The British Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad (BAAO) is an innovative project formed within the British Physics Olympiad Trust, offering schools across the UK a series of competition papers in astronomy and astrophysics. The question papers are set to be stimulating, challenging students to think deeper, whilst at the same time bringing them closer to many of the latest ongoing research topics in astronomy. They provide an intriguing path to discovering more about astronomy and astrophysics and following this through to higher education.

The BAAO is currently targeted at students in years 12 and 13, with both theoretical and observational based assessments, however it assumes no prior modules specialised in astronomy have been taken. In the 2016-2017 academic year, several hundred students took the BAAO papers from over 50 schools. The BAAO is also a gateway to competing in the International Olympiad in Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA), allowing students to represent their country and compete with over 40 other nations. We present statistics and outcomes of the last two years’ runs, the successful participation of the UK team in the 9th and 10th IOAA (in Indonesia and India) and we seek to raise awareness of this new venture.