Camp Headington: STEM and Adventure Summer Camp in Oxford

Camp Headington teaches a single course, Wild Science, structured around a daily theme in four stages. Students Explore the topic through lessons and discussion, Examine it in groups through enquiry and evidence, Experiment with it outside the classroom in practical challenges and fieldwork, and close the day at Summit, where teams share discoveries and demonstrate what they built. Topics include the environment, engineering and meteorology. Classes are capped at fifteen students, and the minimum English level to enrol is A2. English runs through the programme as the working language of discussion and collaboration rather than as a separate grammar course.

The camp is sold as a two-week course, in a residential version and a day version. The residential fee covers tuition, accommodation, all meals, learning materials, the excursion and adventure programme, daytime and evening activities, weekly laundry, a progress report and graduation certificate, and student insurance. Flights and airport or train transfers are not included; the operator offers a transfer service for an additional fee. Optional extras such as the outdoor laser adventure are sold separately at booking, with limited places.

Students live on the Headington School campus in purpose-built accommodation with single, twin and dormitory rooms and shared bathroom facilities. Everyone has their own space to store belongings. Staff are present in the accommodation through the day and night for pastoral support, and each house has a communal area where students can play and relax together. All three room types are included in the course fee — the operator publishes no room upgrade charge.

The residential programme is full board: all meals are included. The day programme includes lunch and the evening meal. The operator states it will do its best to meet dietary needs, giving vegetarian, vegan and Halal as examples.

Afternoons and evenings run on a multi-activity programme alongside the taught course. The operator names arts and crafts, badminton, basketball, Camp Quest, combat archery, cricket, dance, den building, disco, dodgeball, drama, film night, football, house night, karaoke, Lego, music, rounders, tag, tennis, treasure hunt and zorbing. Excursions are part of the programme and include a day at the London Science Museum, an Oxford outdoor adventure day of high ropes and climbing, and a raft-building challenge in teams. Standard excursions and their entry costs are covered by the fee.

The camp runs on the campus of Headington School on Headington Road in Oxford; the operator’s own description also names Headington Prep School as the teaching base. The campus provides teaching spaces, sports and activity facilities, and outdoor areas for students to learn, play and spend time together. Boarding houses each include a communal area, and Wi-Fi and a weekly laundry service are provided. The Oxford location gives students access to the city for excursions and experiences beyond the campus.

Camp Headington is aimed at ages ten to fourteen and is described by the operator as a welcoming international community where students are encouraged to be curious, try new things and take on challenges together. The draw is the combination: laboratory and classroom work in the morning, then high ropes, raft building and team challenges outdoors, with staff on hand around the clock. Students leave with a progress report and a graduation certificate.