The Big Bang Competition is open for entries! Inspire students to work together, problem solve and get creative with science, engineering and technology. Celebrate your students’ inner innovator with technology prizes, supported by Siemens.

Entries will close on 26 March at 5pm!

Find out more about The Competition and how to enter online.

Entries are also open for our TEXPO 2025 Competition – further details to follow soon!

Read more: Big Bang Competition 2025

You may have noticed that the look and feel of the website has changed slightly. This is because we are in the process of upgrading the software on which the website is based – this is a major upgrade involving several software components and a complete replacement of the visual template. We are therefore taking the opportunity to have a refresh, and to bring everything up-to-date in terms of accessibility, mobile device compatibility and so on.

Please bear with us while this work is completed. The main functions of the website should all be working, but there are still several behind-the-scenes upgrades to be made and various tweaks required to get everything fully back online. These will take place over the coming weeks.

If you have any problems using the website or find something not working, please do get in touch.

Your Life is Manufactured! Wednesday 11 December 2024, ARU Chelmsford

We are looking for volunteers who can help with the delivery of the annual CSES/ARU Christmas Lecture at ARU in Chelmsford, this year to be given by Prof Tim Minshall from the University of Cambridge.

The talk will be given to two large groups from multiple schools across Essex, morning and afternoon, each of up to around 400 audience members. Responsibilities would include stewarding the event, helping students find their seats etc, being on-hand to discuss STEM careers with students during the breaks, and of course there is a free CPD opportunity to hear the talk!

Further details about the talk can be found here.

If you would like to be involved or find out more, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

On Wednesday 25th September at Chelmsford City Racecourse, CSES members Chris Neale and Ed Bye promoted the Society and in general STEM career paths at the Braintree Careers Fair.

The event was for students in their GCSE year (age 15/16) to help them decide on options for college or 6th Form as well as provide information on future career choices and paths such as apprenticeship or university route.

Eight schools in the Braintree area attended for an hour throughout the day, with a total student count of around 1500!

Read more: CSES at the Braintree Careers Fair 2024

We are looking for members / volunteers who could help with the Chelmsford Science Festival Family Weekend on 26/27 October at ARU. The campus will be alive with fun, hands-on activities for all the family! Could you spare a few hours on Saturday or Sunday to help us out? Everything is prepared and a full briefing will be provided, you just need to turn up! Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you're interested.

We are delighted to announce our new season of events, including the Chelmsford Science Festival, social meet-ups and FREE evening lectures at Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford!

We have searched near and far for speakers and once again we have a varied and fascinating mix of topics so there is bound to be something of interest for everyone. We would say, though, don't just come to the talks that appeal to you, often the most interesting topics are those you may think are "not my thing".

So, what's in store?

Read more: Welcome to CSES 2024-2025

CSES@ARU Science and Engineering Saturday Club

Having just completed its second year, our Science and Engineering Saturday Club focuses on exploring the science and engineering behind real-life activities and problems that affect our health and wellbeing. As well as professionals and academics, the Club was supported by our medicine, science, engineering and business students, giving our members a unique opportunity to talk to current ARU students studying a range of STEM related courses they may be interested in. The programme enabled students to use state-of-the-art equipment in our unique Super Lab facilities and the workshop and computer laboratories at ARU's Chelmsford Campus. In addition to sessions on campus, the students visited external STEM related centres.

Overall, the students learnt a range of science and engineering skills including: Laboratory health and safety, microbiology, medical diagnostics, statistics, 3DCAD design and printing, pump engineering, clock construction and even bush craft!

Read more: CSES Imagine! Saturday Club completes a second year

The 2024 Chelmsford Skills Festival was held on Thursday 27 June at ARU Writtle. CSES attended the event, alongside Teledyne e2v, BAE Systems and other businesses in the region.

A whole school day event for Year 8s, to help them choose their exam options, eight local schools attended, with an estimated footfall of 1,200 students in total at the event. There were around 75 companies and organisations represented, accommodated in seven large marquees.

On the CSES stand, we had an autonomous line-following robot (bit:bot) and a hand-strength gauge which proved quite popular with students seeing who of their group had the strongest and weakest hand grip. There was also a small box of "electronic poo", i.e. dead batteries, which stimulated much discussion about the necessity, science and engineering of correctly disposing of waste materials to protect the environment and ecology. This was accompanied by a range of leaflets and booklets explaining what engineering is and some of the different types of engineering that takes place.

Overall, this was a very good and enjoyable day. The society's thanks to Chris Neale and Ed Bye for supporting.