Thank you to everyone who submitted an entry for the 2021 Summer School Poster Competition. Participants enrolled on the Year 12 Inspire Programme were set the challenge of creating an academic poster, investigating a topic related to personal identity. Pupils chose from the following topics: STEM topics our DNA/genes our brain technology evolution Arts &…

We’ve been so impressed by the quality and creativity of the work sent in by our virtual summer school participants in response to the activities! Here is a selection of some of our favourite pieces: Shakespeare: From Page to Stage Tia-Lana (Year 10 & 11 Programme) was inspired by the Shakespeare activities to create a…

What is the Careers Service? One of the questions we’re asked most frequently from the moment we can talk is ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ The Oxford University Careers Service is here to help answer that question with an informed understanding of your options, the best routes for you, and…

What is the ideal way to run a society? Danielle Green introduces us to the ancient Greek philosopher Plato and his work, the Republic, from which his famous idea of The Allegory of the Cave originates. She also talks about studying Philosophy at university and how it can teach you to evaluate arguments. This talk…

In this summer of the European Championships and the Olympics, we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to explore sport from an angle you might not have thought much about before: the Mathematics of Sport! In these talks, Dr Tom Crawford (a lecturer in Maths at the University of Oxford, and founder of the…

Today, our featured career is ‘IT Sales Professional’. In the fast-paced world of technology, data, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, it is crucial for businesses to work with customers to meet their data and technology needs. As a sales professional in a technology company, you will work with new and existing customers, building relationships,…

Today, our featured career is ‘Author’. An author is someone who writes content – this can be a book (fiction or non-fiction), article (in print, such as a newsletter, or online, such as for a blog) or any other document. There are a huge range of different media types that you can become involved in…

In this summer of the European Championships and the Olympics, we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to explore sport from an angle you might not have thought much about before: the Mathematics of Sport! In these talks, Dr Tom Crawford (a lecturer in Maths at the University of Oxford, and founder of the…

The history of computers If someone asked you what a ‘computer’ was, what would you say? The word computer is derived from the Latin word ‘putare’, meaning (in this context) ‘to think’, and the prefix ‘com’, meaning ‘together’. The word ‘computare’, meaning ‘to calculate’ also existed in Latin, and the word ‘compute’ has been used…

Today, our featured career is ‘Entrepreneurship & Business’. A ‘business’, simply put, means an organisation which does something. They can be non-profit (such as charities), or for profit – normally this means producing or selling goods and services to make money for the business. As this definition suggests, there are a huge range of businesses…

In this session, Dr Matthew Lennon and Professor Zoltán Molnár introduce us to the concept of self-experimentation and why scientists might be interested in using this approach. In each short video, you will be introduced to a key message relating to self-experimentation. These messages include, importantly, both the ethical and practical considerations which might need…

Throughout this week, we are linking up with Oxplore, the University of Oxford’s ‘Home of the Big Questions’ to dive a little deeper into some of the topics you’ve covered during the Summer School, with a new Big Question every day. Today we have continued our look at art and literature, looking at novels and…

Welcome to the St John’s Post-GCSE Study Skills Session. The period of education after GCSE can be quite challenging because you might face new obstacles. For example, you may find you have a higher workload and a greater focus on independent study. This session is designed to help you develop your skills so that you…

In this talk, Sammy Wright discusses the links between poetry and magic to address the question: ‘Why are poems like spells?’ His talk uses Shakespeare’s Macbeth as an example, but the themes covered in this class are relevant for any poetry or Shakespeare play you might be studying at GCSE or A Level – not…

When theatres closed in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they began to stream performances online, often for free. Some theatre companies used the time as an opportunity to explore different kinds of digital experiences, such as performances on Zoom or Twitch. Although theatres have now begun to reopen, there are still plenty of…

In the first part of this summer school session, we looked at the difference directors’ choices make to a play in performance and researched two productions. In the second part, we will look at the contributions of designers and actors. You’ll also get to put your knowledge into practice by directing your own scene virtually….

The script of a play is often considered a blueprint for performance. While it can be read and enjoyed on its own, a script is brought to life on stage through the input of the creative team. The choices made by theatre directors, actors and designers unlock potentially infinite different versions. For example, a production…

Discover your working personality type Everyone has a working personality type – their unique combination of skills and personal qualities that they bring to work with them. Understanding who you are in professional contexts will help you to identify which careers would suit you and how to make the most of your skills. Take the…

Today our featured career is ‘Cardiologist’. Cardiologists are doctors who specialise in the heart and diseases that affect the heart and associated cardiovascular system. Clinically, your role will include both working with patients who have long term heart problems, and responding to emergency situations where a patient develops a heart condition, some of which may…

Black British Voices: Poetry into prose using compound adjectives with Ashley Hickson-Lovence Join professional writer Ashley Hickson-Lovence for a writing workshop exploring how to make your prose shine by incorporating poetic devices. As Ashley says, ‘Poetry and prose are alike but with prose there’s more room to manoeuvre’. For the writing workshop, you will need…

How can we use poetry and drama to find out more about ancient Greek understandings of the gods? In this academic talk, Dr Emma Greensmith tells us about the huge role that ancient Greek poets such as Homer played in shaping people’s ideas of the gods – both in their time and long after their…

The subject of ‘Medicine’ is incredibly broad. The National Health Service, which is the publicly funded health care system in the UK, is one of the largest employers in the world, employing approximately 1.5 million people. Of these staff, slightly over half are clinical professionals (doctors, nurses, midwives and more), who have either specialist or…

Throughout this week, we are linking up with Oxplore, the University of Oxford’s ‘Home of the Big Questions’ to dive a little deeper into some of the topics you’ve covered during the Summer School, with a new Big Question every day. Today, we have taken an artistic turn, looking at both the visual arts and…

Today, our featured career is ‘Research Scientist’. Research scientists apply their STEM skills directly, working in a wide variety of subjects to increase our understanding of fundamental science, develop future technologies or make existing technologies easier and cheaper to use. This might involve creating a new medical solution, developing a new fuel, finding a cheaper…

In this session, you will hear a brief overview of the life of Genghis Khan (born Temüjin), and then have the chance to further investigate an area of his life. Genghis Khan founded and led the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous Empire in history (this means all the land of the Empire was…

Today, our featured career is ‘Lawyer’. A career in law is challenging, but comes with immense rewards. As a lawyer, whichever route you specialise in, you will need to read a lot of information, stay up to date with current (often changing) legal terms and practices, and be able to apply these to new cases….

Today, our featured career is ‘Education Specialist’. When people think of working in the education sector, they often think of teaching. There are many specialisms in teaching, all of which present different challenges and awards. For example, you can teach early-years, primary, secondary, college or higher education. In higher education, teaching is often accompanied by…

Are we alone in the Universe? Dr Ken Amor discusses the prospect for finding life beyond our own planet and why many space agencies and scientists are interested in discovering whether life began on Mars. Dr Amor talks about the latest ideas of how life might have begun here on Earth and why we think…

Throughout this week, we are linking up with Oxplore, the University of Oxford’s ‘Home of the Big Questions’ to dive a little deeper into some of the topics you’ve covered during the Summer School, with a new Big Question every day. In today’s sessions, we have learnt about some of the ways in which we…

In this session, Clare Cory, Learning Officer at the Ashmolean Museum, will take us behind the scenes to learn more about the portraits in the Ashmolean Museum’s collections. The Ashmolean Museum is the University of Oxford’s museum of art and archaeology. It was founded in 1683 and is the oldest public museum in Britain! Their…

Sarah Lloyd is Head of Learning at Oxford University Museum of Natural History. The museum is home to more than seven million natural objects including the first scientifically described dinosaur, the last piece of soft tissue of the enigmatic dodo and roughly five million insects. The museum is also an inspiring place for research, teaching…

Today, you will learn about DNA and the ways that research scientists can study DNA to identify people. What is DNA? What is DNA? Our DNA is our genetic code – instructions on how to create ‘us’! The genetic code is written in DNA bases – there are four DNA bases, A, C, G and…

We are delighted to be hosting the St John’s Inspire Programme Summer School, which will be held virtually in 2021. New content will be released each morning at 10am from 2nd – 6th August on Inspire Digital. The content will remain on the platform until 23rd September, so participants will be able to join whenever…

Copper is an essential element in today’s society because it is an excellent electrical conductor. This activity explores where copper is found and how mining geologists set about finding new copper deposits. What is copper? Copper is a transition metal element with an atomic number of 29 (it has 29 electrons) and average atomic mass…

Today, our featured career is ‘Senior Geologist’. Geology, traditionally, is the study of the earth – its core, its crust, and the materials on our planet (rocks and minerals). Traditional Geology courses might include ‘Minerology’ (study of minerals), ‘Geomorphology’ (study of landforms), petrology (study of rocks – which are made of more than one mineral)…

Today, our featured career is ‘Member of Parliament (MP)’. Each constituency (local area) in the UK has an elected person who represents them in Parliament: an MP. Most MPs are a member of a political party. The political party with the most MPs elected (so long as they have more than half the total number…

These activities have been adapted from materials created by the UK Parliament Learning Team. You can find much more on their website by clicking here! In this session you will get to know the UK Parliament, and you will learn about some ways in which you can get involved. We will start by learning about…

During this week, you will hear about a range of careers from people who studied either STEM or Arts & Humanities degrees. You might notice that some of these people are currently in a job which seems rather different to their degree subject. Luckily, studying a degree teaches you many skills that are valuable in…

Throughout this week, we are linking up with Oxplore, the University of Oxford’s ‘Home of the Big Questions’ to dive a little deeper into some of the topics you’ve covered during the Summer School, with a new Big Question every day. In today’s sessions, we have been looking at politics, debating and public speaking, and…

What is Cardiology? In his academic talk, Dr Rohan Wijesurendra introduces us to this branch of medicine, which is the study of our heart, and diseases which impact it. You will hear about some of the intervention options that cardiologists have to remove blockages in blood vessels, including using a balloon to inflate them! Dr…

How have novelists attempted to represent real life in their books? In this academic talk, Dr Hannah Greenstreet introduces us to different ideas of realism and how artistic representations of the real have changed over time along with our understanding of reality. She also offers some approaches to analysing passages from novels, which are essential…