Year 12 STEM Experience Days

At Year 12 STEM Experience Days, students at the end of their first year of A-Levels can sign up to a wide range of STEM workshops from across the faculty. A particular advantage is the chance to meet staff and current students, and seeing the facilities where they could study in a year’s time – the Central Teaching Laboratories. Over the years, a healthy number of attendees have progressed to STEM degrees at the University and beyond.

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Timetable | Workshops | Register

Year 12 STEM Experience Days 2025 will take place on 16th, 17th and 18th June.

Students attend one of the three available dates. The cost to schools and colleges is £8 per registered student.

From start to finish it was a brilliant experience for our students, who all came out of the sessions excited and asking questions about how they can pursue careers in the different fields 

- A-Level teacher, on Year 12 STEM Experience Days

a worksheet with interactive elements from an outreach event

Timetable

09:15-09:45

Arrival

09:45-10:00

Welcome and introduction

10:05-11:50

Practical session 1

11:50-12:20

Campus tour

12:20-13:00

Lunch break (bring a packed lunch)

13:05-14:50

Practical session 2

14:50-15:05

Plenary session

Workshops

See below for a list of workshops that we hope will feature at the 2025 Experience Days. Please note not all workshops will be available each day.

 Students are allocated two workshops from a list of four submitted preferences.

Archaeology: MicroPasts: Ancient Materials under the Microscope

 (must be studying any STEM A-Level)

Suitable for students interested in: Geoforensics, Archaeology, Microscopy
Chemistry: Let There Be Light  (must be studying A-Level Chemistry)

Investigate a photo-catalytic reaction and see how light and an inorganic catalyst can be used to purify water. Follow the reaction by spectrophotometry.  This session is not suitable for anyone who is pregnant.

Suitable for students interested in: Environmental protection, Chemistry, Forensics
Chemistry: Creation in Chemistry  (must be studying A-Level Chemistry)

Learn techniques of synthetic organic chemistry in a state-of-the-art lab.  Prepare a sample of a local anesthetic. Use IR spectroscopy, thin layer chromatography & melting point determination.  This session is not suitable for anyone who is pregnant.

Suitable for students interested in: Pharmacy, Medicine, Chemistry
Computer Science: Turing Tumble (must be studying any STEM A-Level)

A computer that is based on marbles.

Suitable for students interested in: Coding, Artificial Intelligence, Practical computing
Computer Science:  Artificial Intelligence: How do deep neural networks learn? (must be studying any STEM A-Level)

introduces core notions of machine learning in a playful and engaging way.  You will develop an intuitive understanding of binary classification tasks and how artificial neural networks are employed in solving these. A core goal of the workshop is to help demystify artificial intelligence.  While artificial-intelligence methods have found widespread adoption and have increasing influence on individuals and society at large, most people have little exposure to its fundamental working principles and limitations.

Suitable for students interested in: Coding, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics
Electrical Engineering and Electronics: How to Communicate During a Zombie Apocalypse  (must be studying A-Level Maths)

Learn the basics of radio communication for when you might need it the most. During this workshop you will be modulating, transmitting, receiving and demodulating speech and other signals that may give you the tips to survive the zombie wasteland!

Suitable for students interested in: Communications, Electrical Engineering, Disaster movies
Engineering: HoverBags  (must be studying any STEM A-Level)

Learn how hovercrafts work and then put these engineering principles into practice by building remote-controlled hovercraft-inspired HoverBags.

Suitable for students interested in: Travel, Engineering, Application of theory
Engineering: Chemical Engineering (must be studying any STEM A-Level)

A session looking at Chemical Engineering

Suitable for students interested in: Materials Science, Chemistry, Engineering
Geoforensics: Who Dunnit?  (must be studying any STEM A-Level)

Solving a murder mystery using forensic environmental sciences - and finding out what else we can discover by using the scanning electron microscope (SEM).

Suitable for students interested in: Geoforensics, Environmental Protection, Crime drama
School of Heath Sciences: Introduction to Healthcare (must be studying any STEM A-Level)

An introduction to how science is used in healthcare settings.

Suitable for students interested in: Biology, Medicine, Pharmacy
Geography: Mapping connections: a journey through Networks and Geography  (must be studying any STEM A-Level)

Ever wondered how social media connects us all, or how transportation systems function efficiently? Join us as we unravel these mysteries and more in this workshop on network theory and its applications to geography and spatial analysis. No prior knowledge is needed—just bring your curiosity and enthusiasm! Together, we'll explore the basics of network theory and get hands-on with interactive activities. You'll uncover the secrets behind a fascinating network that plays a huge role in the lives of millions of people: the African road network. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn about how spatial connectivity shapes our world!

Suitable for students interested in: Climate Change, Ecology, Agriculture
Maths: The Dragon Quiz  (must be studying A-Level Maths)

Compete against other students in the Dragon Quiz to solve maths challenges. Take on the Dragon Masters in a team of 4, can you claim the Dragon's treasure?

Suitable for students interested in: Problem Solving, Teaching, Chocolate
Maths: Mathematical Marvels  (must be studying A-Level Maths)

Academics from across the Department of Mathematical Sciences will deliver a range of interactive and exciting talks about the applications of their research to the real world.

Suitable for students interested in: Biostatistics, Insurance, Probability
Physics: How to Survive on the International Space Station  (must be studying A-Level Physics)

In this experiment, small groups will investigate the radioactivity of a radioactive source and the effect of using various attenuating materials placed in between the radioactive source and the detector. This is the basis of radiation shielding. This session is not suitable for anyone who has received radiation therapy or who is pregnant.

Suitable for students interested in: Space Travel, Nuclear Physics, Medicine
Physics:  A Radioactive Cat has 18 Half Lives (must be studying A-Level Physics & Maths)

In this workshop, we will explore the world of nuclear physics using coins, dice and the head of a (non-alcoholic) beer! From studying these simple things, we will be able to create a model for nuclear decay and perform a mathematical analysis of some real radioactive data. Disclaimer: No radioactive cats were harmed in the creation of this workshop

Suitable for students interested in: Mathematical Physics, Nuclear Physics, Data Analysis
Physics:  Pico Blinkers -  The LHCb & measuring the D0 lifetime (must be studying A-Level Physics)

The D0 is a quark and anti-quark particle that exists for less than one thousand billionth of a second. Using the Large Hadron Collider to make them and the LHCb detector to detect them you will measure how long they lived. Using the detector built in Liverpool, the Vertex Locator or VELO, you will see the individual particle made at the LHC.

Suitable for students interested in: Nuclear Physics, Particle Physics, CERN

Register

Year 12 STEM Experience Days 2025 will take place on 16th, 17th and 18th June. Pupils attend one of the three available dates.

Teachers: click below to register your school:

Register for a Year 12 STEM Experience Day

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