ST JOHN’S
INSPIRE 12 & 13 PROGRAMME
COMPETITIONS
This booklet identifies some of the many competitions that are available for you to enter in Y12 It is not an exhaustive list, so keep an eye out for other competitions you can enter!
To help you, the competitions are split into broad categories of Science, Social Science and Humanities We recommend you look through all the competitions, as many are cross-disciplinary and can be relevant to different subjects
Competitions are great evidence of super-curricular interest, and we'd encourage you to enter one or more if you have time.
The Libra Essay Prize 2025
Deadline: 14th April 2025
An excellent way for 6th form students to demonstrate that they have the makings of a scholar, the Libra Essay Prize offers a chance to prepare for the academic rigour required by university assignments and provides a great accomplishment to discuss on a personal statement or at an interview With inspiration from the admissions process at All Souls College, Oxford – known as ‘The hardest exam in the world’ – students are required to write an essay responding to one of a selection of single-word essay titles
For more details and how to apply:
OxBright Essay Competition 2025
Deadline: To be confirmed (2024 deadline was April)
Test your academic skills with the OxBright Essay Competition Designed for bright 15-18 year olds, the competition will challenge you to go beyond the school curriculum and think about the future of your subject.
For more details and how to apply:
SCIENCES
COMPETITIONS
Are you looking for exciting subject-specific opportunities which could develop your skills and help your university application? Then take a look at these science competitions and initiatives
MEDICINE
Minds Underground Medicine Essay Competition
Deadline: 3rd March 2025
The Minds Underground™ Medicine Essay Competition is aimed at students in Year 12 (though younger applicants are welcome) The competition provides students with an opportunity to engage in university-level research, hone their writing & argumentative skills and prepare for university interviews Entrants must choose 1 question to answer
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
ENGINEERING
Minds Underground Engineering Innovation Challenge
Deadline: 3rd March 2025
The Minds Underground Competition is aimed at students in Year 12 (though younger applicants are welcome as well as Year 13 university re-applicants) The competition provides students with an opportunity to engage in university-level research, hone their writing & argumentative skills and prepare for university interviews Entrants must choose 1 question to answer
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
PSYCHOLOGY
Minds Underground Psychology Competition
Deadline: 3rd March 2025
Minds Underground has partnered with the British Psychology Olympiad to create a three stage competition for students interested in Psychology to enter Students can register online for the Olympiad (the first stage of which will take place on 12 February) or choose just to compete in the essay competition
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
PSYCHOLOGY
TOPSS Competition for High School Students
Deadline: 20th March 2025
Students are invited to create a video not longer than 3 minutes that demonstrates their understanding of how a topic in psychological science has the potential to benefit their school and/or local community and improve people’s lives. The topic must be related to the content covered in the Cognition Pillar of the National Standards for High School Psychology Curricula (i e , a topic related to cognition, memory, perception, or intelligence) Up to three students will receive a $300 scholarship award each for their winning entries.
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
COMPETITIONS
ALL SCIENCES
The RCSU Science Challenge
Deadline: Launches March 2025
The Science Challenge is the Royal College of Science Union's annual science communication competition. It gives young scientists the opportunity to develop the skills to talk about science in a way that is engaging and fun to people who don’t necessarily have a science background The competition involves producing a short piece of science communication, in answer to one of the questions set by our guest judges. With exciting prizes and a wide range of interesting questions, perfect for showing off your skills, this year’s Science Challenge promises to be a very exciting competition!
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
BIOLOGY - FINE ART
BioArtAttack 2D
Deadline: Opens Mid-March 2025
The BioArtAttack (2D) competition is open to any drawings or paintings of animals, plants or fungi as two dimensional artworks without labels The Nancy Rothwell Prize for specimen drawings is a sub-category of this competition for two dimensional specimen drawings, which include labels and descriptions. This competition celebrates and highlights the benefits of combining art and science
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
ALL SCIENCES - ENGINEERING
The Big Bang - Science and Engineering competition
Deadline: 26th March 2025
BIOLOGY
The Royal Society of Biology annual photography competition
Deadline: TBC
The Royal Society of Biology annual photography competition invites amateurs to submit photographs on a particular theme Details of the 2025 competition have yet to be announced.
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition is free, and is open to young people in the UK aged 11 to 18 in state-funded secondary education, who are home educated or who enter as part of a community group Competitors can only enter one project, either on their own or as part of a team
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
MATHS
Oxford University Maths Essay Competition
Deadline: TBC (2024 deadline was 1st April)
This exciting competition asks students of all ages and abilities to explain their favourite mathematical topic in an essay aimed at a non-specialist audience The competition aims to provide the participants with the opportunity to communicate complex ideas in an understandable manner, and to encourage them to engage with maths beyond any curriculum
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
BIOLOGY
The Intermediate Biology Olympiad Deadline: 5-12th June
The Intermediate Biology Olympiad (iBO) challenges and stimulates students with an interest in biology to expand and extend their talents Combining topics that are likely to have already been covered in their current studies with additional ideas that will require problem solving skills and understanding of core principals, it enables students to demonstrate their talent and to be suitably rewarded with publicly recognised certificates
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
ENGINEERING
Leaders Award - UK wide Engineering competition
Deadline: TBC
Bringing engineering into your classroom couldn’t be easier with this annual crosscurricular STEM competition from Primary Engineer It’s fully-funded for all UK schools and home-educated groups and asks pupils aged 3-19 the question ‘If you were an engineer, what would you do?’
*Students need to be entered by teachers or parents
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
BIOSCIENCES
The Biochemical Society Science Communication Prize Deadline: Opens June 2025
The Biochemical Society is looking to identify and celebrate outstanding science communicators with their annual Science Communication Prize! Entries must be bioscience themed and aimed at the general public, with entries welcomed from any written or media format including, but not limited to written articles (1500 words max), short videos (5 mins max), podcasts/audio files, and infographics
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
SOCIAL SCIENCES
COMPETITIONS
Are you looking for exciting subject-specific opportunities which could develop your skills and help your university application? Then take a look at these social sciences competitions
POLITICS - HISTORY
Oriel College, University of OxfordEssay Prize
Deadline: 21st February 2025
The competition aims to encourage sixthform pupils to engage critically with colonialism and colonial legacies, and there are two £250 prizes for the best submissions To enter, pupils are required to submit an essay that answers one of four questions British colonialism provides the specific context for the essay prize However, essays can address any relevant aspect, historical phase, cultural manifestation or geographical centre of colonialism, ancient or modern
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
GEOGRAPHY
Minds Underground - Geography Essay Competition
Deadline: 3rd March 2025
The Minds Underground Competition is aimed at students in Year 12 (though younger applicants are welcome as well as Year 13 university re-applicants) The competition provides students with an opportunity to engage in university-level research, hone their writing & argumentative skills and prepare for university interviews. Entrants must choose 1 question to answer
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
ECONOMICS
Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge - Economics Essay Competition
Deadline: 28th February
Fitzwilliam College runs competitions in a variety of subjects, allowing talented pupils to explore their interests beyond the school curriculum Our essay competitions provide students with an opportunity to engage with their interests in this way, allowing them to demonstrate their enthusiasm for their subject
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
LAW
Minds Underground - Law Essay Competition
Deadline: 3rd March 2025
The Minds Underground Competition is aimed at students in Year 12 (though younger applicants are welcome as well as Year 13 university re-applicants) The competition provides students with an opportunity to engage in university-level research, hone their writing & argumentative skills and prepare for university interviews Entrants must choose 1 question to answer.
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
ECONOMICS
Minds Underground - Economics Essay Competition.
Deadline: 3rd March 2025
The Minds Underground Competition is aimed at students in Year 12 (though younger applicants are welcome as well as Year 13 university re-applicants) The competition provides students with an opportunity to engage in university-level research, hone their writing & argumentative skills and prepare for university interviews Entrants must choose 1 question to answer.
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
POLITICS
Minds Underground - Politics Essay Competition
Deadline: 3rd March 2025
The Minds Underground Competition is aimed at students in Year 12 (though younger applicants are welcome as well as Year 13 university re-applicants) The competition provides students with an opportunity to engage in university-level research, hone their writing & argumentative skills and prepare for university interviews. Entrants must choose 1 question to answer.
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
ANTHROPOLOGY
Young Anthropologist - Goldsmiths, University of London
Deadline: 27th April 2025
A 1,000-word essay competition for those interested in issues of identity and culture, students must register online to enter this competition You will be given the question your essay should answer once you have registered Your entry should be no more than 1,000 words and must be a completely original piece of your own writing
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
POLITICS - ENGLISH
The Orwell Youth Prize
Deadline: Feedback 5th March 2025
Final submissions 30th April
The Orwell Youth Prize encourages entries in all different forms of writing – poems, articles, essays, speeches, scripts, stories and even game design Uniquely, the Orwell Youth Prize offers feedback for every entrant – don’t miss out on this exciting step This year’s theme is FREEDOM IS This is a big topic, with many angles you may want to explore – so this the place to start, with prompts inspired by Orwell’s own writing to help you find an idea which gets you fired up to write! The word limit is 1500 words
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
COMPETITIONS
ARCHAEOLOGY
The Council for British Archaeology’s Festival of Archaeology
Deadline: TBC
The Council for British Archaeology’s Festival of Archaeology will take place between the 19th July to the 3rd August 2025 and we are excited to announce that this year's theme is “Archaeology and Wellbeing”
*2025 competition details not released yet, check the website for up-to-date information
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
LAW
Robert Walker Prize for Essays in Law - Trinity College Cambridge Deadline: TBC
Trinity College was pleased to launch the Robert Walker Prize for Essays in Law in 2013 The prize is named after the Rt Hon The Lord Walker of Gestingthorpe GBS PC (1938–2023), a judicial member of the House of Lords from 2002 and Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom from its creation in 2009 until his retirement in 2013
*2025 competition details released in February
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
ECONOMICS
Royal Economic Society Young Economist of the Year competition
Deadline: TBC
The Young Economics of the Year
Competition is an annual student-based competition, to encourage students to think about current economic issues and promote the study of economic science
The competition aims at encouraging Year 10 – Year 13 students to produce their own ideas in analysing contemporary economic problems facing the UK and the world
*2025 competition details not released yet - register now to keep up-to-date.
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
LAW
St Hugh’s College, University of Oxford - Gwyneth Bebb Law Essay Competition
Deadline: TBC
Students must write a 1500-2000 word response defending one of two propositions outlined on the competition page Details of the 2025 competition will be published in late January/early February 2025. Please direct any enquiries to outreach@st-hughs ox ac uk
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
POLITICS - HISTORY - ENGLISH
Woolf Essay Prize - Newnham College, Cambridge
Deadline: TBC
n 1928, Virginia Woolf addressed the Newnham Arts Society on the Subject of ‘Women and Fiction’, and from this talk emerged her seminal text, A Room of One’s Own. Newnham is very proud of its place in the history of women’s education, and we are delighted in the continuation of the Woolf Essay Prize A Room of One’s Own raises a number of questions surrounding the place of women in society, culture, and education, and the competition allows students to contemplate these themes and ideas while developing the independent research and writing skills essential to university-level study
*2025 competition details not released yet, check the website for up-to-date information
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
ARCHAEOLOGY - CLASSICS
The Gladstone Memorial Essay Prize Deadline: 7th July 2025
The Gladstone Memorial Trust Omnibus is again in 2025 able to offer prizes for excellent essays on classical themes The competition is open to anyone under 19 and still in full-time education who has not yet completed A levels or IB Entries should contain a statement from a teacher confirming that this is the case The first prize stands at £200, the second at £100 Essays must not exceed 2000 words
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
PHILOSOPHY - POLITICS - ECONOMICS
St Hugh’s College, University of Oxford - Kavita Singh PPE Essay Competition Deadline: TBC
Kavita Singh, St Hugh’s Alumna, is a pioneer in India’s college admissions space.The Principal and Fellows of St Hugh’s College are pleased to be offering a prize, worth up to £500, for essays of 20004000 words on one of three questions available via the link below
*2025 competition details released late January
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
COMPETITIONS
CLASSICS
The Classical Association - Under 25 Competition
Deadline: 31st January 2025
As part of our Celebrating Classics Campaign, we’re launching a brand new competition which is open to everybody, across the world, and celebrates how and why we study the ancient past
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
CLASSICS
Minds Underground - Classics Essay Competition
Deadline: 3rd March 2025
The Minds Underground™ Classics Essay Competition is aimed at students in Year 12 (though younger applicants are welcome as well as Year 13 university reapplicants) The competition provides students with an opportunity to engage in university-level research, hone their writing & argumentative skills and prepare for university interviews Entrants must choose 1 question to answer
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
ENGLISH
The Tower Poetry Competition
Deadline: 20th February 2025
The Tower Poetry Competition offers the UK’s most valuable prize for young poets The competition is free to enter and it is open to students between 16-18 years of age who are educated in the UK
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
ENGLISH
Minds Underground - English Essay Competition
Deadline: 3rd March 2025
The Minds Underground™ English Essay Competition is aimed at students in Year 12 (though younger applicants are welcome) The competition provides students with an opportunity to engage in university-level research, hone their writing & argumentative skills and prepare for university interviews. Entrants must choose 1 question to answer.
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
HISTORY
Minds Underground - History Essay Competition
Deadline: 3rd March 2025
The Minds Underground™ History Essay Competition is aimed at students in Year 12 (though younger applicants are welcome) The competition provides students with an opportunity to engage in university-level research, hone their writing & argumentative skills and prepare for university interviews Entrants must choose one question to answer
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
HISTORY OF ART
Minds Underground - History of Art Essay Competition
Deadline: 3rd March 2025
The Minds Underground™ History of Art Essay Competition is aimed at students in Year 12 (though younger applicants are welcome as well as Year 13 university reapplicants) The competition provides students with an opportunity to engage in university-level research, hone their writing & argumentative skills and prepare for university interviews
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
MODERN LANGUAGES
Minds Underground - Modern Languages Essay Competition
Deadline: 3rd March 2025
he Minds Underground™ Modern Languages Essay Competition is aimed at students in Year 12 (though we welcome younger applicants) The competition provides students with an opportunity to engage in contemporary debate, attempt university-level research, hone their writing & argumentative skills and prepare for university interviews Questions are designed to be applicable for those considering applying for any of the Modern Foreign Languages
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
PHILOSOPHY
Minds Underground - Philosophy Essay Competition
Deadline: 3rd March 2025
The Minds Underground™ Philosophy Essay Competition is aimed at students in Year 12 (though younger applicants are welcome) The competition provides students with an opportunity to engage in university-level research, hone their writing & argumentative skills and prepare for university interviews Entrants must choose 1 question to answer.
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
COMPETITIONS
CLASSICS - ARCHAEOLOGY - PHILOSOPHY
St John’s College - Classics and Ancient History Essay Competition
Deadline: 23rd April 2025
A £100 book token will be awarded to the best essay in each category and an additional £75 book token to the overall winner A further £75 book token will be awarded to the best essay submitted by a pupil who has not previously studied a Classical or Ancient subject All applicants will receive a certificate of entry
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
CLASSICS
Girton College, University of Cambridge - Humanities Writing Competition
Deadline: 8th May 2025
Focusing on Girton’s museum collection in the Lawrence Room, the Humanities Writing Competition aims to use ancient objects as a starting point for thinking across curricular divides – about the varieties of human experience that these survivals from the past can embody and reflect and the trains of thought they can set off
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
HISTORY
St Hugh’s College, Julia Wood History Essay Competition
Deadline: TBC
The Julia Wood prize is an annual History essay competition named in memory of a St Hugh’s College historian The choice of historical subject is left to candidates Entries should be 2000 – 4000 words in length, including any material in the footnotes which is additional commentary or content related to your essay
*2025 competition details released late January/early February
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
ENGLISH
Trinity College CambridgeLinguistics Essay
Deadline: TBC
This annual Essay Competition aims to raise awareness of the systematic study of language as an interesting and multifaceted subject in and of itself It is hoped that the Prize will encourage students with an interest in linguistics to explore this further and to apply for a University course in this subject
*2025 competition details released in February
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
HUMANITIES
CLASSICS
The Omnibus Sam Hood Translation prize
Deadline: 7th July 2025
The Omnibus Sam Hood Translation prize invites translations from Greek and Latin prose and verse, and the texts are listed on the website The judges will be looking for accuracy but also, and especially, for creativity when making their decisions
The competition is open to anyone under 19, still in full-time pre-university education Entries should contain a statement for a teacher, containing the teacher’s e-mail address confirming that this is the case The prize-winner will receive not only a cheque for £75 but also a book of classical poetry.
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
PHILOSOPHY
Trinity College CambridgePhilosophy Essay prize Deadline: TBC
The Philosophy Essay Prize is open to Year 12 or Lower 6th students. The aim of the Prize is to encourage able sixth formers to pursue their interest in Philosophy, with the hope that they will be encouraged to read this or related subjects at University
*2025 competition details released in February
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
ALL HUMANITIES SUBJECTS
The John Locke Institute Essay Competition Deadline: TBC
Our Essay Competition invites students to explore a wide range of challenging and interesting questions beyond the confines of the school curriculum
Entering an essay in our competition can build knowledge, and refine skills of argumentation It also gives students the chance to have their work assessed by experts All of our essay prizes are judged by a panel of senior academics drawn from leading universities including Oxford and Princeton
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
ENGLISH
Trinity College Cambridge - Gould prize for essays in English Literature Deadline: TBC
Trinity College launched the Gould Prize for Essays in English Literature in 2013 This is an annual competition for Year 12 or Lower 6th students The Prize has been established from a bequest made by Dr Dennis Gould in 2004 for the furtherance of education in English Literature
*2025 competition details released in February
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
COMPETITIONS
CLASSICS
The Omnibus Sam Hood Translation prize
Deadline: 7th July 2025
The Omnibus Sam Hood Translation prize invites translations from Greek and Latin prose and verse, and the texts are listed on the website The judges will be looking for accuracy but also, and especially, for creativity when making their decisions
The competition is open to anyone under 19, still in full-time pre-university education Entries should contain a statement for a teacher, containing the teacher’s e-mail address confirming that this is the case The prize-winner will receive not only a cheque for £75 but also a book of classical poetry.
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
CLASSICS
St Hugh’s College, University of Oxford - Mary Renault Classical Reception Essay Competition
Deadline: TBC
The Principal and Fellows of St Hugh’s College, Oxford are pleased to be offering two or more prizes, worth up to £300 each, for the best essays on classical reception or influence by pupils who, at the closing date, have been in the Sixth Form of any school or college for a period of not more than two years
*2025 competition details released late January/early February
Follow the link for up-to-date details and how to apply:
