through looking at manuscripts and early printed books – here 

The LRB 

The London Review of Books has book reviews, and articles about writing, culture and politics; many of the articles are free, though you can subscribe for fuller access – here  

The Literary Review 

Book reviews and writing about books; as with the LRB, The Literary Review has a subscription, but some articles are online for free – here 

The Guardian 

The book pages of The Guardian are full of engagingly written opinions, interviews with writers, and reviews of fiction, non-fiction, poetry etc, with lots of suggestions about what you might read next – here  

TLS 

The Times Literary Supplement is a long-standing weekly paper dedicated to literary matters, with reviews and articles on writers, books and culture.  Most articles are now behind a paywall – here   

Listen to: 

In Our Time  

The culture archive of this regular Radio 4 programme where experts discuss specific literary topics – here 

Gresham Lectures  

A series of lectures on Literature from Gresham College in London – here 

Reading suggestions (though any writer of any period, or more theoretical book about literature, is appropriate): 

Auerbach, Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature  

Eagleton, Literary Theory: An Introduction  

Eco, The Name of the Rose  

Fisher, Ghosts of my Life: Writings on Depression, Hauntology and Lost Futures  

Greenblatt, Renaissance Self-Fashioning: From More to Shakespeare  

Lewis, The Discarded Image: An Introduction to Medieval and Renaissance Literature  

Nashe, The Unfortunate Traveller  

Nuttall, Shakespeare the Thinker  

Paterson, Reading Shakespeare’s Sonnets: A New Commentary  

Scarry, The Body in Pain: The Making and Unmaking of the World  

Stewart, On Longing: Narratives of the Miniature, the Gigantic, the Souvenir, the Collection 

In Our Time (Radio 4), Culture archive – here 

Gresham Lectures on Visual Art – here 

Placements to apply for: 

• Year in Industry placements  
• If you plan to take a gap year, it’s worth looking at Year in Industry placements – paid placements for 10-12 months – here  

Challenges and competitions: 

• School science  
• Competitions and challenges for schools – here  
• Oxford University School of Geography and the Environment 
• Suggestions for further reading etc. for potential applicants – here 
• New Scientist  
• Magazine with current stories in science and technology – here  
• Oxford Sparks  
• Oxford University STEM stories and activities – here 
• Geography Directions 
• A blog site published by the RGS-IBG which considers a range of contemporary issues – here  
• The Economist – here 
• Royal Geographical Society podcasts – here 
• Costing the Earth (Radio 4) – here 
• Geographical Magazine – here 
• National Geographic – here 
• Geography Review – here 
• Cambridge Geography resources – here 
• Our World in Data – here 
• The Geological Society – here 
• Gresham Lectures  
• A series of lectures on Science from Gresham College in London – here 

Reading 

• Dorling and Lee, Geography: Ideas in Profile Jackson, Prosperity without growth: economics for a finite planet  
• Klein, This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs the Climate  
• Massey, For Space  
• Oppenheimer, Eruptions that shook the world 
• Pascoe, Dark Emu  
• Platt, The Great Flood: travels through a sodden landscape  
• Solnit, Infinite City 

Videos 

• Cambridge Geography – here 
• Urbanisation – here 
• Urban Poverty – here 

Oxford History Faculty resources – here 

History Today – here 

British Library: Magna Carta – here 

British Museum – here  

In Our Time (Radio 4), History archive – here 

LNAT practice – here 

Gresham Lectures on Law – here 

Law in Action (Radio 4) – here 

Unreliable Evidence (Radio 4) – here   

Legal history, British Library: Magna Carta – here 

Oxford Sparks  

Oxford University STEM stories and activities – here 

Placements to apply for: 

• Year in Industry placements  
• If you plan to take a gap year, it’s worth looking at Year in Industry placements – paid placements for 10-12 months – here  

Online activities and problem solving: 

• Oxford Uni Maths club  
• Oxford University’s Maths Faculty online support and webinar recordings on interesting Maths problems. There is also support for MAT – here 
• UK Maths Trust 
• Maths enrichment and challenges – here  
• STEM Support Programme 
• Cambridge’s support for the STEM entry test, and helpful resources to develop your Maths skills even if you’re not taking STEM – here 
• Brilliant 
• Practical problem-solving online – here  
• Python for Beginners 
• A starting point in Python – here  
• Learn Python 3 
• With a course from Codecademy – here   
• Listen to/watch: 
• Gresham Lectures  
• A series of lectures on Maths from Gresham College in London – here 
• More or Less 
• BBC radio podcasts making sense of statistics – here 
• Chalkdust 
• A magazine for the mathematically curious – written by students at UCL – here  
• 3Blue1brown 
• Grant Sanderson’s animated Maths YouTube Channel – here  
• Tom Rocks Maths 
• The YouTube channel of Tom Crawford, Oxford University – here  
• In Our Time  
• The Science archive of this regular Radio 4 programme where experts discuss specific academic topics – here 
• Radio 4 science programmes  
• An archive of programmes from BBC radio to show recent ideas in science – here  

Websites and online reading: 

• New Scientist  
• Magazine with current stories in science and technology – here 
• Women in STEM  
• Articles and information about women in STEM careers – here  

Challenges and competitions: 

• School science  
• Competitions and challenges for schools – here

Placements, conferences and work experience to apply for: 

• Medic Mentor  
• A support network of current practitioners helping school students gain experience and build better applications; summer schools, virtual work experience and conferences – here.  Unlike many projects, Medic Mentors have a minimal cost – and if there is a charge, talk to your teacher.  State schools can often access projects free. 
• Nuffield Research Placements  
• Apply to join a hands-on STEM research programme in the summer of Year 12 – here 
• In2Science Summer Placements  
• Apply to join a hands-on STEM research programme in the summer of Year 12 – here 

Listen to: 

• Gresham Lectures  
• A series of lectures on Medicine from Gresham College in London – here 
• Radio 4 science programmes  
• An archive of programmes from BBC radio to show recent ideas in science – here 
• In Our Time  
• The Science archive of this regular Radio 4 programme where experts discuss specific academic topics – here 

Online activities and problem solving: 

• Oxford Sparks  
• Oxford University STEM stories and activities – here 
• Brilliant 
• Practical problem-solving online – here 

Websites and online reading: 

• Nature 
• Magazine with current stories in science and the natural world – here  
• New Scientist  
• Magazine with current stories in science and technology – here 
• Women in STEM  
• Articles and information about women in STEM careers – here 

Challenges and competitions: 

• School science  
• Competitions and challenges for schools – here

In Our Time (Radio 4), Culture archive – here 

In Our Time (Radio 4), Culture archive – here 

Gresham Lectures on Music – here

In Our Time (Radio 4), Philosophy archive – here 

Podcasts: here 

Overall: 

Supercurriculars (St Hilda’s website) – here 

Placements to apply for: 

• Nuffield Research Placements  
• Apply to join a hands-on STEM research programme in the summer of Year 12 – here 
• In2Science Summer Placements  
• Apply to join a hands-on STEM research programme in the summer of Year 12 – here 
• Year in Industry placements  
• If you plan to take a gap year, it’s worth looking at Year in Industry placements – paid placements for 10-12 months – here 
• Diamond Light Source
• An electron synchrocyclotron in Didcot, Oxfordshire, used for its X-Ray emissions which can probe various specimens such as microbes, turbine and aircraft-engine blades, detectors for other particle accelerators – here

Websites and online reading: 

• New Scientist  
• Magazine with current stories in science and technology – here 
• Nature 
• Magazine with current stories in science and the natural world – here  
• Oxford Sparks  
• Oxford University STEM stories and activities – here 
• Women in STEM  
• Articles and information about women in STEM careers – here 

Online activities and problem-solving: 

• Brilliant 
• Practical problem-solving online – here 
• Isaac Physics  
• A website for teachers and students with resources to develop your understanding of Physics – here  
• NASA  
• STEM engagement activities from NASA – here  
• Oxford Uni Maths club  
• Oxford University’s Maths Faculty online support and webinar recordings on interesting Maths problems. There is also support for MAT – here  

Challenges and competitions: 

• F1 in Schools 
• A team challenge for schools – here 
• Greenpower 
• A challenge to design, build and race an electric car – here 
• School science  
• Competitions and challenges for schools – here  

Listen to: 

• Radio 4 science programmes  
• An archive of programmes from BBC radio to show recent ideas in science – here 
• In Our Time  
• The Science archive of this regular Radio 4 programme where experts discuss specific academic topics – here 
• Gresham Lectures  
• A series of lectures on Astronomy from Gresham College in London – here 

Gresham Lectures on Politics – here

Placements to apply for: 

• Nuffield Research Placements  
• Apply to join a hands-on STEM research programme in the summer of Year 12 – here 
• In2Science Summer Placements  
• Apply to join a hands-on STEM research programme in the summer of Year 12 – here 
• Year in Industry placements  
• If you plan to take a gap year, it’s worth looking at Year in Industry placements – paid placements for 10-12 months – here 

Listen to: 

• Thinking Allowed  
• A series of Radio 4 programmes looking at issues current in the social sciences – here 
• Gresham Lectures  
• A series of lectures on Science from Gresham College in London – here 

Online activities and problem solving: 

• Oxford Sparks  
• Oxford University STEM stories and activities – here 

Websites and online reading: 

• New Scientist  
• Magazine with current stories in science and technology – here 
• Nature 
• Magazine with current stories in science and the natural world – here 
• Women in STEM  
• Articles and information about women in STEM careers – here 

Challenges and competitions: 

• School science  
• Competitions and challenges for schools – here

British Library: Discovering Sacred Texts – here

Placements to apply for: 

• Nuffield Research Placements  
• Apply to join a hands-on STEM research programme in the summer of Year 12 – here 
• In2Science Summer Placements  
• Apply to join a hands-on STEM research programme in the summer of Year 12 – here 
• Medic Mentor (Veterinary Medicine stream) 
• A support network of current practitioners helping school students gain experience and build better applications; summer schools, virtual work experience and conferences – here.  Unlike many projects, Medic Mentors have a minimal cost – and if there is a charge, talk to your teacher.  State schools can often access projects free.  

Listen to: 

• Radio 4 science programmes  
• An archive of programmes from BBC radio to show recent ideas in science – here 
• In Our Time  
• The Science archive of this regular Radio 4 programme where experts discuss specific academic topics – here 
• Gresham Lectures  
• A series of lectures on Science from Gresham College in London – here  

Online activities and problem solving: 

• Oxford Sparks  
• Oxford University STEM stories and activities – here  

Websites and online reading: 

• New Scientist  
• Magazine with current stories in science and technology – here 
• Nature 
• Magazine with current stories in science and the natural world – here 

Challenges and competitions: 

• School science  
• Competitions and challenges for schools – here