Barton Peveril’s Oxford Science Essayist

Barton Peveril (@bartonpevril) Sixth Form College student Lucy Kelly has won a national science competition, run by the University of Oxford. The Oxford Scientist Schools Competition runs once a term and is led by a University of Oxford society, Students and also judged by University of Oxford professors.

The competition receives a large number of entries from pupils in Years 10, 11, 12 and 13. Entrants were tasked with writing a short, 700 word essay in response to the question ‘How is creativity important in science?’ Lucy Kelly, who previously attended Swanmore College, was the winner of the Year 12 and 13 category for her essay.

Lucy Kelly will have her essay published on the University’s website and will attend a virtual celebratory event, hosted on Zoom, with the other category’s winner and the competition judges.

The first year student was praised by the competition organisers:

“We thoroughly enjoyed reading Lucy’s excellent submission: The Unappreciated Creativity within Science. This passed with flying colours in each of the 5 rounds of assessment and was favored by the Oxford University Professor judges.’

Lucy Kelly spoke of her entry and success in the national competition:

“I heard about the competition through the Barton Peveril Aspire Programme, and decided to enter it as I found the question thought provoking and felt that I would enjoy exploring the ideas that came from the question further. My article compared the processes of creativity within the arts, with the processes involved within scientific innovation.

“After college, I hope to attend university to study psychology, and possibly go into a career in clinical psychology. I’m so thrilled to win this competition, it was a really encouraging and motivating surprise in my first week back after such a long time in lockdown!”