What is COMPOS?
The Comprehensive Oxford Mathematics and Physics Online School (COMPOS) is an innovative, large-scale long-term outreach project within the Department of Physics, University of Oxford. Its mission is to help enthusiastic state school secondary students to understand mathematics and physics at a deeper level through online tutoring and assignments.
The COMPOS curriculum largely follows the school syllabus, but presents the material at a higher and deeper level, concentrating on problem-solving skills. Students receive assignments to solve throughout the academic year. Each assignment includes reading material, links to online lectures and a problem set, one each for both maths and physics. Students' work is marked and returned by their tutor – typically undergraduates and postgraduates in physics – who also delivers weekly online tutorials in small groups of six to eight students. The assignments and tutorials are complemented by weekly webinars for each year group.
In other areas, such as sports or the arts, it is well-established that keen and talented young people need additional training to excel in their chosen field. Musicians can join youth orchestras and choirs, gymnasts can join clubs and compete in tournaments, footballers can join youth academies. COMPOS provides the same out of school enrichment to young people with a strong interest in physics and maths.
Thanks to philanthropic donations, COMPOS offers a full bursary to UK state school students and is available for a moderate fee to private and international students. Because all COMPOS activities are online, all that students need to take part is an internet connection and email address.