The Cambridge Festival Schools' Days 2025 will take place on Tuesday 25th March for Primary/KS2 and Wednesday 26th March for Secondary/KS3.
The schools' days will be held at the University of Cambridge West site and include a series of curriculum linked talks and hands on workshops on subjects including Astronomy, Archaeology, Creative Writing and Veterinary Science with researchers and experts from across the University. Build a schedule for your pupils by choosing talks and/or workshops from the wide range of topics we are hosting this year. We will also be offering a Maths themed walking trail and access to the newly planted Third Nature tree exhibition. Events will be held from 10:00am until 3:00pm.
Map of the Cambridge West Site
All events and talks are free and we will also be offering some travel bursaries*.
Join astronomer and author Dr Matt Bothwell as we search for signs of life across the Galaxy. We’ll take a trip across the frozen seas of Jupiter’s moons, to planets made of liquid metal in the deepest depths of space. Along the way we’ll answer questions like: what’s the worst holiday destination in the Universe? Is there another Earth out there? And... are we alone?
How were people living in the Cambridgeshire Fens during the Bronze Age? What caused a 3,000 year old village to burn down? In this session Lydia Clough and Dr Chris Wakefield unearth fascinating stories about the archaeology from Must Farm, an incredible Late Bronze Age site near Peterborough. Find out what was on the menu for a Bronze Age breakfast, how people used tools and weapons and why archaeologists get very exciting about finding preserved poo!
Disagreeing Well – How to Disagree and Still Get Along
Do you ever disagree with people in your class? Or with your family or friends? Disagreement sometimes feels like a really bad thing (and sometimes it is!), but does it have to be? Maybe we can disagree and also get along really well together. In this session, we will talk about how we can get along even when we have conflict or conflicting beliefs.
Liz Woodham and Charlie Gilderdale from the NRICH team will invite students to work together on some of their favourite mathematical problems. Students will have an opportunity to explore, explain and generalise, and discover that everyone can enjoy thinking mathematically!
Can you trick your own eyes? Why does sound travel better through you than through the air? Do you know where your bones and organs are? Use our handling objects to find out more about the inside of your body. Learn how to see and hear through your fingers, explore a range of optical illusions and discover why being sick is a superpower.
In this workshop, Joanne Limburg will share poems from her collection, Bookside Down, which was highly commended by the CLPE, explain how they were made, and help participants to make their own. You can find Joanne Limburg’s poem ‘The Potatoes my Dad Cooks’ in this year’s Poetry By Heart calendar for schools.
Step into the shoes of a veterinary radiographer! Learn to read animal X0rays and uncover clues to solve medical mysteries. Can you diagnose what is wrong just by looking at an X-ray? A hands-on experience in veterinary diagnostics awaits you.
Ever wondered what it is like to work in a veterinary hospital? Put on your scrubs and dive into the exciting roles at The Queen's Veterinary School Hospital. From Surgeon to Anaesthesiologist, Veterinary Nurse to Educator, discover how each professional works together to treat animals in this interactive workshop.
Get up close to our horses and cows in the stables. Learn how veterinarians diagnose and treat these large animals - without being able to ask what is wrong! (Please note: not suitable for individuals with horse or cow allergies).
Find out what happens when you freeze a squash ball with liquid nitrogen, learn how you can make wire move all by its self and see how easy it is to crush steel! In this interactive session you can take part in three activities that explore interesting properties of materials and how they can be influenced by temperature.
Join astronomer and author Dr Matt Bothwell as we search for signs of life across the Galaxy. We’ll take a trip across the frozen seas of Jupiter’s moons, to planets made of liquid metal in the deepest depths of space. Along the way we’ll answer questions like: what’s the worst holiday destination in the Universe? Is there another Earth out there? And... are we alone?
How were people living in the Cambridgeshire Fens during the Bronze Age? What caused a 3,000 year old village to burn down? In this session Lydia Clough and Dr Chris Wakefield unearth fascinating stories about the archaeology from Must Farm, an incredible Late Bronze Age site near Peterborough. Find out what was on the menu for a Bronze Age breakfast, how people used tools and weapons and why archaeologists get very exciting about finding preserved poo!
Disagreeing Well – How to Disagree and Still Get Along
Do you ever disagree with people in your class? Or with your family or friends? Disagreement sometimes feels like a really bad thing (and sometimes it is!), but does it have to be? Maybe we can disagree and also get along really well together. In this session, we will talk about how we can get along even when we have conflict or conflicting beliefs.
Charlie Gilderdale and Liz Woodham from the NRICH team will invite students to work together on some of their favourite mathematical problems. Students will have an opportunity to explore, explain and generalise, and discover that everyone can enjoy thinking mathematically!
Dive into the fascinating world of our immune system with this hands-on science workshop. In this session, you will learn about the incredible job antibodies do defending our bodies against harmful invaders like bacteria and viruses. Our researchers will introduce you to the amazing science behind our immune system and how scientists are using antibodies to develop new treatments, like immunotherapies, for diseases like cancer. Students will also make a beaded antibody keyring to take away as a reminder of their learning.
In this workshop, Midge Gillies will discuss how we write about real people – in biography and memoir. She will examine the choices we make in telling the story of someone’s life and offer participants the chance to consider their own life by writing about their given name.
Step into the shoes of a veterinary radiographer! Learn to read animal X0rays and uncover clues to solve medical mysteries. Can you diagnose what is wrong just by looking at an X-ray? A hands-on experience in veterinary diagnostics awaits you.
Ever wondered what it is like to work in a veterinary hospital? Put on your scrubs and dive into the exciting roles at The Queen's Veterinary School Hospital. From Surgeon to Anaesthesiologist, Veterinary Nurse to Educator, discover how each professional works together to treat animals in this interactive workshop.
Get up close to our horses and cows in the stables. Learn how veterinarians diagnose and treat these large animals - without being able to ask what is wrong! (Please note: not suitable for individuals with horse or cow allergies).
Find out what happens when you freeze a squash ball with liquid nitrogen, learn how you can make wire move all by its self and see how easy it is to crush steel! In this interactive session you can take part in three activities that explore interesting properties of materials and how they can be influenced by temperature.
Starting with a whole group discussion to get you thinking about engineering! We will ask pupils to point to something in the room that an engineer has made, what do engineers do or can you name any engineers? Pupils will then work in teams to design and create a solution to a problem, building a model using their own designs. Rewards will be given for overcoming challenges and working in a team!
CEB Robot Club Challenge is a practical activity that will allow students to interact with our ‘robots’ to complete an obstacle course! The robots that will be used are ‘antweight’ 320g remote controlled devices constructed primarily out of Plywood. They will be locked in a secure ‘arena’ constructed out of 8mm Polycarbonate with aluminium extruded side columns. The practical task will involve splitting the students into groups, who will then take turns to complete the obstacle course, with the fastest group winning a trophy!
This is a hands-on session using open-source bioreactors (Pioreactors) to culture sustainable protein and the OpenFlexure microscope to observe the microbes that we’re culturing. Students will learn about microbial growth processes, bioreactor and turbidostat, and get insights into biotechnology applications, including sustainable protein production. Pupils will also benefit from enhanced understanding of microbiology and biotechnology, and will get practical experience with bioreactors and microscopy equipment, as well as inspiration for future work in biochemical engineering.
The Cambridge West maths-walking trails for KS2 and KS3 pupils will guide participants around the West Cambridge site solving visual mathematical problems.
We also include access to a newly planted permanent outdoor tree exhibition called ‘Third Nature’
More information about our Maths trail and ‘Third Nature’ exhibition can be requested when bookings are made.
*terms and conditions will apply for bursaries will apply
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