At the end of every Oxford Scholastica Academy Oxford summer course, we host a graduation ceremony to celebrate all of your hard work. Read on to find out what you can expect from your own Oxford Scholastica graduation.
What is Oxford summer school graduation like?
We model our graduation ceremony on those of other schools and universities, although we add in some extra bits to make it especially memorable and unique to reflect your Oxford Scholastica experience.
Oxford Summer School Certificate and Awards
Every student has their name called out individually, and goes onto the stage to receive their graduation certificate. This also involves shaking hands with either your tutor, or one of the Directors here at Oxford Scholastica.
Speeches
We ask one student from each class to give a speech, which is a wonderful opportunity to share your summer school experience and celebrate everything you’ve learnt together. This student acts as class valedictorian, and speaks about the experience of your group as a whole. Each Head of House also has an opportunity to share what they’ve enjoyed most about working with you, and will often share some of the best anecdotes of the summer school.
Student video
Throughout the summer your incredible staff members will have been working hard behind the scenes to capture your memories and create a student video, which is screened during the ceremony. This is always an enjoyable chance to relive some of the best bits of your time together, and has been known to produce a teary eye or two in the crowd!
Competitions
The winners of any competitions which have run throughout your summer school, such as the photo competition, will also be announced during the graduation ceremony, and prizes given.
What happens after the summer school graduation?
Once the ceremony is over, we host a barbecue for everyone in attendance. We take pictures of you in your class groups, and then you’re free to enjoy the wonderful food. Once everyone has eaten, you’ll dance the night away at a traditional Ceilidh with our favourite band Swinging Molly. It’s a Gaelic dance similar to line or barn dancing – and we guarantee you’ll love it!
Who can attend the Oxford graduation ceremony?
All of our students attend the graduation, of course, but we also encourage family and friends to come if they can. It’s a great opportunity for them to find out what you have been up to while studying with us, as well as a way of celebrating all of your hard work.
Where is the Oxford summer school graduation ceremony held?
We host our graduation ceremony at an Oxford University building called the Saïd Business School. Its impressive modern architecture makes it the perfect place to conclude your Oxford Scholastica experience. It is also in close proximity to the central Oxford train station, making it very simple for family or friends to attend even if they’re staying in a different city. The barbecue takes place in the Business School’s beautiful courtyard (with lots of great backdrops for photos!), and we move to a different venue in town for the Ceilidh.
What should I wear to the Oxford graduation?
The graduation is a celebration of everything that you have achieved and experienced during your summer with us, so we like to make it a suitably memorable event. As such, we encourage everyone to dress formally, including any guests who wish to attend.
Next steps for summer school students
If you’ve booked onto one of our courses this summer you will receive a link to be able to book parent/guardian graduation tickets.
Want to take a closer look at what it’s like to attend one of our Oxford summer schools? Check out some of our Oxford summer school videos.