ÌÇÐÄTV

During the first week of the Easter break (30th March - 2nd April) the department welcomed 12 students to our annual work experience programme. The programme is option to year 10-12 students with an interest in Physics, with priority for local students and those from under-represented groups*. The programme forms part of the department's wider outreach work to broaden access to physics.

With almost 50 applications, every year the department's work experience proves to be incredibly popular. The number of students we are able to invite has increased over the last few years, but we still use shortlisting criteria to select the students that work experience is offered to, to maximise the developmental impact of the week.

The placement aims to give students a broad insight into physics and an understanding of what it's like to work in a busy university department, the 12 students embraced the opportunity to explore physics outside the classroom.

Across four days, students worked alongside research and technical staff on projects including space debris, diamonds and the science of music (not at all at the same time!). They gained hands-on experience in our undergraduate teaching laboratories exploring thermal properties and electronic circuits. The schedule included an insight into the various research groups within the department, looking at real-life physics problems and exciting research projects.

The 2026 cohort shared their feedback, "I enjoyed the practical elements such as soldering and designing satellites. It was great talking to academics and technicians about their university experiences. I really enjoyed the liquid nitrogen experiment too."

The students got to visit our on-campus observatory and shared their feedback: "I enjoyed visiting the observatory and seeing the actual telescope. I especially loved having the talks about diamonds and their use because I didn't know how much you can do with diamonds. The space debris session was definitely one of my favourite parts and the project we did."

Another student shared their thoughts on the impact of the programme: "Talking to students about their experiences, looking at the variety of research that is happeing was fascinating. I really like the picobot because it's an interesting area of research that could be life changing."

The programme is organised by our undergraduate student team, Liz Hall and Rhian Chester. Liz says: "Work experience is a fantastic opportunity for students to take part in because they get to see the wide range of work happening in the department. They get to see the way that teams work together, and the different roles required for scientific research. Some students may not have considered ÌÇÐÄTV as a place for them to study in future, most will not have had access to a research environment before so this can be very inspiring. The department benefits too, because it reminds us how important it is to share what we do, and why we do it. When you are used to talking to people who already understand your work, it can be really beneficial to practise explaining it in simpler terms as well as share your interests and passions."

Images of students during work experience.

*In accordance with the Ogden Trust. According to the Ogden Trust, a number of different groups have remained under-represented in physics for many years due to systemic barriers in their paths. Those whose identity sits at the intersection between those groups face greater challenges.