Schools and colleges

Discover how we work with schools – from primary through to sixth form – to provide lectures and hands-on workshops, both at your school and on the University of Surrey campus. 

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Primary schools

We run various activities for primary school students throughout the academic year.

Resources

A number of simple experiments (PDF) that can be done with your primary school students.

Pupils learn all about how rockets go up in to space before making their own rocket powered by a balloon. They are also introduced to ideas about experimenting and improving on their designs. This workshop takes one hour and can take place in a classroom.

Get in contact

If you're interested in this workshop then please get in touch to book:

Outreach Officer
Heather Campbell
Email: h.campbell@surrey.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1483 686410

A half day workshop for up to thirty students is available on request at your school. The workshop includes the following:

  • Interactive talks and demonstrations on the research that is carried out at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, CERN
  • The atomic and subatomic structure of matter and the families of particles in the standard model is a fun and hands on way that they can understand.
  • Students get the chance to design and make a model of a subatomic particle using simple materials e.g. plastic balls, plasticine and decorations and write a story about how these particles interact.

Get in contact

If you're interested in this workshop then please get in touch to book:

Outreach Officer
Heather Campbell
Email: h.campbell@surrey.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1483 686410

This is a half day workshop that covers a journey through the solar system.

The students will have the chance to design their own solar system using play do mounted on large boards, make some interesting new discoveries in astronomy, a chance to ask as many space based questions as they can think of, plus space based quizzes and games, or even rocket building!

Get in contact

If you're interested in this workshop then please get in touch to book:

Outreach Officer
Heather Campbell
Email: h.campbell@surrey.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1483 686410

Key stage three

We run activities for students in year seven through to year nine.

Resources

Make your own periscope (PDF).

This is an exciting, live-action lecture all about particle physics. Through a series of hands-on demonstrations they'll learn how to drive a particle accelerator.

Get in contact

If you're interested in this lecture then please get in touch to book:

Outreach Officer
Heather Campbell
Email: h.campbell@surrey.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1483 686410

In this workshop students will learn about the physics of light and photography and will have the opportunity to create their own light drawing images.

Get in contact

If you're interested in this workshop then please get in touch to book:

Outreach Officer
Heather Campbell
Email: h.campbell@surrey.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1483 686410

Aimed at students who are just about to start their GCSEs, this half-day activity is held here on campus and includes an inspiring short talk, exciting hands-on activities and a quiz with fantastic prizes!

GCSE taster sessions normally take place in July each year.

Get in contact

If you're interested in this taster session then please get in touch to book:

Outreach Officer
Heather Campbell
Email: h.campbell@surrey.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1483 686410

Key stage four

We run activities for students in year ten and eleven.

Resources

Make your own CD-spectroscope (PDF) from our 'investigating spectra' GCSE workshop.

Aimed at students who have just started their GCSEs, this half-day activity is held on campus and includes an inspiring short talk, exciting hands-on activities and a quiz with fantastic prizes!

Get in contact

If you're interested in this taster session then please get in touch to book:

Outreach Officer
Heather Campbell
Email: h.campbell@surrey.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1483 686410

In association with the South East Physics network (SEPnet), we run a series of GCSE workshops where we bring an exciting variety of equipment to your school to use in demos and hands-on activities.

Each workshop fits into an hour-long lesson slot. Workshops are held at your school and can be booked any time.

Investigating spectra

Students will learn about the difference between absorption and emission spectra and how these can be used to identify different elements. They will then identify elements in different lamps using the spectra. They will also get the chance to build a simple spectroscope.

A walk through the electromagnetic spectrum

In this session, students will look at the different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum and what their uses are in medicine, communications and more. 

Medical physics

Students will investigate different methods of medical imaging, including X-ray, PET and ultrasound, through various hands-on experiments. The workshop also covers other diagnostic and treatment techniques such as radiotherapy.

Get in contact

If you're interested in any of these workshops then please get in touch to book:

Outreach Officer
Heather Campbell
Email: h.campbell@surrey.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1483 686410

Sixth form

We run activities for students thinking about going to university.

Our taster days are designed to give students a taste of studying physics at the University of Surrey. The day will include a lecture from one of our academics and a two-hour practical in our undergraduate labs, as well as information about studying physics at university, lunch and a campus tour. This event normally runs during the summer months.

Get in contact

If you're interested in this taster day then please get in touch to book:

Outreach Officer
Heather Campbell
Email: h.campbell@surrey.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1483 686410

Our masterclass aims to give students an insight into nuclear physics through a variety of activities during this one-day event.

The day will include practical experiments in our radiation teaching labs, talks and workshops from our researchers and a lecture on a nuclear physics topic. 

This event is aimed at year twelve students and each school can bring up to five students.

Get in contact

If you're interested in this masterclass then please get in touch to book:

Outreach Officer
Heather Campbell
Email: h.campbell@surrey.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1483 686410

There is an opportunity to use our undergraduate teaching labs on Wednesday afternoons during the academic year. Students can complete first-year undergraduate-level experiments with the assistance of their teacher and a student demonstrator.

This is a flexible event and can be tailored to suit your requirements, with a range of practical experiments available for students to complete.

Get in contact

If you're interested in using our teaching labs then please get in touch to book:

Outreach Officer
Heather Campbell
Email: h.campbell@surrey.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1483 686410

Further information

To book an event or for more information please contact our Outreach Officer, Heather Campbell:

Help with your science fair

If you are organising a science fair we can bring a number of hands-on experiments to run on a stand. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Annual events

Every year we run the Schools Physicist of the Year Award which celebrates the talent of exceptional students studying physics in all of the local area schools.

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