Our outreach activities for Pre-16 include a range of in-school, online and on-campus activities, including STEM specific workshops!
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Years 7-11 Assembly Talks
25-minute talk to introduce students to higher education and student life. Tailored to Key Stage 3 or Key Stage 4.
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Year 7 Game of Student Life
A one-hour activity introducing students to the university experience in a fun and interactive way. Students explore what they can study, the societies they can join and how university is different to school. Teacher-led, technology-free session.
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Year 7-9 Robotics Campus Visit
This one-day campus visit, aimed at Y7-Y9, will offer students the opportunity to learn more about robotics.
Students will be provided with LEGO Spike Prime sets and given a variety of challenges from constructing different robots to coding different actions with word blocks. Each group will also get a chance for their constructed and programmed robots to compete against one another.
These visits are now bookable during Term 3 and 4 depending on academic availability. Each visit can accommodate up to 20 students and each school can decide how many workshops they want the visit to include. To book a Robotics Campus Visit or learn more about the robotics workshop options, please email Katrine at k.l.solvaag@kent.ac.uk or outreach@kent.ac.uk with your preferred dates.
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Year 8 Project Visit Day
A visit day to our campus offering the opportunity to explore a university environment, build core thinking skills and work as a team to complete a project.
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Year 9 University Life
A one-hour workshop designed to answer the ‘Who? What? When? Where? How?’ questions about university. Participants are encouraged to reflect on possible reasons for going to university, what they could study there, where they might live and how studying at university differs from being at school. Can be delivered in school or on campus, with the opportunity to meet staff and students and take part in a campus tour.
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Year 9 Stats Gone Wild
A STEM visit day working with academics and student ambassadors to discover how maths helps conservationists count animals.
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Year 9 The Royal Institution Mathematics Masterclasses
The University of Kent is delighted to be hosting a series of Royal Institution Mathematics Masterclasses. The masterclasses are designed to open young people’s eyes to the excitement, beauty and value of mathematics through this year’s mathematics masterclasses. These will take place in-person at our Canterbury campus on the following dates:
- Saturday the 14th of June
- Saturday the 21st of June
- Saturday the 28th of June
The master classes are entirely free of charge; however pupils will have to be nominated by their teachers. To nominate a pupil or to learn more about these masterclasses, please email Rowena at mathsoutreach@kent.ac.uk
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Space School
This week offers a wonderful opportunity for budding scientists to spend a week constructing and launching their own rocket.
Space School is completely free to attend, with lunch provided to all applicants. However, applicants will be expected to make their own way to and from campus.
This opportunity is available to students who are between 14 and 17 years in age and live in Kent. Considering there are limited places available, applicants who meet the university’s widening participation criteria will be prioritised.
The next Space School will be held on our Canterbury campus in August 2025. Sign-up here, or via the QR code to be notified when the application form goes live!
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Years 9-12: Exciting School Visits & Medical Ethics Pilot
Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS) has a busy schedule of school visits coming up, and are thrilled to be piloting a brand-new Medical Ethics session! This interactive opportunity will allow students to explore real-world ethical dilemmas in medicine. If your school would like to arrange a KMMS talk or take part in this exciting pilot, please get in touch — we’d love to hear from you!
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Years 9-12: Virtual Medical Society
Sign Up to the VMS Waiting List
Thinking about a career in medicine? Don’t miss your chance to join the Virtual Medicine Society (VMS)! The Kent and Medway Medical School’s VMS offers students in Years 9-12 a unique opportunity to gain insight into the world of healthcare through interactive online sessions, Q&As with medical professionals, and tailored advice for your medical school journey. Places on our programmes starting in September are open now. If you are currently in Year 8-11, sign up now!
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Maths: What’s the Point?
This mathematics-themed day gives Year 10 and 11 students the opportunity to explore the importance of maths, not only when it comes to sitting their GCSEs but also in real life contexts and careers beyond their time at school.
This one-off event will be taking place on Friday 6th June 2025 from 9.30am to 2.30pm at our Canterbury campus and is particularly suitable for students who want to better understand the benefits of continuing to study maths.
If you’re interested in bringing a group of 15, 20 or 30 students, please email the organiser Katrine at k.l.solvaag@kent.ac.uk or outreach@kent.ac.uk to reserve a space or to ask any questions about this event which you may have. Should there be sufficient interest, we might organise a second date.
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Year 10 Summer School
A two-night residential experience offering students the opportunity to explore their options and experience university life.
Dates this year are 29th July 2025-31st July 2025.
Applications will open on 5th March and will be updated here.
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Year 11 Exam Success Package
A series of three 1-hour self-led online sessions designed to prepare students for their GCSE exams and beyond.
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GCSE Combined Science Practicals
These one-day science practicals provide students with the opportunity to complete a more advanced version of curriculum required practicals whilst learning how these techniques are utilised in real-life research.
- Wednesday 26th March 2025: Reaction Time
During this visit, students will be provided the opportunity to carry out a variety of reaction time tests using the university’s research equipment. They will also get to learn about how these tests can be used by sports scientists to support athletes.
- Thursday 24th April 2025: Who Killed Sherlock Holmes?
During this visit, aimed at teaching the principles of scientific enquiry, students will be given the opportunity to perform PCR and electrophoresis in our undergraduate bioscience teaching laboratories to solve a theoretical murder. There are three suspects, whom the forensic team has collected DNA samples from, and the students will be tasked with testing whether or not they are a match to the DNA found at the crime scene.
Each visit will take place at our Canterbury campus and last from 9.30am to 2.30pm. We do have limited spots available due to lab capacity, so we recommend booking at your earliest convenience. Each school will be able to bring 15 students each. To book onto one or multiple the visits, please email Katrine k.l.solvaag@kent.ac.uk or outreach@kent.ac.uk with your estimated student number.
All the students who participate in one or more events from this series will be provided with access to our new online GCSE Combined Science Revision Support course.
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For more information on Pre-16 activities, please click here.
FIND OUT MORE
You can contact us at:
T: +44 (0)1227 824149
E: outreach@kent.ac.uk
www.kent.ac.uk/schools-and-colleges/outreach