March is always a busy time for the Department of Physics when it comes to access and engagement activity – particularly as National Science Week takes place 7-16 March. This year was no exception and, through a series of interactive, carefully designed events, the team reached almost 1,000 young people and some 900 members of the public through their inspiring work. This is in addition to the weekly tutorials organised via the COMPOS team that work with 500 young people, and the many, many more who watch our informative videos and recordings on our YouTube channel on a daily basis.
Supporting prospective students
The month kicked off with the Year 12 Masterclass for prospective students that was held on Saturday 1 March with almost 200 attendees. Presented by Kat O'Brien Skerry who leads the Department of Physics access programme, the informative session aims to promote Oxford’s physics courses to underrepresented groups and support students in making competitive applications. There was also an adult support event, aimed at parents and guardians of prospective applicants, that was attended by almost 70 people. It provided information about the application process, the physics course and the Department of Physics, as well as guidance on the general University admissions process. Attendees also had the opportunity to ask questions and hear from current undergraduate students about their experiences.
Increasing access and diversity
The EMPower programme continued through March. The 16-month programme, run in collaboration with Materials Science, encourages and supports young people of black heritage in Year 10 to pursue physics at A level and consider study at Oxford. EMPower comprises a series of online workshops and academic mentoring – as well as a residential event that took place at the end of March. Some 24 selected students from the 100-strong cohort came to Oxford for the two-night residential and took part in a tailored timetable of workshops on topics such as superconductors and astrophysics, as well as tours of engineering facilities. Parents were invited to the final day to learn more about admissions and student life at Oxford before seeing their children graduate in the lecture theatre.
Encouraging young women into STEM
The department ran two events in March for young women that have been specifically designed to address diversity issues in physics. The annual Women in Astro event, run in collaboration with the History of Science Museum, provided nearly 60 local girls aged 13-15 with the opportunity to explore astronomy and space science. The event highlighted the contributions of women in astronomy, both past and present. It featured a keynote talk by Dr Becky Smethurst, who talked about her personal journey into research and the start of her YouTube channel Dr Becky, hands-on workshops led by graduate students and Learning Producer, Chris Parkin, from the museum, and ended with a lively Q&A panel.
The extremely popular Marie Curious event welcomed 85 girls aged 12-14, and offered activities designed to build confidence in science and inspire a passion for STEM subjects. The annual one-day science event comprises three 45-minute, hands-on workshops run by knowledgeable and inspiring demonstrators, a Q&A session and concludes with an interactive science show.
‘It’s pretty phenomenal… our school has a huge mix of backgrounds; this shows them that anyone and everyone can get into these areas.’
Teacher
Particle physics for all
Dr Sam Henry and Professor Malcolm John led the annual Particle Physics Masterclasses, with two in-person and one online event reaching more than 150 aspiring particle physicists. The masterclasses give students aged between 16 and 17 the opportunity to learn more about particle physics with Oxford researchers and gain insights into topics and methods related to matter and forces. Participants get to perform measurements on real data from the LHCb experiment and discuss their results in a video conference. Dr Henry also took a team of particle physicists to the ATOM festival in Abingdon, with the very popular particle physics hands-on stall and reached more than 400 people.
Targeted support for schools
Outreach Project Officer Lena Shams facilitated the final webinars of the 10-week Computational Physics Course, which began in January 2025. This course helps young people develop key skills such as spreadsheet use and computer programming – valuable tools for university and beyond. Over 300 young people in Years 11, 12 and 13 participated in the final webinars from across the UK.
The team also visited a local primary and secondary school to speak to young people about physics. Hands-on workshops gave the classes an opportunity to find out more about physics in general as well as about the research that takes place in the department.
Observing the solar eclipse
The busy month concluded with a pop-up eclipse viewing event, organised by astrophysicists from the Department of Physics in collaboration with the Oxford University Space and Astronomy Society. The event, held outside the Saïd Business School near the train station, engaged with over 500 members of the public. The team chatted to members of the public as they walked into the city centre and had a solar telescope and free solar glasses for safely viewing the eclipse.
‘As a department, we actively encourage a culture of sharing our passion for and knowledge of physics far and wide,’ comments Dr Sian Tedaldi, Outreach Programmes Manager. ‘Many of our events are run by volunteers and more than 100 people from across the department were involved in some way or another in March’s events. Faculty members, early career researchers, undergraduates and professional services staff all contribute their time and expertise to ensure these events inspire, engage, and open doors for young people.’
‘We are incredibly proud of the important and valuable work we do with schools, young people, the local community and the wider public,’ comments Professor Andrew Boothroyd, Head of Department. ‘We have a small but remarkably effective team who help to fulfil our mission to inspire young people, increase access to Oxford and promote physics more generally to the public. They design and deliver a creative programme of activity that reaches an extraordinary number of people and I would like to thank all those who come along to our events and help to make them such an enriching experience.’