The Oxford Summer Academy - an academic and cultural program in Oxford, England, for high-school students

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Security and Safety

We would like to reassure parents and guardians that students will be well-looked-after during their stay with us!

Firstly, parents or guardians are very welcome to accompany students to Oxford and attend the welcome reception we hold and meet the Oxford Summer Academy staff.

After you have applied on-line, we will ask you to forward details of travel plans. If for any reason a student’s arrival is delayed, we can contact you immediately, and of course, we can remind your son or daughter to call home to let you know that they have arrived safely.

The Oxford Summer Academy Program is fairly intensive. Students, in the main, will be in tutorials, or, engaged in cultural and entertainment activities. If a student isn’t where we expect them to be, a member of staff will let the office know immediately and we will find the student. For this reason, we ask that all students bring a mobile phone with them.

During the evenings and weekends, students will be with the Entz team. The Entz team run the social program, and also have a pastoral role. There are wardens who stay overnight in college. We ask students to check in with their warden each evening by 10.30pm. Students should be in their own rooms, and quiet, by 11.00pm each evening. The college itself provides a safe environment. Porters are on duty 24 hours a day at the college entrance.

Academic

In each two-week period, students choose one major, one minor, and one elective. When booking, we ask that a first choice and back-up choice for each subject are selected as we limit class sizes.

Majors and minors are assessed. We can provide transcripts of studies. Academic reports are forwarded to parents or guardians by e-mail.

During each fortnight, students have the opportunity to meet Oxford University academic staff and learn about applying to Oxford. Students also have the opportunity to discuss applying to other UK universities with academic staff.

Accommodation

All students will be resident at St Edmund Hall in either single or twin rooms. The rooms are typical of undergraduate accommodation in the UK. Rooms have wash-hand basins and there are shared bathrooms on each floor. Towels are provided in the rooms.

Each room has a telephone which can receive incoming calls. Students will be told their direct dial numbers at registration. Students can make outgoing on the purchase of a phone-card.

Each room is equipped for internet access. Students can access the wifi provided.

Laundry facilities are available at St Edmund Hall.

Meals

Breakfast and dinner are provided in college each day. Students can purchase lunch each day, inexpensively, from the many cafes in central Oxford.

On excursion days, dinner is not provided in college. Students will be taken to reasonably priced restaurants while on excursions.

Special dietary requirements can be accommodated. It is helpful if you let us know what these are in advance on the application form!

Transport to and from St Edmund Hall

We can arrange taxi-transfers to and from airports if required at additional cost.

Alternatively, there are regular coach services between London’s major airports, Heathrow and Gatwick, to Oxford. http://www.nationalexpress.com and http://www.oxfordbus.co.uk.

What to Bring

Students are welcome to bring laptop computers, but at their own risk.

Study materials are provided – books and handouts – but students are encouraged to do some reading ahead where tutors have specified recommended textbooks.

Students should bring a notebook, pens, pencils and calculators.

England does not have a climate, rather, extremely variable weather! Students should bring warm clothes and waterproof clothes as well as those suitable for the summer! During classes, dress is informal, jeans and trainers are fine. There are though several formal events during the course – the welcome reception, gala dinner and theatre trips - when dress should be more formal. Students in Oxford traditionally dress up for dinner each evening – indeed –
the evening meal is often called “a formal”.

If students are planning on joining any of the sporting activities, they should bring the appropriate footwear and clothing. For the orienteering, they should bring some walking boots!

It is essential that students bring a mobile phone. We need to be able to contact students 24x7 during their stay with us!

Enroling on a Course

To enrol, complete the on-line application form for the course required:

http://www.theoxfordsummeracademy.com/July 1st - July 14th 2012.html

http://www.theoxfordsummeracademy.com/July 15th - July 28th 2012.html

http://www.theoxfordsummeracademy.com/july_1st_-_july_28th_2012.html

Alternatively, download an application form,

http://www.theoxfordsummeracademy.com/downloads.html

and either mail this to us at

The Oxford Summer Academy
Oxford Centre for Innovation
New Road
Oxford, OX1 1BY,
United Kingdom

or fax the application form to us at +44-1865-598 998.

We will acknowledge receipt of your application immediately and e-mail both the student and parent/carer to confirm the details of the application.

Making Payment

On receipt of your application, we will e-mail an invoice. When either the deposit or full payment has been received, we will confirm the place on the course. Payment can be made by bank transfer and details will be given on the invoice.

Course Fees

For a 2-week course – GBP 3,095
For a 4-week course – GBP 5,995

Fees include: Accommodation, breakfast, dinner on non-excursion days, tuition, books and study materials, excursions (travel and entrance costs), the social program (travel and entrance costs), insurance.

The fees do not include travel to/from airports, lunch each day, dinner on excursion days, outgoing telephone calls, internet access, laundry, spending money.

Spending Money

The course fees cover tuition, excursions and the social program. They do not cover outgoing phone calls, the Ethernet cable for internet access, laundry, lunch each day, dinner on excursion days and general spending money for souvenirs and presents.

You can estimate the amount of spending money students may need from the following list:

• Internet Access - £14
• Laundry - £10 - for a 2-week period
• Lunch - £5 each day

Rules

We have very few rules – we mainly want to ensure that students have a safe and enjoyable visit to Oxford – but we have listed the few rules we have below:

• St Edmund Hall is a medieval college, and in common with many colleges in Oxford, it has a formal “quad” which we don’t walk on. There are plenty of other lawns where students can sit and relax, but the main quad is a protected area. We’ll point this out to students when they arrive.
• Smoking is not permitted in any part of St Edmund Hall – inside or outside. Smoking is banned by law in public buildings, restaurants and cafes in the UK.
• It is illegal for those under 18 to purchase alcohol in the UK. We have a rule that NO ALCOHOL is permitted – either on college premises or off.
• We ask students to check in with us each evening by 10.30pm. Everyone should be in their own rooms, and quiet, by 11.00pm.
• Finally, we expect everyone’s behaviour to be courteous, considerate and co-operative.