The Best Photos from Session 1

As Session 1 comes to an end, we’ve made a selection of the very best photos our splendid campus bloggers have taken this summer.
Including trips and activities, Oxford’s beautiful architecture and of course, our fantastic students, these top photos, taken from all of our campuses, show what a great time students had in Session 1.
Balliol students went to Blenheim Palace to explore this magnificent building and its lavish gardens. Blenheim Palace is famous as the birthplace of Winston Churchill, held by some to be Britain’s greatest ever Prime Minister. The palace has been a World Heritage site since 1987, and remains the home of the Duke of Marlborough.

Students from Jowett Walk discovered how crimes were punished in medieval times in a visit to Warwick Castle. Criminals would have been clapped in stocks like these and might be pelted with eggs or rotted fruit by those who disapproved of their actions. Warwick Castle was built in 1068 by William the Conqueror, and then re-fortified in the 14th century.

Still at the Jowett Walk campus, students enjoyed our Hawaiian-themed party, where they showed off fantastic costumes and tried out their skills on a surfing simulator.

The World Cup may be over, but its spirit continued in our multi-campus football tournament. The final was Balliol versus Lady Margaret Hall, where Balliol secured a narrow but well-deserved victory on penalties.

Scared of spiders? The Animal Man’s visit to St Peter’s helped students overcome their fears and handle a variety of animals, from frightening tarantulas to cuddly chinchillas.

One of the most traditional Oxford activities is of course punting down the river. Students at St Catherine’s College certainly seemed to enjoy it, drifting past the beautiful Magdalen College here.

Students at Lady Margaret Hall got to hold a wide and fascinating variety of birds of prey, including this falcon, a black barn owl, a kookaburra, and a kingfisher.

St Peter’s College played host to some budding architects this summer! Their challenge was to build as tall a structure as possibly using sticks and rubber bands. Judging by this great photo, they managed to reach an impressive height.

HMS Victory, seen here with students from St Catherine’s College on their visit to Portsmouth, is one of Britain’s most famous and historically significant ships. Her past is astonishing: this was Lord Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar and she has fought in four other naval battles besides, having first been launched in 1765.

Fans of Jane Austen should recognise this scene: students from Balliol visited Bath, and can here be seen in front of the famous Royal Crescent, one of the greatest examples of Georgian architecture in Britain.

The name was Bond at our fantastic 007-themed party, which took place in the stunning surroundings of Kingston Bagpuize House. It was a great opportunity for our students to show off their glamorous side.

The visit to Cotswold Wildlife Park allowed these students from Jowett Walk to get up close and personal with rhinos – a rare opportunity! We hope that fence is robust…

Finally, our favourite photo from the summer school. When students were first arriving on July 6th, they were treated to a particularly enchanting scene – a rainbow shining right over Balliol College.
You can still join us for Session 3 this year, but remember that bookings will close on Monday 21st July, so browse our courses now! ➙