Is There An Official Oxford University Summer School?

The city of Oxford has long been associated with academic excellence. Oxford University is the United Kingdom’s oldest university, dating back to at least 1096. Also in the city of Oxford is Oxford Brookes University, founded in 1865.

Attending a summer school here allows you to experience this wonderful city and University. By spending time here this summer, you’ll follow in the footsteps of famous people who have studied in this city, including Albert Einstein, Hugh Grant, Malala Yousafzai and Oscar Wilde, to mention a few.

There are several different summer schools on offer in Oxford, and this can make the choice of which to pick quite confusing – most people want to know whether there is an official Oxford University summer school.

The simple answer is no; Oxford University does not run its own summer school for international high school students (it does run a highly regarded summer school for disadvantaged UK students, Uniq). However, there are many independent summer schools that take place in the city. And some of these allow you to study on the Oxford University campus, and experience student life in this special city.

The Oxford link

Despite the fact that there is no Oxford University-affiliated school, summer schools such as the Oxford Scholastica Academy give students a taste of the University experience in the following ways.

Expert tutors

If you enrol on one of Oxford Scholastica’s Oxford summer courses – which range from Medicine summer school and Engineering summer school to International Relations, Law, and many others – you’ll be taught by our expert tutors, lots of whom have attended Oxford University themselves. They’ll be more than happy to answer any questions you have about the Oxford experience!

The goal of an Oxford Scholastica Academy course is to inspire young people to explore a subject and their own strengths, and to discover a career, preparing them for university, professions and the future. Our tutors are enthusiastic about their subjects. They love sharing their passion with others, and have prior tutoring experience.

The tutoring system

At Oxford University, just like at the Oxford Scholastica Academy, the tutorial system is the backbone of teaching. But what is it?

The tutorial system centres around small-group teaching, with plenty of room for discussion and debate. At Oxford University, most students will attend weekly classes with a professor and two or three other students. Discussion centres around readings, essays or worksheets set in advance. This allows students to push themselves academically while also directing their own learning. Teaching at the University of Cambridge takes place in a similar system, which is called the ‘supervision’ system at Cambridge.

At the Oxford Scholastica Academy, however, we recognise that our students need a bit more structure to their days, and want to make the most of the limited time they have here – so every student will have a daily two-hour tutorial, as well as time for independent study and research. We also have a four-hour Challenge afternoon, in which tutors will support their students to put their theoretical learning into practice.

A global network of peers

The opportunity to build an international network is one of the top reasons to study at a renowned institution like Oxford University. “I had friends from all different ethnic, religious, and economic backgrounds,” states Oxford University graduate Andrea Carlo. 

In 2019, over 80 nationalities were represented at Oxford Scholastica’s summer courses. Exposure to other cultures, experiences, beliefs and traditions expands our students’ awareness and global outlook. Start your future professional network by making friends with other like-minded students from around the world. Many Oxford Scholastica alumni are still in touch with the friends they made during their two-week summer course several years ago. 

Academic rigour

Oxford University is known for its high-intensity academic experience. “Oxford is pretty renowned for the academic intensity of its schedule. Aside from multiple lectures, humanities students will have at least one, if not two, 2,000-word essays to hand in per week, each of which will be discussed in a one-on-one manner with their tutor,” says Carlo. 

At the Oxford Scholastica Academy, you get the opportunity to immerse yourself in an inspiring academic summer programme for high school students. You’ll be exposed to university-level thinking on a variety of topics in small classes, as well as getting to take part in skills-based Masterclasses. Classroom-based study is combined with hands-on experiences aimed at furthering your practical understanding of the subject.

So, even though there isn’t an official Oxford University summer school, you can get a real feel for the Oxford experience by signing up to one of the independent summer schools that take place in the city.

Such summer schools, including Oxford Scholastica, use Oxford University accommodation and teaching space. Please get in touch with our team and we’ll be happy to help answer your questions. Find out which Oxford Scholastica Academy course is right for you!

Please note that while the Oxford Scholastica Academy contracts with various colleges and departments of Oxford University for the use of facilities, we are not officially affiliated with the University in any way. You can read more about our relationship with Oxford University.

Next Steps

• Read this list of 10 Benefits of attending an Oxford Summer Course abroad
• Coming to Oxford from another country this summer? Here are your best travel options!
• If you have any questions about the Oxford Scholastica Academy, please don’t hesitate to contact our team today.