Events for schools and families

Open University Mathematics Christmas Lecture

Each December year 12/13 classes from schools and sixth form colleges across the UK are invited to participate in an online interactive mathematics lecture.

Previous titles have included: "Mathematics, Chocolate and the Electric Guitar", "Boomerangs, Bouncing Balls and other Spinning Things" and "The Music of the Primes". Speakers have included Professor Marcus du Sautoy, Simon Singh and Rob Eastaway.

The Christmas lecture is held on the first Tuesday in December each year.  If you would like your school or college to participate, please contact STEM-MS-Outreach@open.ac.uk

Royal Institution (Ri) Mathematics Masterclasses

The Open University organises programmes of Ri secondary mathematics masterclasses.

In each series, schools are invited to nominate students from either Year 9 or 10 to participate in exciting mathematical workshops, such as: Games, Goats and Gold and Infinity: Friend or Foe? The aim of the series is to stimulate and encourage young people in the art and practice of mathematics, to develop a sense of enjoyment in the subject.

You can find out more about the Ri masterclass series here: Royal Institution (rigb.org)

We currently run masterclass programmes in and around Milton Keynes and also across Wales. Our masterclass programme in Wales is delivered jointly with the Mathematics Support Programme Wales: MSPW (furthermaths.wales)  

If you would like to register interest for students from your school to be invited to participate, please contact STEM-MS-Outreach@open.ac.uk

The Winton Mathematics Gallery, Science Museum, London.

From war and peace to life, death, money, trade and beauty, the objects in Mathematics: The Winton Gallery reveal how mathematics connects to every aspect of our lives. The exhibits display maths thematically, including ‘life and death’, ‘form and beauty’ and ‘trade and travel’. The bold and thought-provoking gallery, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, examines the fundamental role mathematicians, their tools and ideas have played in building the world we live in.

Find out more and plan your visit to the Winton Gallery here.

Open University academic June Barrow-Green, Professor of History of Mathematics, played a key role in the development of the new mathematics gallery at the Science Museum in London, acting on the External Advisory Board.