COVID Statement

Updated: 24th November 2022

We were absolutely delighted to welcome so many students to our summer schools in 2022!

With our first summer school since UK COVID restrictions were lifted now behind us, the Oxford Royale Academy team is busy behind the scenes preparing to deliver life-changing experiences as part of our 2023 summer schools on the campuses of the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, Yale University, UC Berkeley and Imperial College London.

Although all COVID-related UK laws were removed in 2021, we appreciate that you might still have questions regarding COVID-19 and your summer booking – please read on for information about Our Cancellation and Refund Policies, Travelling to our Summer Schools from Overseas, how we will be Keeping Our Students Safe in Summer 2023, and When to Enrol and Fee Deadlines.

Kindly note that, with conditions for international summer travel and studying abroad returning to normal for citizens of most countries, all cancellations and refunds will henceforth be processed in accordance with our standard Terms and Conditions of enrolment.

We would like to remind you that it is mandatory for all students to be covered by a comprehensive travel and medical insurance policy. Many insurers now include COVID-related cover as standard. We recommend searching for and comparing policies in your home country to get the most competitive quote. Please click this link for more information on student insurance for your summer course.

For citizens of most countries, travel to the UK and USA (and back again) has largely returned to normal.

For travel to the UK, please check the UK Government’s webpage for the most up-to-date information on the requirements for arrival from overseas.

For travel to our summer school at Yale University, please consult the United States CDC’s COVID-19 travel information webpage for the latest information. You may also wish to check the COVID-19 section of the Connecticut state website for information regarding any COVID-19 restrictions in the state.

Please also make sure you check and understand any additional requirements that your airline requests, including testing and forms, as well as the requirements of your home country for arriving back after your time overseas.

It goes without saying that student safety will always remain our top priority and we will do everything we can to keep our students safe and well. We are wholeheartedly committed to delivering outstanding summer experiences whilst protecting the health and well-being of our students and staff.

In both the UK and the USA, the rollouts of the vaccine and booster programmes, alongside social distancing measures, behaviour changes, strong testing programmes and the lessons learnt from the pandemic so far, have meant that the governments and populations of both countries are learning to live with and manage the risk of COVID-19 whilst resuming the activities we all hold dear and love to do.

And at Oxford Royale, with the experiences gained from welcoming hundreds of students in 2021 and 2022 – during which participants were kept safe whilst enjoying a typically action-packed summer school timetable – we are better informed and better prepared than ever to run a summer school effectively, managing the risk of COVID whilst also delivering outstanding summer experiences that are both safe and full of inspiring academic and social opportunities.

We will continue to monitor the international situation closely and will follow the relevant UK Government, Connecticut State and US Federal guidelines to inform our operational policy – you can rest assured we will have full COVID safety plans and protocols in place across all our campuses. Our operational measures for preventing the spread of COVID-19 on our summer school campuses will at a minimum follow the guidance from the relevant authority that is in place at the time. In certain circumstances, to safeguard our students and their onward travel plans, we may have our own rules and protocols in place that go beyond such guidance.

Although we encourage any eligible students to take up a vaccine should they be offered one, vaccination is not mandatory for attendance at our UK summer schools. We are awaiting a formal policy from Yale University, although it is likely that proof of vaccination with a WHO-recognised vaccine (including boosters where available) will be required.

An up-to-date risk assessment will be available to all families in advance of their summer school booking.

With many students having missed out on a place last year, and substantial demand for travel around the world, our 2023 summer schools are shaping up to be very popular. We therefore encourage you to place your booking as soon as possible to secure your first choice of course, dates and location.

A small deposit payment is required to secure your booking. The remaining course fees are not due until 90 days before your arrival, and can be paid in instalments until that deadline should you wish to do so.

Yale University

International visitors, at least two weeks before arriving on campus, must complete  a primary series of a  COVID-19 vaccine that has received full approval or Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or has been issued Emergency Use Listing (EUL) by the World Health Organization (WHO).

You can find further information on the requirements here.

The University of California, Berkeley 

Please read the latest updates on COVID-19 policy from UC Berkeley here.