Science Scholars
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Science Scholars Summer Course
Explore scientific ideas, investigate how the world works and develop confidence approaching complex questions with Atlas Summer Courses. Our Science Scholars summer course, designed for students aged 12–14, gives students the opportunity to explore science beyond their usual studies while developing their ability to think critically and approach problems scientifically.
Through interactive small-group lessons, students are encouraged to ask questions, examine evidence and apply scientific reasoning to unfamiliar ideas and problems.
What's Included?
Your residential Science Scholars summer course includes academic teaching, accommodation, meals and a certificate on completion, alongside the activities and experiences included within your chosen programme.
What Is Science Scholars?
Science Scholars gives students the opportunity to explore scientific ideas while developing a deeper understanding of how scientists investigate the world.
Science involves much more than learning established facts. Scientists ask questions, examine evidence, identify patterns and develop explanations that can be tested and challenged. Different branches of science provide different ways of investigating everything from living organisms and materials to forces, energy and the environment.
For students aged 12–14, exploring science beyond the usual curriculum can encourage them to think more independently about why things happen and how evidence can be used to support an explanation.
A Science Scholars summer course provides an age-appropriate environment in which students can explore these ideas while developing their scientific curiosity and reasoning.
What Will Students Explore on the Science Scholars Course?
There is no prescribed syllabus that every student follows. Atlas Summer Courses tutors create their own syllabi, drawing on their expertise while taking the interests, abilities and learning needs of their students into account.
Depending on the tutor and group, students could explore ideas from different areas of science and investigate how scientific principles can be used to understand the world around them.
They might consider questions such as:
- How do scientists develop and test explanations?
- What makes scientific evidence convincing?
- How can patterns help us understand scientific phenomena?
- How do different areas of science connect with one another?
- How can scientific knowledge help us approach real-world problems?
- Why do scientific explanations sometimes change as new evidence emerges?
The exact content will vary depending on the expertise of the individual tutor and the interests of the group. Any topics or syllabi shown on our website are examples only and should not be taken as a guarantee of exactly what students will study.
How Students Learn
Our Scholars courses are designed to make learning engaging, interactive and appropriately challenging for students aged 12–14.
12 hours of small-group lessons
Across the one-week programme, students take part in structured small-group classes. Lessons are designed to encourage students to think actively and engage with the subject, with tutors involving everyone and fostering curiosity and enthusiasm for learning.
Each lesson follows a process of review, learning and application, giving students opportunities to revisit ideas, develop their understanding and then apply what they have learned.
Within Science Scholars, this could involve discussing scientific questions, examining evidence, considering different explanations and applying new concepts through age-appropriate activities. The precise approach will depend on the tutor, their expertise and the interests of the group.
The aim is to create an interactive environment in which students can participate actively, ask questions and develop greater confidence approaching scientific ideas.
Who Is Science Scholars For?
Our Science Scholars summer course for 12–14-year-olds is designed for students who are curious about science and want to explore scientific ideas beyond their usual studies.
Students don't need specialist knowledge beyond an interest in the subject. The course may particularly appeal to those who enjoy asking how and why things happen, solving problems, examining evidence or discovering connections between different areas of science.
Students will be encouraged to develop transferable skills including scientific reasoning, critical thinking, problem-solving, analysing evidence, communication and independent learning.
Learn from Expert Tutors
Atlas Summer Courses tutors are experienced educators and subject specialists active across academia, industry and education.
They bring their own expertise and interests into their teaching and have the freedom to shape their syllabus around both their specialism and the students in their group. This allows each Science Scholars summer course to explore different scientific ideas while providing an appropriate level of academic challenge.
Tutors are confirmed closer to the summer, so profiles on our website are examples of tutors who have previously worked with us rather than confirmation of who will teach a particular course.
What Can Students Gain from Science Scholars?
Science Scholars gives students the opportunity to explore science beyond their usual studies while developing the skills involved in thinking scientifically.
Students can practise examining evidence, questioning explanations, approaching unfamiliar problems and communicating their reasoning while becoming more confident engaging with challenging scientific ideas.
These skills can support future learning across subjects such as biology, chemistry, physics, medicine, engineering and other STEM disciplines.
Most importantly, a Science Scholars summer course gives students the opportunity to explore different scientific ideas and discover which areas of science they may want to investigate further.
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FAQs about Our Summer Courses
No. You don't usually need to have studied your chosen subject before joining an Atlas Summer Courses summer course. Courses are designed for the relevant age group, and tutors can adapt their approach to the abilities, interests and experience of the students in their group.
There is no fixed curriculum that every student follows. Our tutors create their own syllabi based on their academic expertise and the interests and learning needs of their students.
This means the exact topics can vary between courses and years. Any syllabus or topics shown on our website are examples from previous courses and shouldn't be taken as a guarantee of exactly what you'll study.
Teaching depends on your age group. Students aged 9–12 and Scholars aged 12–14 learn through structured, interactive small-group classes. Students aged 13–15 combine small-group seminars with private study, while students aged 16–17 and 18–24 experience seminars, tutorials and independent study.
Across our programmes, teaching is designed to encourage active participation, questioning and independent thinking rather than simply listening to lectures.
Your course includes your academic programme, accommodation, meals and a certificate on completion, alongside the activities and experiences included within your programme.
What's included can vary depending on the programme, age group and package you choose, so we recommend checking the individual course details for the full inclusions before applying.
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