In October 2017 the University of Oxford made its first foray into digital outreach with the launch of Oxplore.org. Five years on, the super-curricular website has racked up more than 3 million views and is regularly accessed by thousands of young people across the UK. If you are unfamiliar with Oxplore, now is the perfect time to see what we have to offer!
Oxplore is a free website for 11–18-year-olds, that uses ‘Big Questions’ as a device to explore topical issues and debates that go beyond what’s traditionally taught in the classroom. From the very beginning our aims have been to raise aspirations around learning, promote broader thinking and encourage intellectual curiosity in young people, while fostering the critical thinking and debating skills that they will eventually need for university study.
Every question we feature has been suggested by our users and there are now more than sixty ‘Big Question’ pages on the site, covering a diverse range of topics from ‘does a god exist?’ to ‘should footballers be paid more than nurses?’. Big Questions are framed in a way that will prompt a simple ‘yes/no’ response, but to challenge preconceptions we present students with a mix of interdisciplinary articles, videos, lists and quizzes, that showcase perspectives they may not have encountered before.
Involving credible voices from a broad base of subjects is a core principle of the project and an enormous amount of work goes into ensuring that the resources we create are academically rigorous yet fun and accessible to a young audience. To do this we call on the expertise of researchers and academics from the University of Oxford, who share their knowledge on everything from daily life in ancient Rome to the intricacies of quantum computing.
Over time, the scope of what we offer has grown to include live debates, nationwide essay competitions and the Oxplore Book Club. Each initiative reflects our commitment to inspire academic curiosity whilst providing free enrichment opportunities for students to engage with individually or as part of a group.
Super-curricular engagement matters! Exploring ideas that are outside of ‘the norm’ and making connections between different subjects from a young age, will help students discover what really interests them. Super-curricular activities also set candidates apart during the university application process, as they demonstrate a capacity for independent learning and increased academic curiosity - skills that are highly valued by selective institutions.
Not everyone will have the time to seek out and signpost super-curricular resources for their students, which makes a one-stop shop like Oxplore particularly useful to teachers and advisors. Our Big Question pages can act as a springboard for EPQ discussions or debate club meetings. Our live activities can be streamed in the classroom during tutor time or homework club. And every student who sends in their Big Question or participates in our activities has interacted with the University of Oxford, fulfilling the Gatsby Benchmark 7 requirements on encounters with higher education.
Oxplore is completely free to access and students can create an account to leave comments or reviews. Start by browsing the website to see what we have to offer, or take a tour of some of our most topical Big Questions:
Get involved in our book club for 11 to 14 year olds which runs from October to March. Designed to get younger teens reading and engaging with books that they might not have chosen otherwise; every month there is a new book and a new page of supplementary resources online. Students are encouraged to review the books and a selection are published on the website. Towards the end of the month, we hold a live Q&A on Zoom, often with the author of that month’s book. Participation is free and past special guests include Philip Pullman, Kiran Millwood Hargrave and Manjeet Mann.
Join our teacher mailing list to receive termly updates on all the new content drops, competitions and free events that we run throughout the year.
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Richard, an Economics and Finance student at the University of York, discusses how he chose his GCSEs and A-levels, his study motivations, and offers advice on selecting qualifications.
Daniyel, a Law student at King’s College London, shares how he chose his subjects and offers advice on qualifications and personal statements.
Orin, studied Law at the University of Oxford, shares how her GCSEs influenced her A-level choices and decision to attend university. She also offers advice on selecting qualifications.
Josh, a Computer Science student at the University of Newcastle, shares how he chose his A-levels, offers advice on university applications, and reflects on valuable lessons for future students.
Mayowa studies English Literature at King's College London. She shares her university application journey, her enjoyment of university life, and valuable advice for choosing a course and university.
Mayowa, studying English Literature at King's College London, discusses her GCSE and A-Level subject choices, offering advice for students on making informed decisions.
Sarah, a Biochemistry graduate from Birmingham, discusses how university aided her transition to employment and shares valuable insights for choosing the right career path.
Samra, a Medicine student at the University of Liverpool, shares how she chose her course, the value of her work experience, and advice on overcoming barriers. She also offers tips for applying to study medicine.
Jackson, a Theatre and Performance Studies student at the University of Bristol, shares his insights on choosing qualifications, the significance of enjoying your subjects, and how bursaries and scholarships influenced his university decision.
Eireann, an English and Education graduate from Cambridge, shares how a summer school helped her decide on university and her course. She also offers advice on selecting the right university.
Gemma, a Communication and Media student at the University of Leeds, explains how an access course helped her and shares thoughts on university as a path for everyone.
Amy, an English Language graduate from the University of Glasgow, shares how she chose her university course, why she selected Glasgow, and her experience with scholarships.
Billie-Joe, studying Social Work and Geography at Queen's University Belfast, shares how she chose her GCSE subjects, what she enjoyed in A-Level, and offers advice for subject consideration.
Billie-Joe discusses her university life, sharing advice for care leavers, her motivation for studying social work, extracurricular involvement, and the benefits she gained as a student.
Hamid studies Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at LSE. He discusses his career aspirations, factors influencing his course choice, and how summer schools shaped his university decision.
Billie-Joe, studying Social Work and Geography at Queen's University Belfast, shares his university selection process, reasons for choosing Belfast, and helpful advice for others.
Bishoy shares his journey in choosing a university and course, highlighting the significance of aligning his degree with career goals and evaluating different options.
Sophie discusses her journey to studying Law at Sheffield, covering her decision-making process, considerations for open days, and advice on personal statements.
Fatima, studying Dentistry at Cardiff University, shares her journey, emphasising diverse work experiences, teacher support during applications, and the benefits of attending a Russell Group University.
Khima, a Law student at the University of Edinburgh, shares how he chose his A-Levels and how his dream job influenced those decisions.
Sophie, a law student at Sheffield, shares her experiences with GCSEs and offers valuable advice for selecting A-Level subjects based on her personal choices.
Saif, a graduate in Accounting and Finance from Manchester, discusses choosing a university and course, highlighting the benefits of access schemes in decision-making.
Saif, a graduate in Accounting and Finance from Manchester, shares how his degree aided his career at Enterprise and offers tips for securing a graduate job.
Bishoy, studying Aerospace Engineering at Southampton, reflects on his university experience, highlighting the skills gained and what he enjoyed most about student life.
Onome, a Chemical Engineering graduate from Imperial College London, discusses his summer school experience, course highlights, and what mattered when applying for jobs after his masters.
Khima discusses his motivation for studying law at Edinburgh, highlights the city's appeal, and shares tips for open days.
Habiba, studying Maths at Queen Mary University, discusses her course selection factors, extracurricular activities, and shares valuable advice for choosing the right university.
Richard, an Economics and Finance student at the University of York, shares his university life experience, highlighting extracurricular activities and how they prepared him for future employment.
Nathan, an English student at Exeter, shares why he chose his course, the benefits of a gap year, and offers advice on selecting a university subject.
Matt, a Linguistics student at UCL, shares how he chose his GCSE subjects, the skills that supported his studies, and offers advice for selecting subjects.
Saif, a graduate in Accounting and Finance from Manchester, shares insights on making subject choices, emphasising how his GCSE experience influenced his A-Level decisions.
Jess discusses her Sociology experience at Durham, highlighting involvement opportunities, the benefits of university, and advice for those considering applying to higher education.
Gemma, a Communication and Media student at the University of Leeds, shares her experiences navigating university life with a disability and the opportunities she found.
Nathan, an English student at the University of Exeter, discusses challenges he faced transitioning to A-levels and shares insights that helped him realise he could attend university.
Habiba, studying Maths at Queen Mary University, shares how her future plans influenced her GCSE choices and offers valuable advice for making subject selections.
Fatima, studying Dentistry at Cardiff University, shares her insights on excelling in studies, the A-Level transition, and the importance of keeping her subject choices open for future opportunities.
In this case study, Khima, a Law student at the University of Edinburgh, talks about how getting involved in extra-curricular activities made her university experience even better.
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In October 2017 the University of Oxford made its first foray into digital outreach with the launch of Oxplore.org.
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