Opportunities in and near Bletchley

Bedford UCAS is a university fair hosted by Lancaster University for prospective undergraduate students exploring their options for higher education. It offers an opportunity to meet university staff and learn more about what Lancaster has to offer, including its strong community spirit, college system, and reputation as a leading research university. The event is designed to support school and college students who are comparing universities and beginning to plan their next steps. Visitors can hear from current students about why they chose Lancaster, get advice from staff on writing a successful application, and find out more about the university’s distinctive experience. Attendance is free, but registration is required.

University of Kent will be attending the UK University Search event in Northampton, giving prospective students the chance to speak directly with staff about studying at Kent. The event is designed to help students explore academic options, ask questions about university life, and discover whether Kent could be the right fit for them. UCAS exhibitions like this are aimed at students considering their next steps after school or college. Visitors can learn more about courses, student life, and the wider opportunities available at university, making it a useful event for those researching higher education choices. Booking is required in advance to attend.

Teen Rangers at College Lake is a wildlife club for children and young people who love nature and want to get involved at a nature reserve. The sessions are hands-on and outdoors, with wildlife and seasonal activities designed to help participants explore the natural world in a fun, practical way. Across the term, attendees take part in games and activities that build knowledge of wildlife and conservation work, including learning how to use tools safely. The club also helps young people develop scientific knowledge and bushcraft skills, making it a good fit for those who enjoy outdoor learning and environmental topics. Sessions run one Saturday each month during the school term and are held in person at College Lake. The club is for children only, and a parental consent form is required before attendance. A code of conduct applies, and only booked participants may attend.

Shape the future of highways through AI, innovation and collaboration at this multidisciplinary hackathon hosted at the University of Northampton. The event brings together people with different backgrounds to tackle practical challenges facing highways services and explore new ideas that could make a real difference. Participants work in teams throughout the day, developing ideas and practical solutions with support from facilitators and subject experts. The hackathon is designed to be collaborative and accessible, and you do not need to be an AI expert, software developer or highways engineer to contribute. Challenge areas include potholes and road maintenance, asset management, and communication and public engagement. The event is open to engineers, developers, designers, researchers, students, communications specialists and others with useful experience or local insight to share.

The GCSE Saturday School runs a focused summer school in North Hertfordshire designed to build confidence and prepare students for Year 11. The programme provides targeted GCSE support in Maths, English and Science delivered by experienced GCSE teachers in small groups (maximum 10 students). Lessons emphasise exam-focused skills, key topic revision and personalised support matched to ability. Sessions run Monday to Thursday each week from 09:00 13:00, with a Friday reward and confidence day featuring activities such as go-karting and a social pizza event. The course is based at Hitchin Boys School (Hitchin, SG5 1JB) and is intended to help Year 9 and Year 10 students start Year 11 feeling more prepared and confident. To book, parents/carers are asked to reserve a place and complete an enrolment form. For questions or to book by phone/instant message contact WhatsApp 07599 442644 or email info@year10summerschool.co.uk.

University of Northampton Open Days give prospective students the chance to explore the campus, learn about courses, and speak directly with academic staff and current students. The university runs subject information sessions, campus and town tours, and drop-in stands covering accommodation, finances, student support and the Students' Union. Typical open day activities include subject sessions and drop-ins for undergraduate and master’s courses; talks on welcome, accommodation, personal statement advice and finance; campus and town tours; and drop-in support sessions for parents, carers and applicants. Sample schedules are published in advance to help plan your visit. Events are free to attend and the university offers free transport from selected nearby cities, discounted on-campus hotel rates, and a limited number of complimentary rooms for attendees living more than 100 miles away. Registration opens approximately two months before each event; for accessibility or planning enquiries contact the Events Team at events@northampton.ac.uk or 01604 892568.

The University of Buckingham offers in-person guided campus tours of its Buckingham campus. Tours last approximately 45-60 minutes and are led by experienced Student Ambassadors who can answer questions about studying and student life. Where possible, the University will match you with an ambassador studying your chosen subject and will show you the most relevant teaching, study and social spaces across the Hunter Street, Chandos Road and Verney Park sites. Campus tours are run by appointment only; to book you must complete the campus tour booking form and the University will contact you to arrange a convenient date and time. Advance bookings are required and the University may not be able to accommodate walk-in visits. For urgent enquiries you can email tours@buckingham.ac.uk with your name, email and contact telephone number. The page also signposts other visit options including subject tasters, open days, a virtual tour and virtual information webinars for more in-depth information. The campus has on-site accommodation close to each site; attendees are directed to the accommodation and directions pages for further details.

Cotswold Archaeology offers a hands-on work experience programme giving students the chance to see behind the scenes of a large commercial archaeology company. Placements are designed for beginners and include workshop sessions and interactive activities across specialist teams. A typical week involves working with the finds team to clean, identify and sort artefacts, attending workshops with the geomatics team and heritage consultants, and learning about illustration, photography and reconstruction techniques. Each participant is paired with a staff mentor and receives timetable information before the placement. Most activities take place in office-based workshops, but there may also be opportunities to visit active excavation sites or community digs. Lunch breaks are typically 45 minutes and students are asked to bring their own food; offices provide kitchen facilities. Applications are managed through Cotswold Archaeology's Volunteer Portal. The scheme is open to students aged 14 and over, no prior experience is required, and Cotswold Archaeology supports reasonable adjustments for disabled or neurodivergent applicants. Parental/carer permission is required for applicants under 18.

M2 SPED Awareness’s Year 11: Knowledge & Problem-Solving is a remote Neurodiversity Youth Advocate programme designed for Year 11 students across London, Luton, Birmingham and Leicester. The programme introduces evidence-based knowledge about dyslexia, ADHD, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and autism and shows participants how to critically evaluate media and research to apply learnings in real-world neurodiverse community contexts. Participants receive mentoring and teaching from university students and professionals in areas including psychology, neuroscience, education and related fields. The programme includes careers-in-focus sessions (healthcare, psychology, education), group problem-solving presentations and applied activities designed to develop public speaking, teamwork, leadership and advocacy skills. Each term features a group presentation activity with small gift-voucher prizes and a Certificate of Participation awarded for full completion. Delivery is remote. The structure comprises three term-day sessions (held in September, November and January) and a week-long remote summer school in early July, with session times and topic-focused timetables provided for each term and for the summer week.

Smart Futures is a youth programme run by the EY Foundation that combines paid work experience, interactive employability skills training and mentoring for young people in Year 12 (England) or S5 (Scotland). The programme is run with employer partners and is designed to give participants practical insight into different industries and working environments while building transferable skills and confidence.

Participants take part in up to two weeks of employability training and workshops, receive a business mentor who supports them through the programme and beyond, and complete paid work experience placements during school holidays. Programmes are industry-specific in some locations (for example Business & Finance, Tech Futures, STEM Futures, Real Estate Futures, Data/Actuarial streams) but are suitable for young people unsure of their exact career path.

Smart Futures runs across many UK locations (including London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, Liverpool, Bradford, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Reading and Luton) with multiple term-time, February, Easter, spring and summer cohorts. Applications are via an online form and shortlisted applicants are invited to a short telephone interview.

Tune Supply’s online "Dance the Tune" workshop with Nic Gareiss explores the musical potential of percussive step dance. Through imitation, idiomatic ornaments, and extended techniques for shoe sounds and textures, participants learn how to shape rhythm lines that echo melody and create rhythmic counterpoint, while developing listening, responsiveness, and sonic awareness.

The workshop is designed for dancers and interested instrumentalists of all levels. It is taught by ear and recorded for registered students, so you can join live or catch up later. Participants should wear comfortable smooth-soled shoes with a low or no heel to get the most from the session.

Hearing the Archive is an online Tune Supply workshop led by Cleek Schrey that explores how contemporary traditional musicians can learn from historic audio and digitized field recordings. The session focuses on listening deeply to archival sound, identifying what counts as musical information, and translating older styles into present-day playing.

Participants will take part in shared listening, close analysis of specific historic performances, and practical discussion of the technical, technological, and aesthetic challenges of working with archive recordings. The workshop is designed for players of all melody instruments and all levels, and it is presented in a way that welcomes both new and experienced participants.

Attendees receive a curated roadmap of historic performances, a resource guide for finding online traditional music archives, and a framework for turning style, tone, and inflection from old recordings into usable ideas in their own music-making. Registered students also receive the class recording after the session, so they can revisit the material later.

This online Tune Supply workshop focuses on building strong tune sets for traditional music performance and session playing. Participants will explore how to construct consonant sets by paying attention to keys, moods, and the movement from one tune to the next, including both seamless and more dramatic transitions.

The session draws on historic sets as a template, but it is also highly practical and participant-led: learners will work with family favourites and ideas shared in the Zoom room. The workshop is suitable for all melody instruments, and accompanying players may also find useful material for their own playing.

The class is taught by ear and is open to all levels. Registered students receive the recording after the workshop, so it can be useful both for live participation and later review.

This workshop looks at the music of Pádraig O’Keeffe through his manuscript notation and the slides and polkas that have come down through the Sliabh Luachra tradition. It introduces the ideas behind his notation methods and how his bowing directives shape the rhythmic personality of these tune types. Participants will learn a number of tunes from the manuscripts while also gaining context about one of the most influential Irish traditional musicians of the twentieth century. The class combines ear learning with sheet music, and the recording is made available to registered students after the workshop.

This conversational workshop explores the elements that make a beautiful Irish slow air, with an emphasis on listening, discussion, and practical application. Although the class is based around whistle playing, the ideas and techniques are framed so they can be adapted to any musical instrument. Class participation is encouraged throughout, with time for shared reflection and musical exploration. The workshop is taught by ear and includes a recording for registered students, so it can be enjoyed live or revisited later.

This online Tune Supply workshop explores how to build tasteful variations into traditional Irish flute and whistle playing. The session focuses on why tunes often change subtly from one repeat to the next, and how players can use chord structure, rhythmic shifts, and melodic ideas to create variation that still feels authentic and musical.

The workshop goes further into the instrument-specific details that shape variation on flute and whistle, including octave jumps, breathing placement, and characteristic notes such as the hard D and bent C natural. Participants will also look at how these ideas can be applied to specific well-known traditional tunes, making the material practical and directly usable in performance or session settings.

The class is suitable for flute and whistle players at all levels, and it is taught in a combination of ear learning and sheet music support. Registered students receive the class recording immediately after the workshop, so it is designed to work both for live attendance and for later viewing.

This workshop focuses on effective chord shapes and progressions for Irish guitar playing in standard and drop-D tuning. The class is centred on building ease and fluidity in accompaniment, with an emphasis on supporting traditional Irish music and songs. The session is taught by ear and is designed for players who want practical tools they can use straight away in session or performance settings. A class recording is provided to registered students, making it suitable for both live attendance and later practice.

Lancaster University’s Practical Budgeting webinar is designed for applicant students who are due to commence their studies in the 2026/27 academic year. It introduces practical money-management skills for young people who may be living independently for the first time, covering everyday costs such as meals, rent, household items, toiletries, haircuts and bus tickets. The session aims to help attendees understand how to budget effectively and make smarter spending decisions as they prepare for university life. There will be time at the end for questions, giving applicants the chance to get advice and clarify any concerns about managing money. This is an open event and registration is required. Participants can use an alias when signing up and do not need to switch their camera on, making it easy to attend comfortably and privately.

Mentoring United’s MU Mentorship Programme is a year-long mentoring offer for boys aged 11 to 18 in the UK. It is designed to help students strive for excellence in their studies, careers, and communities through structured support and guidance. The programme includes online group sessions built around the PAGE curriculum, which focuses on purpose, career awareness, good grades, and emotional intelligence. Participants also take part in in-person enrichment trips, one-to-one coaching calls, essay writing feedback, and a personal development report to track each student’s progress. The programme is offered on a rolling basis and spaces are limited.

This online careers talk gives an overview of the wide range of careers available in the creative industries, with a particular focus on Art and Design. It is designed to help prospective students understand how creative study can connect to different career paths and destinations after university. A member of the academic team will be joined by current students and graduates to discuss the courses offered, the experiences and opportunities available during study, and the kinds of roles graduates go on to pursue. The session also highlights ways students can build industry experience while studying, including placements, live projects, collaborations, and other professional development opportunities. Attendees will also hear first-hand insights from the student and graduate panel and can ask questions using the live chat function. The event is suitable for school groups in Year 12 and Year 13, as well as individual sign-ups, especially for those already applying or thinking about applying to study Art and Design.