oxplore essay competition 2023

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Home → Study Here → Outreach → Essay Competitions

St Hugh’s essay competitions are open to Sixth Formers from the UK and across the world. These are a fantastic opportunity to explore a topic of interest in a particular subject in more depth, whether something you have studied at school has inspired you, or whether you are keen to broaden your horizons in a new academic discipline.

This year’s essay competitions are now closed. Entrants will be contacted in due course with the outcome of their entry.

To find out more about these competitions please click on the links below:

• Julia Wood – History
• Mary Renault – Classical Reception
• Kavita Singh – Politics, Philosophy, and Economics
• Gwyneth Bebb – Law

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Big Oxplore Essay Competition 2023 Results!

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Competition winners essays published

We are delighted to publish the two winning essays in our recent jesus college essay competition, run in collaboration with the university’s oxplore programme..

This annual competition is for pupils in years 8–11 who attend a state school in one of our link regions of Wales and the London boroughs of Lambeth and Wandsworth.

Participants were challenged to submit a 750 word essay answering one of the Oxplore Big Questions; Could we end disease? Do aliens exist? Does truth exist? Is a robot a person? Is it okay to ban certain books? Is it okay to judge people?

The competition opened in April, and we had some fantastic submissions. The essays were reviewed and marked by a team of current Jesus College students: Abi, Arron and Kate, who were not only keen to support this outreach activity but excited to read how entrants would approach the task at hand.

The winning essay was written by Gabriella, a year 10 student from from Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni, Caerphilly, who tackled the question ‘Does truth exist?’

The runner-up was Eva, a year 8 student at  Afon Taf High School, Merthyr Tydfil, who wrote in answer to the question ‘Is it okay to ban certain books?’

Judge Kate says: I thoroughly enjoyed reading students’ submissions to this year’s essay competition. Their responses to the questions were thoughtful, and there were many unique and interesting perspectives on the topics available. Well done to everyone who wrote an essay!

The Big Oxplore Essay Competition!

The big oxplore essay competition .

Oxplore  is delighted to be running a philosophy and ethics-themed essay competition for secondary school students in  Wales , Cornwall  and the  South West of England . 

We are inviting students in years  7-13  to write a  750-word  response to  one  of the following essay titles:

Do we need laws to have morals?

How effective do you think punishment is in shaping and changing our behaviour?

Is there ever a moral justification for trophy hunting?

All entries should be emailed to  [email protected]  by  11:59  GMT on  16 February 2021 .

Entries will be reviewed by our expert judging panel. There will be two age categories: years 7-9 and 10-13. The winners will receive £100 in Amazon vouchers and the runners-up will receive £50 in Amazon vouchers.

For more information and guidance, visit   https://bit.ly/BigOxploreEssay

For students over 16

If you are over the age of 16, these resources will help you delve further into current interests as well as perhaps leading you to explore new ones. Take a look at our broad subject areas to discover relevant academic resources as well as finding out how your deep enthusiasm for a subject area maps onto the undergraduate courses offered at Oxford. 

Big thinking with real-world impact:

• BBC Future  - A series of articles exploring interesting questions, from 'What's the best age to learn a language?' to 'Can AI help cure loneliness?'
• Big Tent! Big Ideas!  - A programme of live events from 2020 bringing world-leading speakers and researchers into conversation to explore the biggest questions of our day. 
• Oxplore - As the ' Home of Big Questions' , Oxplore engages you with debates and ideas that go beyond the classroom. Big questions tackle complex ideas across a range of subjects and draw on the latest research undertaken at Oxford.
• Oxford Impact case studies  - A collection of articles exploring Oxford research and its impact upon the world.
• Oxford Impact videos   - A collection of videos exploring Oxford research and its impact upon the world.
• Oxford University Medium - The University's blog offers expert comment, drawing on research at Oxford.
• Springboard videos - These videos bring you cutting-edge research from Oxford's graduate students on a wide range of topics - from climate change and colonialism, to microbiomes and mathematical logic. Each video offers an introduction to a new topic, plus lots of activities and further resources to explore. 
• TED Talks   - A series of short and fascinating talks discussing bold ideas.
• Zooniverse  - A platform that lets you contribute to real-life research projects.

Students, tutors and colleges recommend...

• St John's College Inspire Digital  - A collection of articles, TED talks, video lectures, and competitions that delve into topics that interest you. There are also resources to help you prepare for university admissions.
• Library Quad   - A hub of learning resources personally recommended by students at Trinity College. 
• Staircase 12  - An online hub of resources and information for students thinking about applying to top universities, created by University College.
• University College Reading Bank  - An online reading bank, with book reviews by University College students and tutors. 

For all subjects...

• Digital Bodleian  - The Bodleian Libraries’ digital collections are open to people from around the world for learning, teaching, personal enjoyment and research. There are more than 650,000 freely available digital objects on offer, from political cartoons and campaign posters to ancient manuscripts.
• Gresham College  - Gresham College was founded to offer free lectures to the general public. You can access a huge range of their lectures online.
• In Our Time  -  BBC Radio programme exploring a wide range of historical topics with academics and experts from around the world.
• My HE Plus  - Created by the University of Cambridge, this website helps you to explore subjects beyond the classroom.
• Suggested subject resources  - Learning resources to help you explore subjects offered at Oxford.

Subject-specific resources

Languages and   literature.

Courses offered at Oxford:

• English Language and Literature
• Classics, European and Middle Eastern Languages
• Modern Languages
• Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
• Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics.  

Visit  our A-Z of courses  for a full list of our undergraduate courses and combinations.

• Arabic, Islamic Studies -   Middle East Studies Association   -   Publications and journals.
• Classics  - Archives of Greek and Roman Drama   -   A centre for research into performances of Greek and Roman drama, with learning resources and event performances.
• Classics - Classical Art Research Centre   -   Research on ancient Greek and Roman art.
• Classics  - Classics EPQ   -   Support in developing an EPQ in Classics, helping you to explore the relevance of ancient thought on current debates such as migration, conflict and gender.
• Classics  - Classics for All   -   Reading room featuring book reviews and an online classical journal.
• Classics  -  Empires of Faith   -   Blog posts from the Empires of Faith research project, examining imagery from various current and lost religions.
• Classics  - The Roman Society   -   Journals, publications and classics-related site visits. 
• Classics, Arabic, Islamic Studies  - Manar Al-Athar   -   Searchable images of archaeological sites, buildings and art, covering the areas of the former Roman empire.
• Classics, Philosophy  - Omnibus Magazine   -   Magazine aimed at students in their final year of school or first year of university covering a range of academic topics.
• English  -  Great Writers Inspire   -   A collection of literary resources aimed at students from sixth-form to university, containing lectures, eBooks and essays focusing on great writers from around the world.
• English  -  Lest We Forget Project   -   A project aiming to collect and digitally archive First World War artefacts stored in bedrooms and attics across the UK.
• English  -  Online Chaucer Resources   -   A list of online and accessible resources for students studying Chaucer.
• English  - The Poetry Foundation  -   An interactive website bringing poetry to life.
• English  -  Postcolonial Writers Make Worlds   -   An expansion of Great Writers Inspire with a set of free resources focusing on contemporary Black and Asian British writing.
• English  - Shakespeare's Globe   -   A dedicated repository of resources specialising in Shakespeare.
• Linguistics  - Creative Multilingualism   -   Learning resources from a research programme investigating the interconnection between linguistic diversity and creativity.
• Modern Languages  - Adventures on the Bookshelf   -   A blog for students and teachers of Years 11 to 13, and anyone else with an interest in Modern Foreign Languages and Cultures.
• Modern Languages  - Les Liaisons Dangereuses   -   A podcast series exploring the book, its author, and contemporary reception.
• Modern Languages  - Oxford Spanish Literature Podcast  -   Listen in on our conversations with Spanish tutors to find out what's so fascinating about the literature they teach, why they love teaching it and why they think you might love it too. 
• Philosophy  - Philosophical Society   - Articles, excerpts and passages that provide introductions to a range of philosophical topics. 
• Philosophy - Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy - Introductions to philosophical topics. 
• Psychology  -  Royal Psychology Society -  Research articles, podcasts and blog posts from the Royal Psychology Society.

The natural world

• Archaeology and Anthropology
• Earth Sciences (Geology)
• Human Sciences. 
• Archaeology -   The Hellenic Journal   -   Journals, publications, events and lectures on Hellenic Studies.
• Archaeology  - Omnibus Magazine   -   Magazine aimed at students in their final year of school or first year of university covering a range of academic topics.
• Biology  - Conservation Optimism   -   Conservation resources produced in collaboration with young people, to inform and empower.
• Earth Sciences (Geology), Geography, Human Sciences -   American National Museum of Natural History  - A virtual tour of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
• Earth Sciences (Geology), Geography, Human Sciences  - Project Drawdown   -   Latest science and insights from global thought leaders on climate solutions. 
• Geography, Human Sciences  - Our World in Data   -   Research and data to make progress against the world's largest problems.

Art and music 

Courses offered at Oxford: 

• Classical Archaeology and Ancient History
• History of Art
• Archaeology, Classics -   The Hellenic Journal   -   Journals, publications, events and lectures on Hellenic Studies.
• Classics, History, Archaeology  - Omnibus Magazine   -   Magazine aimed at students in their final year of school or first year of university covering a range of academic topics.
• History of Art  -  Art History Archive   -   A glossary of terms used within Art and Art History.
• History of Art  - Ashmolean Museum resources  - Downloadable learning resources and short videos on a range of topics including History of Art and Literature.
• History of Art, Fine Art  -  The Louvre  - A virtual tour of the Louvre Art Gallery in Paris.
• History of Art, Fine Art  -  The National Gallery   - An online version of the National Gallery's collections, where you can explore works of art.
• History of Art, Fine Art -   Oxford Art Online   -   Articles covering ancient to contemporary art.
• History of Art, Fine Art  - Royal Academy of Arts   - Current exhibitions, news and blogs on art.
• Music  -  Classical Music   -   The official website of the BBC Music Magazine, featuring podcasts, reviews and artist interviews.
• Music  - MusicMap   -   An interactive hub of popular music, showing how it is all connected.

Medical sciences

• Biochemistry
• Biomedical Sciences
• Human Sciences
• Psychology (Experimental). 
• Human Sciences  - Our World in Data   -   Research and data to make progress against the world's largest problems.
• Medicine  - Health Careers   -   If you’re interested in finding out more about working as a doctor in the UK, this NHS website offers information about medical degrees and career options.
• Medicine  - The Physiological Society   -   Journals, videos and a magazine that feature the latest developments in physiology, research, education and policy.
• Medicine -   Wellcome   -   Discover research into mental health, infectious disease and climate and health.
• Psychology  - Royal Psychology Society   -   Research articles, podcasts and blog posts from the Royal Psychology Society.
• Science  - Interactive Periodic Table  -   An interactive periodic table offering information on each of the elements, as well as historic and alchemic alternatives.

Philosophical questions

• Philosophy (can only be studied as a joint course)
• Theology and Religion. 
• Classics  -  Archives of Greek and Roman Drama   -   A centre for research into performances of Greek and Roman drama, with learning resources and event performances.
• Classics  -  Classical Art Research Centre   -   Research on ancient Greek and Roman art.
• Classics  -  Classics EPQ   -   Support in developing an EPQ in Classics, helping you to explore the relevance of ancient thought on current debates such as migration, conflict and gender.
• Classics  -  Classics for All   -   Reading room featuring book reviews and an online classical journal.
• Classics -   The Hellenic Journal   -   Journals, publications, events and lectures on Hellenic Studies.
• Classics  -  Manar Al-Athar   -   Searchable images of archaeological sites, buildings and art, covering the areas of the former Roman empire.
• Classics  -  The Roman Society   -   Journals, publications and classics-related site visits. 
• Classics, Theology  - Empires of Faith   -   Blog posts from the Empires of Faith research project, examining imagery from various current and lost religions.
• Law  - BBC Law in Action   -   A radio show that analyses the law stories featuring in the news.
• Law -   The Lawyer Portal   -   Advice about applying for Law at university and legal careers, as well as some opportunities and events with law firms. 
• Law  - Public Law for Everyone   -   Covers topical legal questions and issues.
• Philosophy  - Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy  - Introductions to philosophical topics. 

Physical sciences

• Engineering Science
• Materials Science

Visit  our A-Z of courses   for a full list of our undergraduate courses and combinations.

• Chemistry  -  Chemistry Olympiad   -   Take part in the leading chemistry competition for secondary students across the British Isles.
• Chemistry  - Isaac Chemistry  -   Online platform aimed at engaging GCSE and A-level students with Chemistry.
• Chemistry  - Royal Society of Chemistry  - Resources on the subject of Chemistry, from podcasts to online games.
• Earth Sciences (Geology), Geography  - Project Drawdown   -   Latest science and insights from global thought leaders on climate solutions. 
• Engineering  -  Greenpower   -   Design, build and race an electric car with Greenpower Education Trust.
• Engineering  - I Want to Study Engineering  -   Aimed at students interested in Engineering, with online problems, video content and puzzles.
• Engineering  - Royal Academy of Engineering   -   Engineering-specific news, features, blog posts and events.
• Geography  - Our World in Data   -   Research and data to make progress against the world's largest problems.
• Physics  -  British Physics Olympiad   -   Annual physics competition, including past papers and other resources.
• Physics  - Isaac Physics   -   Online platform aimed at engaging GCSE and A-level students with Physics.
• Physics  - Telescope Guide   -   An astronomy calendar to help you plan for all of the best stargazing and astronomical events.
• Science  -  Museum of Natural History virtual tour   -   A virtual tour of the University's Museum of Natural History.
• Science  - Oxford Sparks  -   An online portal for engaging with the scientific developments happening in the University.
• STEM  - Causeway Education   -   Ideas for wider reading for personal statements.
• STEM  - New Scientist   -   Articles, podcasts, videos, courses and events. 
• STEM  - Women in STEM   -   Blog posts, features, articles and insights aimed specifically at women in STEM.

Researching the past

• Classics  - Classical Art Research Centre   -   Research on ancient Greek and Roman art.
• Classics  -  Empires of Faith   -   Blog posts from the Empires of Faith research project, examining imagery from various current and lost religions.
• History  - BBC History  -   Official website for the BBC History magazine, featuring articles, interviews and podcasts.
• History  - Black Cultural Archives  -   Telling the story of the Black British experience.
• History  - English Heritage: Story of England  -   Website covering thousands of years of English history.
• History  - Historical Association  -   History journals and podcasts.
• History  -  Lest We Forget Project   -   A project aiming to collect and digitally archive First World War artefacts stored in bedrooms and attics across the UK.
• History  -  Postcolonial Writers Make Worlds   -   An expansion of Great Writers Inspire with a set of free resources focusing on contemporary Black and Asian British writing.
• History of Art  -  Ashmolean Museum resources  - Downloadable learning resources and short videos on a range of topics including History of Art and Literature.

Using mathematics

• Computer Science
• Economics (can only be studied as a joint course)
• Mathematics
• Statistics (can only be studied as a joint course). 
• Computer Science  - Christ Church Python Challenges   -   Can computers be used to create art? How fast can a computer read all of Wikipedia? Work out the answers to these questions using these exercises designed to teach Python programming language.
• Computer Science  -  Isaac Computer Science   -   Online platform for exploring computer science. 
• Computer Science  - National Museum of Computing   - A virtual tour of the National Museum of Computing in Bletchley Park.
• Earth Sciences (Geology)  - Project Drawdown   -   Latest science and insights from global thought leaders on climate solutions. 
• Economics  -  Chatham House   -   Expert comment on current affairs, produced by a world-leading policy institute.
• Economics  -  The Economist   -   Expert commentary on current affairs and the economy. 
• Economics  - Freakonomics   -   Podcast episodes based on books about economics.
• Economics  -  Institute of Economics Affairs blog   -   Publications, news and blogs on economics and politics. 
• Economics  - International Monetary Fund   -   Videos, articles, factsheets and an IMF DataMapper analysing the latest public financial developments.
• Engineering  -  Royal Academy of Engineering   -   Engineering-specific news, features, blog posts and events.
• Mathematics  -  Oxford Mathematics Alphabet   -   The Mathematics Alphabet presents engaging mathematical ideas and the latest research.
• Mathematics  -  Oxford Mathematics Public Lectures Online   -   Oxford Mathematics Public Lectures enable anyone with an interest in the subject to see the best mathematicians in action.
• Mathematics  - Oxford Online Maths Club  -   Online maths club with problem-solving and puzzles, as well as interesting mini-lectures on a variety of mathematical topics.
• Mathematics  - Tom Rocks Maths  -   A series of videos and articles created by Oxford Mathematics tutor Dr Tom Crawford.
• Physics  -  Telescope Guide  -   An astronomy calendar to help you plan for all of the best stargazing and astronomical events.
• STEM  - New Scientist  -   Articles, podcasts, videos, courses and events. 

People and society

• Economics (can only be studied as a joint course)
• Politics (can only be studied as a joint course).
• Archaeology and Anthropology  - British Museum  - A virtual tour of the British Museum in London.
• Geography, Human Sciences  -  Project Drawdown   -   Latest science and insights from global thought leaders on climate solutions. 
• Geography, Human Sciences  -  Our World in Data  -   Research and data to make progress against the world's largest problems.
• Politics  - British Politics: A Very Short Introduction   -   Provides a theoretical basis for understanding and studying politics. 
• Politics  - Talking Politics   -   Politics podcast that every week features the ideas and events that shape our world.
• Politics -  United Nations   -   Articles about international affairs and sustainable development from a variety of agencies, funds and programmes.
• Politics, Economics  -  Chatham House   -   Expert comment on current affairs, produced by a world-leading policy institute.
• Politics, Economics  - The Economist   -   Expert commentary on current affairs and the economy. 
• Politics, Economics  - Institute of Economics Affairs blog   -   Publications, news and blogs on economics and politics. 
• Politics, Law  - Amnesty International   -   Global charity researching human rights abuses and campaigning for change. 
• Science - Museum of Natural History virtual tour   -   A virtual tour of the University's Museum of Natural History.
• Science  -  Oxford Sparks  - An online portal for engaging with the scientific developments happening at Oxford.

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Big Think Competition

⚠️ Submissions are now closed for 2024! You can view the winning entries for 2024 here . If you’d like to be notified when the competition returns in 2025, please complete the form below.

• Register Interest for the Big Think Competition 2025

Enter our Big Think Competition!

Every year, we invite students across the UK to tackle one of our academics’ ‘big’ questions. These have been specially designed to challenge you beyond your normal school curriculum and get you thinking ‘big’ about your subject and what it might be like to study it at university. Simply record a video of 5 minutes or less presenting your arguments, research, evidence and opinions.

• £100 1st Prize
• £50 2nd Prize
• £35 Subject Commendations

To enter you must:

• live in the UK
• attend a state school
• be in Year 11, Year 12 or Year 13

Winners will also all be invited to Oxford for the day where they will get to discuss their entries with subject tutors, have a tour of the college with current students and enjoy lunch in our dining hall.

How to enter:

• Send us a video of no more than 5 minutes in length.
• You don’t need any fancy equipment, you can film it on your phone if you like – we will be judging based on your engagement with the questions.
• Your video doesn’t have to include your face if you don’t want – feel free to get creative! You could narrate a PowerPoint, record yourself drawing or even apply your TikTok-making skills…
• Submit your video as an unlisted YouTube video or via WeTransfer.

Biochemistry

Do our genes define who we are?

Question set by Prof. Lars Jansen, tutor in Biochemistry at St Edmund Hall. His lab focuses on understanding chromatin structure and function in human cell systems.

Last year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded for the discovery and synthesis of quantum dots. Why?

Question set by Annina Lieberherr, a DPhil candidate at Lincoln College Oxford. Her research is centred around the theoretical description of spectroscopy, and she teaches Mathematics for Chemists at St Catherine’s College.

Earth Sciences

When did complex life on land evolve?

Question set by Prof. Claire Nichols, tutor in Earth Sciences at St Edmund Hall. Claire has been teaching Earth Sciences at the College since 2021. After initially aspiring to be a theoretical physicist, she quickly discovered the practical side of Earth Sciences was a much better fit and particularly enjoyed field trips and the opportunities to travel to remote places.

Engineering

Should we let robots do all the driving?

Question set by Prof. Paul Goulart, tutor in Engineering at St Edmund Hall. After initially studying Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT, Paul went on to specialise in Control Engineering.

Is Shakespeare better than Taylor Swift? (Feel free to use another artist if you prefer!)

Question set by Dr Tom MacFaul, tutor in English at St Edmund Hall. Tom splits his time between teaching and pursuing his own research. This question draws on his own interests in how writers respond to ideological and political changes in their work.

Can development ever be sustainable?

Question set by Dr Lorraine Wild, tutor in Geography at St Edmund Hall. Lorraine teaches all aspects of human geography at St Edmund Hall, and is also a Lecturer at Worcester and St Hilda’s College. Lorraine is also the Academic Administrator at the School of Geography and the Environment, leading outreach work for the undergraduate course and having oversight of the delivery of all of the Geography programmes within the department.

Historians disagree all the time, so how can we trust what they write?

Question set by Prof. Filippo de Vivo, tutor in History at St Edmund Hall. Having studied in Milan, Cambridge and Paris, his research focuses on the history of communication and politics in Italy and the Mediterranean.

What is the role of law/lawyers in addressing climate change?

Question set by Prof. Joanna Bell, tutor in Law at St Edmund Hall. She teaches Administrative Law, Constitutional Law and Tort for the college, as well as Environmental Law for the Faculty.

Materials Science

How and why can new materials contribute to the clean energy revolution?

Question set by Dr Joe Prentice, tutor in Materials Science at St Edmund Hall. Joe’s research is in the realm of materials modelling – using theoretical tools to model and predict the properties of materials.

Is maths created or discovered?

Question set by Dr Tom Crawford, tutor in Maths at St Edmund Hall but you might have heard of him as Tom Rocks Maths on YouTube. He uses his specialism in Applied Mathematics to produce content on his channel, as well as working with the BBC and Numberphile.

Medical Sciences

How is artificial intelligence shaping the future of medicine and biomedical sciences?

Question set by Prof. David Dupret, tutor in Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at St Edmund Hall. David teaches Neurosciences to our students. His research group is looking at how the different regions of the brain help us use memories to guide our behaviour.

Modern Languages

Is there such a thing as an untranslatable word?

Question set by Dr Holly Langstaff, tutor in Modern Languages at St Edmund Hall. She researches and teaches French literature from the nineteenth to twenty-first centuries. She also runs several outreach initiatives, such as the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation , the  Think Like a Linguist  project and  Bristol Translates Summer School .

Is Pluto a planet?

Question set by Prof. Carly Howett, tutor in Physics at St Edmund Hall. She is also a planetary physicist who specialises in space studies. Carly helps to develop new instruments allowing us to explore the solar system and has been a part of several projects at NASA.

Is online anonymity a threat to democracy?

Question set by Dr Orlando Lazar, tutor in Politics at St Edmund Hall. He specialises in the theory of politics, and he enjoys teaching students about this in their topics on Marxism and Feminism. His own research has looked at applying these theories to issues such as domination and power in the workplace.

Why don’t people do what they know they should?

Question set by Dr Iana Alexeeva, tutor in Experimental Psychology at St Edmund Hall. Iana teaches on a variety of topics from psychological disorders to information processing. In particular, she is interested in how cognitive and emotional processes play a role in coping with illness and treatment.

Picked your question? Get thinking and submit your entry by Wednesday 1 May!

Submit your entry here

Oxford Digital Outreach Blog

Stories of digital outreach at the university of oxford, this is the big oxplore video competition..

We’ve got a Big Question for you! This is the 2024 Oxplore Video Competition for students at non-selective state secondary school across the UK. 

We invite students from  years 7-9 and years 10-13  to submit a 3-minute (years 7-9) or a 5-minute (years 10-13) video response to the question: 

Should cars be banned in your region?  

We encourage responses which approach these questions from a variety of perspectives – bring in Science, Law, Economics, Politics, Philosophy, Geography or any other subject or discipline. Just remember to answer the question! 

All submissions should be emailed to  [email protected]  by 11:59 BST on 10th May 2024. We recommend sending submissions in MP4 file format, though if we can access the video then it will be considered for marking! Please include your  name , the  name of your school  and your  school year.  

The winners will receive £100 and the runners-up will receive £50 in Amazon vouchers. 

Late entries will not be reviewed.  

Getting Started…  

Below is some guidance on the kinds of topics you could include in your response.

Air Pollution  

Cars with internal combustion engines (ICEs) which burn petrol or diesel – that includes hybrids – release noxious chemicals into the air which affects everyone’s quality of life. Even electric cars cause air pollution, as particles are released from their tyres and breaks and from the roads that have to support two-tonne vehicles repeatedly rolling over them. Beyond the broader environmental impact of greenhouse gases , the release of small particulate matter into the local atmosphere has been linked to poor lung and heart health and ‘ depression, anxiety, psychoses, and perhaps even neurocognitive disorders, such as dementia .’ In 2018, it was estimated that car-related air pollution cost the NHS £605 million in London alone . Does your local area suffer much from air pollution? Is banning cars the answer or can cars be changed?  

Lifestyle  

The widespread use of cars means that roads are unsafe for cyclists and pedestrians and large plots of land (often in the centre of towns and cities) are given over to parking spaces. It also encourages urban planners to arrange settlements in a way that’s convenient for car users but not for others. Think of where you live – is it possible to get to a school, a hospital, restaurants and a park easily and quickly without a car? Does ‘the rhythm’ of your local area ‘follow humans’ or cars? How does the use of cars stop people in your region from leading their fullest lives? On the other hand, much of the research and discussion on the effects of cars on local environments and communities focuses on the urban – in rural areas where amenities are, by definition, more spread out and comprehensive public transport coverage is less feasible and accessible, how do cars enable communities to thrive?  

Fairness  

It’s all very well saying that cars cause problems. But lots of regions have planned their infrastructure, residential accommodation, commerce and amenities around widespread car usage. Is it fair to change the law on how, when, where or even if people can use cars when they’ve moved to suburbs on the basis they can use one? How do business owners who rely on people driving to their sites view possible limitations on car usage? And, is everyone affected the same by banning cars? Who needs cars the most? Think about how you might find out people’s views on car usage and how it affects them – would a survey work best or an interview? Are there existing polls? Finally, it might be that there is no way for car usage or no car usage to be fair on everyone. You will have to decide whether what is fair to some is more important than what is fair to others. 

What will I be marked on?  

Upon watching the submissions, judges will be carefully assessing: 

• the relevance of points made to the question – to score highly on this it will be worth being precise with your terminology. To allow you to make the video you want to make, we have used the term ‘region’. ‘Region’ could mean somewhere as large as the South-West of England or Glasgow or as small as St Eval or Dennistoun. We hope this freedom allows you to tackle the subject of car usage at a scale you feel is most useful and interesting, but be careful to specify which region you are discussing in your video. 
• the development and structure of your argument, which considers multiple points of view and reaches a personal conclusion – originality will be rewarded, though not at the expense of logic and plausibility. 
• your inclusion of supporting evidence to build a persuasive account 
• your clarity of expression – sometimes simplicity is good, as is brevity! Graphics and editing can help to get across your point but we encourage entrants to consider whether they could transmit their research and opinions just as clearly by speaking to camera or recording footage. 
• your creative understanding of the title/task. 

How do I submit my video?  

We are quite flexible about how you can submit your video as long as it reaches us at  [email protected] . We will, however, require you and your parents or guardians to fill our consent form alongside your submission. Click here to access the form.  

Do I need to include credits and will they be included in the video length?  

If other people are included in the video, they must consent to being in it by filling our form. You may include citations to studies, book, articles or other research material either in the video, in a credits section or in a separate document sent alongside your consent forms and video. Any credits section will count towards the length of your video.

If you have any other questions about the competition or Oxplore.org in general, please feel free to send them to [email protected]. 

We hope you will enjoy exploring this subject. We cannot wait to see and hear what you discover and be persuaded by your viewpoint. Good luck! 

It is an immense pleasure to be able to announce the winners of the Big Oxplore Video Competition 2024.

Years 10-13: Eliza Hamilton

Years 7-9: Zian Zhang

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Widening participation

Academic support, what is oxplore and how can your students make use of it.

Stephanie Cater Outreach Content Development Coordinator, University of Oxford

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.

What is Oxplore?

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.

Why should your students use Oxplore?

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.

Getting started

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: • Do we need Royal Family? • Can war be a good thing? • Are humans ruining the Earth?

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.

Further reading

> Advancing Access has an interactive CPD module on the subject of helping students to gain maximum benefit from super-curricular activities > You can also visit the Advancing Access super-curricular activity guide

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Unlock the full features of Advancing Access

To comment on our blog posts you need to either sign in or register an account. A free Advancing Access account will also enable you to: >Download our full collection of CPD resources >Take part in our online Virtual Conferences >Keep up to date with the latest developments with our occasional emails (opt out available)

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If you would like us to let you know if your Big Question is selected to be added to Oxplore, and to give you the opportunity to contribute content about your Big Question to Oxplore, we will need your email address to contact you.

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Your postcode will help us to understand if Oxplore is reaching the users we hope will benefit most from using the website and help us evaluate our performance against the University of Oxford’s outreach objectives.

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Bookings Open for Online Summer Courses

Watch our Explainer Video

How Our Essay Competition Works

Submit your entry.

Research and write your essay and then submit it, along with your references, via our short form below.

Entries close at 9pm UK time on 15th April 2024 !

Awards Ceremony

All shortlisted entrants and their parents and teachers will be invited to attend our Awards Ceremony in May 2024, where the winners will be announced.

Over £100,000 Worth of Academic Prizes

Free Conference place

The first thousand students who are successfully shortlisted will be awarded a free place at one of our OxBright Conferences (worth £95) in the autumn. Alternatively, you can put this credit towards an Online Course or Online Internship .

All shortlisted entrants and their parents and teachers will be invited to attend our online Awards Ceremony in May 2024, where the winners will be announced.

Matilda Winner, History, 2023

I’m both thrilled and flabbergasted at the outcome of the competition.

Winning this competition undoubtedly made me feel much more confident in researching and writing in my field from now on, opening a lot of new doors for me!

Regina Winner, Psychology, 2023

I’m very happy and grateful to win such a meaningful competition. I truly learned a lot.

My advice to anyone considering entering is to try to think deeper and further about your chosen topic.

Alex Winner, Philosophy, 2023

Frequently Asked Questions

Entering the essay competition, how will entering the oxbright essay competition help me in the future, why do you run an essay competition.

OxBright is about giving students the edge to help them to succeed, find their purpose and make a difference in the world.

We think it’s the greatest time to be alive, but we’re aware that young people face challenges their predecessors didn’t. We’re passionate about encouraging students to be optimistic about the future by being active thinkers interested in collaborating to create a better future for the long-term. You can read more about this in our Worldview .

Our essay competition combines these two elements – encouraging students to think actively about the future, and giving them tools to help them to succeed.

Who can enter?

Anyone can enter – the only eligibility criteria is that you must be aged between 15-18. You don’t need to have previously joined an OxBright programme in order to take part.

Kindly be aware that to be eligible to take up any of the free places offered as prizes, such as our online courses/internships, winning students must be between the ages of 15 and 18 at the commencement of the programme.

Can I write more than one essay?

Sorry, we only accept one essay per student in each Essay Competition. This is due to the volume of essays we receive.

Can I enter jointly with a friend?

No, we can only accept entries from individuals, and it’s important to make sure that your work is entirely your own.

Is there a fee to enter the OxBright Essay Competition?

No, the essay competition is completely free to enter.

When is the entry deadline?

The deadline has been extended, and is now the 15th April 2024, at 9pm.

Are you connected to any university?

No, OxBright is an independent education organisation which is not connected to any university.

Where can I see the results of the Essay Competition 2023?

You can see the results of our previous Essay Competition, including the winning essay in full, here .

Writing Your Essay

What are the subject categories i can enter for, how long should my essay be.

There are three parts to the essay:

• Essay title: the title of your essay can be up to 100 characters long, including spaces
• Essay: your essay can have up to 3,800 characters , including spaces (this is about 500 words). This includes everything you write, like the main text and in-text citations. In-text citations are little notes you put in your essay to show where your information came from. For example, if you quote something from a book by John Smith, you would add (Smith, 2010, p. 50) right after the quote. These citations are part of your word count, so make sure to include them
• References: as for references, there’s no word limit – you can include as many as you need! These are important for showing where your information came from. Please use the Harvard Referencing Style for your references (you can find how to do this in the guidelines provided here ). This won’t count towards your essay character limit, so please list all the sources you used

What are the evaluation criteria?

We’ll be assessing essays on the following criteria:

• Fluency of written English
• Relevance to the question
• Creativity and originality of ideas
• Use of evidence or examples
• Relevance to the OxBright Worldview

Should I use references?

Please make sure to include references to your sources, using the Harvard Referencing Style (guidelines here ).

What makes a good essay?

Make sure to read our criteria carefully (you can find it in the FAQ above).

We want essays that are thoroughly researched, packed with examples and solid evidence. What really catches our attention are essays with unique analysis. So, we’re not just interested in essays that simply describe things – we want your thoughts, analysis, and fresh ideas.

Don’t forget, it’s crucial to use and mention trustworthy sources for the evidence you provide.

Do you accept personal or descriptive essays?

We’re looking for clear, concise and compelling answers to the question above, written and formatted in an academic style. Please don’t submit personal essays or creative writing samples.

What Happens Next?

When will i hear the results.

We’ll be in touch within two weeks of your entry to let you know whether or not you’ve been shortlisted (all entrants who meet our core standards of relevance and coherence will be shortlisted).

All shortlisted entrants and their parents and teachers will be invited to our Awards Ceremony in May 2024, when the winners in each subject category will be announced.

How are essays assessed?

You can read about the criteria we use to assess your essay in the FAQ above (“What are the evaluation criteria?”).

Essays are assessed using our proprietary system which combines a mixture of technology and personal assessment. Essays which are deemed to be plagiarised or be written by AI will be rejected and our decision on this is final.

There are two stages to our assessment process:

Shorlisting Our first stage assessment reviews whether the essay is relevant and coherent. If so, your essay will be shortlisted, you will be offered a free place at an OxBright Conference and you will be invited to the Awards Ceremony.

Awards Shortlised essays are then given further assessment by our panel. This includes a review of the References. In the application form, we ask for a the name of a teacher who is familiar with your academic work. If your essay is nominated for an Award, we will ask this teacher to confirm that the essay was genuinely written by you.

What are the prizes?

Please click here for more information about the prizes and awards.

Why is the overall prize a place at Oxford Scholastica in 2025, not 2024?

Will i receive feedback.

Unfortunately, due to the volume of entries received, we are unable to provide feedback on essays.

Does everyone who enters get a free place at a Conference?

The first thousand students to who make a valid submission and are shortlisted will be invited to attend an OxBright Conference of their choice, free of charge (worth £95). Conference subjects include Business, Medicine, Law and Psychology. It is optional to attend a Conference.

Alternatively, you’ll be able to choose to apply the £95 credit toward another programme with us.

Does everyone receive a certificate?

Only students who win one of the awards receive a certificate. Certificates are issued in online format.

Do you publish the names of the award winners?

Yes, award winners will be published on our website after the Awards Ceremony.

How can I pass on some feedback about the essay competition?

Opportunity

SIGNATURE EVENTS

Opportunity X hosts a variety of annual events including our Summer Bootcamp, attended by students from all of the world, and our STEM Essay Contest which allows students to dive deep into their interest, researching and writing a short essay for a chance to win a prize!

Our STEM Research Contest has occurred annually since our founding and offers students around the world to perform and present their research to over 100 attendees! 

Our STEM Essay Contest allows students to explore a specific topic in STEM they are interested in! 

SPRING 2023