She Talks Science STEP Summer School
This page records the residential STEP Summer School held at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, between 2023 and 2025.
About the programme
The summer school was designed for young women and non-binary students considering mathematics at highly selective universities. Students spent several days working on demanding mathematical problems, developing the written reasoning, persistence and communication required for STEP and university mathematics.
The residential setting combined lectures, workshops, independent problem solving and discussion. It also gave students the opportunity to experience Cambridge as a place to study and to ask practical questions about mathematics admissions.
Example timetable
The Group 1 student timetable from 4–7 August 2025 shows the balance of STEP workshops, supervisions, enrichment talks, admissions sessions and college activities.
Read the full Group 1 timetable as text
4 August 2025
- — Student registration. Paula Browne House Foyer.
- — Lunch. The Dome.
- — Introductions. Paula Browne House Conference Room.
- — STEP Workshop 1: Proof. Main tutor. Paula Browne House Teaching Room 1.
- — Break. Paula Browne House Foyer.
- — College talk and tour.
- — Settle into the rooms.
- — Tea. The Dome.
- — Evening activities: college quiz.
5 August 2025
- — Breakfast. The Dome.
- — Supervision. Tutors and supervisors. Paula Browne House Teaching Room 1.
- — Break. Paula Browne House Foyer.
- — Machine learning enrichment talk. Yani Pehova. Paula Browne House Lecture Theatre.
- — Lunch. The Dome.
- — STEP Workshop 2: Algebra. Group 3 tutor. Paula Browne House Seminar Room 2.
- — Supervisions. Tutors and supervisors. Paula Browne House Seminar Room 2.
- — Independent study. Library.
- — Tea. The Dome.
- — Evening activities: various outside activities, games and independent time.
6 August 2025
- — Breakfast. The Dome.
- — STEP Workshop 3: Inequalities. Group 5 tutor. Paula Browne House Seminar Room 1.
- — Supervision. Tutors and supervisors. Paula Browne House Seminar Room 1.
- — Lunch. The Dome.
- — Number theory enrichment talk. Izaak Haywood Fairclough. Paula Browne House Lecture Theatre.
- — Break. Paula Browne House Foyer.
- — Admissions talk and Q&A; enrichment talk. Holly Krieger and Andrew Bond. Paula Browne House Lecture Theatre.
- — Break. Paula Browne House Foyer.
- — Student life panel. Paula Browne House Conference Room/Garden.
- — Independent study. Library.
- — Formal dinner. The Dome.
- — Evening activities: celebration drinks.
7 August 2025
- — Breakfast. The Dome.
- — STEP Workshop 4: Limits. Main tutor. Paula Browne House Teaching Room 1.
- — Break. Paula Browne House Foyer.
- — Linear stability and glaciers. Kasia Warburton. Paula Browne House Lecture Theatre.
- — Lunch. The Dome.
- — Supervision. Tutors and supervisors. Paula Browne House Teaching Room 1.
- — Plenary. Paula Browne House Conference Room.
- — Departure.
My contribution
- Planning the academic programme and selecting suitable problems
- Teaching lectures and large-group workshops
- Supporting mentors and small-group teaching
- Helping students develop clear written and spoken mathematical reasoning
- Discussing university mathematics and the admissions process
Further STEP preparation
For independent practice, use my STEP past-paper archive, guide to writing a strong STEP solution and calculus-to-STEP practice sequence.
These are current resources on my separate mathematics website. This page remains a record of the 2023–2025 summer school. Information about individual STEP tuition is available separately; for other outreach work, return to the outreach page.