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Big Science Event at Home keeps Oxfordshire children learning on lockdown
Wednesday 17th June 2020
The Big Science Event at home in the Oxford Mail
Science Oxford supports Science Centres for our Future Campaign
Tuesday 2nd June 2020
Science Oxford joins over 40 members of the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres’ (ASDC) nationwide campaign to call for Government to set up an Emergency Resilience Fund to support our world-class network of regional science centres. The campaign is being supported by some of the UK’s leading science advocates – including Professor Alice […]
Science Oxford’s Bridget Holligan wins Beetlestone Award
Monday 1st June 2020
Our very own Head of Education and Engagement, Bridget Holligan has been awarded the 2020 Beetlestone Award for informal learning in science. She talks about her 27 years of involvement in science education, working for Science Oxford and what it means to win the award. Curioxity… For the first 15 years of my career in […]
Summer science outdoors – top 5 things to do for families
Thursday 21st May 2020
It feels like summer is almost here! The sun is shining and the flowers are coming into bloom in our woodland at Stansfeld Park. As lockdown eases, it’s time to get outdoors and spend more time in your local park, going on walks or messing around in your garden at home. We’ve been looking out […]
Cats, Easter eggs and Rube Goldberg machines – deliver the Science Oxford Challenge
Friday 10th April 2020
We’re all facing new challenges at the moment, and looking for creative ways to bring fun and learning into the home during ‘lockdown’. So why not get your household and family together and take our Easter Science Oxford Challenge, for the chance to win a free family visit to the Science Oxford Centre, Exploration Zone and […]
Expert Explainers Tell All at the Science Oxford Centre
Wednesday 11th March 2020
This term Science Oxford has been involved in a national programme to increase diversity and inclusion in science. We are one of just 15 organisations who are delivering initiatives as part of the UK Association of Science and Discovery Centre and the Science Museum Group’s Science Capital Programme. The initiative focuses on embedding good practice […]
Helen & Douglas House children visit the Science Oxford Centre
Tuesday 10th March 2020
We were pleased to have children from Helen and Douglas House visit our new Science Oxford Centre at Stansfeld Park, Headington. Helen & Douglas House is an Oxford-based children’s hospice that cares for terminally ill children and their families when they need it most. They provide round-the-clock care for children in a peaceful ‘home-from-home setting’, […]
Oxford champion will go to FameLab UK final
Tuesday 10th March 2020
We celebrated the launch of British Science Week with the Oxford FameLab Regional Final 2020 at our new Science Oxford Centre Theatre at Stansfeld Park. Our eight brave and brilliant finalists battled it out on stage but it was Maria Violaris who won the day and was crowned the queen of science chatter! With just […]
Explore our world with British Science Week
Friday 6th March 2020
British Science Week is officially here. The Science Oxford team is excited to bring hands-on science-inspired fun to over 5000 school children, families and adults across Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire over the next three weeks! The national celebration runs 6–15 March 2020 and champions science, technology, engineering and maths with the theme of ‘Our Diverse Planet.’ […]
Science Oxford’s STEM Insight Week: A first byte into big data
Monday 2nd March 2020
In February, the Science Oxford team ran a STEM Insight Week on Computing and Coding for fifteen Year 10 students from schools across Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. The idea of our Insight Week is to give young people the opportunity to hear about the science relating to particular businesses and the career opportunities available. One of […]
FameLab back with a Bang – Oxford’s battle of the brains begins
Monday 17th February 2020
This February, we put science centre-stage and hosted FameLab UK’s first round of Oxford heats, where sci-curious stars of the future battle it out for a place in the nation’s favourite science competition, in partnership with Cheltenham Festival. With the help of makeshift props and witty bants, thirteen contestants had just three minutes to entertain […]
Hands-on science activities and exhibits this half term
Thursday 13th February 2020
Science Oxford Centre 2020 in the Oxford Mail
Science Oxford Centre trialling post-visit activities for schools
Monday 10th February 2020
The Science Oxford Centre (SOC) team is currently trialling a series of post-visit activities for teachers to try out at school. Teachers have many calls on their time and we recognise that any resources we create need to be clear and easy-to-use. To this end, we have developed a set of five activities: the idea […]
Getting brains buzzing for February half term
Monday 10th February 2020
Looking for something different for February half term? Look no further, as Science Oxford offers a fabulously fun programme of events for children and families to get budding brains buzzing! Did Humpty Dumpty fall, or was he pushed? We’re calling all super sleuths to crack unsolved cases CSI-style at Saturday Science Club in Nursery Rhyme […]
Science Oxford Employer Awards 2019 Announced
Friday 17th January 2020
Would your business or organisation be able to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, doctors, programmers, technicians or researchers? We work with some amazing businesses and we are pleased to recognise their contribution to our STEM World of Work Programme. Science Oxford’s STEM Careers Programme offers a range of engaging activities for secondary school students […]
STEM INSIGHT WEEK NOW OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS
Thursday 16th January 2020
We are excited to announce that our STEM Insight Week 17th- 21st February is now open for applications from secondary schools in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. This week’s programme is aimed at providing Yr10 students with an in-depth experience of the types of careers available in coding and computing by visiting various organisations and companies in the […]
Science Oxford Centre now open for bookings for summer term
Tuesday 14th January 2020
With visits from over 1200 pupils from 21 schools and fabulous reviews from both children and teachers, the Science Oxford Centre is now taking school bookings for the summer term. In the spring and summer months the 15-acre woodland surrounding the Centre really comes into its own. As well as sessions in our Exploration Zone, […]
Playforce donates generous prizes for our Big Science Event 2020
Wednesday 18th December 2019
Playground experts, Playforce are kindly donating generous prizes to the winners of our 2020 Big Science Event competition for primary school pupils. The winning schools in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire will each receive a £1000 voucher to install playground equipment of their choice. How good is that? With 20 years of experiences and 8844 playgrounds under […]
Year in review 2019: One giant leap for Science Oxford…
Friday 13th December 2019
In a year which saw the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Apollo moon landing celebrated globally, Science Oxford took a giant leap of its own and launched the brand-new Science Oxford Centre in Headington. From hands-on schools exploration and family visits, to woodland walks and expert talks, we’ve welcomed over 2700 pupils from 37 schools […]
Celebrating the best of Bucks
Thursday 12th December 2019
Can you imagine what your future may hold? That was the daunting question posed to the 49 secondary school students who we welcomed to our Buckinghamshire Young Scientists of the Year celebration evening in November. Held at the prestigious Bucks New University, the students were shown a potential vision of that future. Their minds were […]
It’s elemental, my dear student
Thursday 12th December 2019
Science Oxford’s Rowena Fletcher-Wood went along to a celebration of all things chemistry at Wychwood School in Oxford last month, as students gathered for a competition to mark the International Year of the Periodic Table. Choose your favourite element and talk about it for two minutes. Go. Sounds like a tricky feat? Not only do […]
From acorn to oak – celebrate National Tree Week
Wednesday 27th November 2019
Surrounding the Science Oxford Centre at Stansfeld Park, we have 15 acres of beautiful woodland, making it the largest within the ring road. National Tree Week (23rdNovember – 1stDecember) signals a full-on week of planting at Stansfeld, a vital part of our woodland rejuvenation project. National Tree Week comes during the ideal tree planting season […]
Search for new science stars comes to Oxford
Wednesday 27th November 2019
It’s time to nourish those neurones as the UK’s longest running competition for the science stars of the future comes to Oxford this winter. Science Oxford is delighted to announce the launch of FameLab UK 2020 and applications are now open. FameLab is a UK-wide competition to find the new voices of science and engineering. […]
Robot battle competition comes to Oxford
Wednesday 27th November 2019
This Saturday (30thNovember), we will be welcoming robot fans from across the country to the Science Oxford Centre for the Antweight World Series 60 (AWS 60) competition. AWS is a tournament for combat robots that weigh no more than 150gms – that’s about the same as a cheeseburger – and this year is the competition’s […]
ISEN-sational news for Science Oxford
Friday 22nd November 2019
Sophie Batin, our education outreach manager, has become a member of the British Science Association’s new Inclusive Science Engagement Network (ISEN). This national network aims to support members to make their workplaces and activities more inclusive. The first area of focus for the network is helping members to develop, review and strengthen an internal Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity […]
Engineering a perfect STEM Experience Week
Friday 15th November 2019
At the beginning of the October half term week, all that could be heard was the dull thrum of the minibus’ diesel engine as fifteen Year 10 and 11 girls sat together in silence. However, as the students were dropped off at the train station each day, the same minibus engine could barely be heard […]
The Future of Artificial Intelligence? with IF Oxford
Wednesday 23rd October 2019
Recently put on the map with the canonisation of Cardinal Newman, University Church again became the focus of attention last night with a discussion between Rt Revd Steven Croft, the Bishop of Oxford and Professor Luciano Floridi, hosted by Jory Fleming. The event was organised for IF Oxford – the science and ideas festival, of […]
Oxfordshire Young Scientists of the Year 2019
Wednesday 23rd October 2019
To be a Young Scientist of the Year, you need attributes such as enthusiasm, creativity and a willingness to take on-board new ideas, all whilst being determined and focussed. Last week, Science Oxford was delighted to welcome seventy-three Oxfordshire secondary students with such attributes to the perfectly neo-gothic University of Oxford Museum of Natural History […]
FOREST SCHOOL REOPENS AT STANSFELD PARK
Friday 18th October 2019
Thanks to the generosity of three Oxford councillors, Science Oxford has been able to reopen a Forest School space in the woodland at its new Stansfeld Park home in Headington. Councillors Glynis Phillips, Roz Smith and Chewe Munkonge have all donated funds to support the project to develop a special area of the woodland that […]
Teachers! Get a taste of our new education centre
Tuesday 15th October 2019
If you’re looking for inspiration for a unique, enriching STEM activity or trip for your class to enjoy, look no further than here. Our popular teacher taster sessions, which give early years and primary school teachers the opportunity to come and explore our new Science Oxford Centre, run every Thursday from 4-6pm. These FREE twilight sessions […]
Countdown to Oxford’s science and ideas festival
Monday 14th October 2019
With only two weeks to go, we’re getting super-excited about the IF Oxford science and ideas festival, which we are delighted to support once again as associate partners. Amid a flurry of activity in the IF bunker, the countdown has begun for an inclusive science-tastic takeover of Oxford, featuring over 100 diverse events from 18-28 October 2019. IF Oxford […]
Planetarium Tour for Primary Schools is back for 2020!
Friday 11th October 2019
With 2020 due to be a stellar year for space exploration (SpaceX, Mars 2020 Rover, OSIRIS-Rex) we’re about to relaunch our very own space-themed show tour for primary schools. In association with STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, we will be bringing an inflatable planetarium to schools in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire next January. Starry Skies is a planetarium […]
Celebration evening showcases student success
Thursday 10th October 2019
Batteries, chocolate eclairs and broad smiles were the order of the evening, as Science Oxford welcomed twelve students, their families and placement providers to the Work Experience Celebration event on Thursday 03 October. The celebration evening is our opportunity to recognise the hard work and dedication of those students who took part in their summer […]
Thumbs up for first ‘official’ school visit
Friday 20th September 2019
Today we welcomed Year 2 & 3 pupils from Oakley Church of England Combined School to the Science Oxford Centre (SOC) – our very first ‘paying visitors’ after the official opening of the centre at the start of September. We’ve been running trial visits from schools across Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire since June to help us […]
Fabulous feedback from schools
Friday 6th September 2019
The education team at Science Oxford has been kept busy over the past few months, making sure that our new Science Oxford Centre is ready to go for visits from primary schools across Oxfordshire and Bucks. So far we’ve welcomed over 1400 children (aged 3-11), from 51 primary school classes, to the centre and they’ve […]
A touch of summer magic for Oxfordshire libraries
Thursday 29th August 2019
This summer, a fairy godmother from Witney waved their magic wand and conjured up sparkling fairy dust so that Cinderella could go to the ball, or rather – kindly offered a generous donation so we could take our Science of Magic show on tour to six libraries in West Oxfordshire. Our head magician – ‘Magic-Ian’- […]
New grant will open science clubs up to all
Tuesday 30th July 2019
Science Oxford has received a grant from The Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust to support free places at our science clubs for children from areas of socio-economic deprivation in Oxford and Abingdon. The Austin and Hope Pilkington Trustgives grants to charities working with those in society who face the greatest challenges and whose opportunities are […]
Badger project at Stansfeld Park wins University award
Tuesday 30th July 2019
We’re delighted to share the news that WildCRU PhD student Tanesha Allen has been given a University of Oxford Vice Chancellor Public Engagement Award for her citizen science project, How do badgers respond to scents from other species? She received a Highly-Commended in the Early Career Researcher Category. Part of Tanesha’s research took place in […]
New course will help teachers bring creativity and skills to science lessons
Tuesday 2nd July 2019
If you’re a primary school teacher looking to develop creative and challenging science lessons which encourage children to use critical thinking skills, look no further. We’ve just launched the latest round of training days for our Thinking, Doing, Talking Science (TDTS) CPD programme which equips teachers with strategies and activity ideas that can translate immediately […]
Muir Gray celebrates 75 years and talks the Elixir of Life
Wednesday 26th June 2019
“I’m going to make a donation to the new centre because it needs a clock!” said NHS health expert and anti-ageing champion Sir Muir Gray, as he began his talk on ‘The Elixir of Life’ –holding court to a full house in the new Science Oxford Centre theatre. A clock was hastily provided, to the amusement […]