Oxford Scholastica Summer School in Oxford

Students choose one subject and study it for a fortnight. Classes are discussion-based rather than lectures, capped at 15 students, and led by subject experts from world-class institutions including the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Alongside daily classes and personal study time there are three fixed elements: a hands-on Academic Challenge, a Heroes session with a young professional in the student's field, and a series of skills-based Masterclasses covering debating, critical thinking, leadership and the future of AI. Students aged 12 to 14 take Discover Academy courses in Business, Medicine or Technology; students aged 15 to 18 take Experience Academy courses in Business & Enterprise, Computer Science, Coding & AI, Creative Writing, Debate & Public Speaking, Engineering, International Relations, Politics & Leadership, Law, Medicine or Psychology & Neuroscience. Students staying four weeks choose a second course for the second fortnight, with new classes, different Masterclasses and different trips.

The fee covers classes and study materials, accommodation in Oxford University college buildings, breakfast and dinner each day, cultural and social activities, the day trips to Windsor Castle and Blenheim Palace, welcome and graduation events, a Certificate of Achievement and a personalised Letter of Recommendation from the tutor. Lunches are not included - students eat in the city during the two-hour lunch break - and neither are flights or airport transfers, although the Academy can help arrange transfers. A limited number of non-residential places is offered for students who arrange their own accommodation and keep full access to the rest of the programme. Places are assessed on a rolling basis until the courses fill, and entry requires an age of 11 to 18 at the start of the course, a personal statement showing motivation, and English at CEFR level C1 (about IELTS 6.5); no formal test is required.

Students live in Oxford University college accommodation in the centre of Oxford; some buildings date back as far as 1282 and others stand in the city's Castle Quarter. Two room types are offered, standard and en-suite, and a small number of twin rooms is available for students who ask to share with a friend. Boys and girls are separated by floor or by corridor, and rooms are allocated by age and sex. Each building has common rooms and social spaces, and washing machines, dryers and detergent are free to use. Every student is supported by a dedicated Head of House and a team of Activities Coordinators available around the clock, with an experienced Matron on each campus for health and wellbeing. Students are asked to be in their rooms by 10:30pm, with lights out at 11pm.

Breakfast and dinner are provided every day. A continental breakfast is served at the accommodation, and dinner is eaten as a group either in college or at local restaurants. Lunch is not included: students have a two-hour break to eat in Oxford, and everyone breaks at the same time so friends on different courses can meet. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, lactose-free and religious dietary requirements are catered for, and the Academy asks students to declare allergies at the time of booking.

Outside the classroom the schedule is filled with cultural, social and sporting activities. Cultural excursions include day trips to Windsor Castle and Blenheim Palace, a guided walking tour of Oxford, its museums, a traditional college brunch, an outdoor Shakespeare play in the grounds of Oxford Castle, punting on the river and Scottish ceilidh dancing. Social events include the International Boat Ball on a boat on the Thames, the Oxford's Got Talent show, and movie, quiz and games nights in the common rooms. Sport includes an annual football tournament at the Iffley Road campus, casual games of football and rounders, a lunchtime running club and the option to sign up to a nearby gym. Weekends are more relaxed, with optional activities students can join.

Teaching and living both take place in central Oxford. Students are taught in Oxford University facilities and housed in college buildings with common rooms and social spaces, free laundry facilities and a Matron on each campus. The football tournament is played at the historic Iffley Road sports ground, and students who prefer the gym can sign up to a nearby fitness centre for the length of their stay. The Academy notes that although it uses Oxford University facilities, it has no formal connection with the University of Oxford.

The Academy is family-run and has taught students from more than 85 countries. Its stated approach is learn, see, do: deepen subject knowledge in class, meet role models already working in the field, then put the theory to work in a challenge. Students finish with a formal graduation ceremony attended by family and friends, followed by a ceilidh with a live band that teaches the steps, and leave with a Certificate of Achievement and a personalised Letter of Recommendation. The Academy is accredited as a short course provider by the British Accreditation Council and holds a King's Award.