What to pack
Clothing and kit-list
You will be sent a kit list in your welcome pack that will explain exactly what you should bring. Please take a careful note of the requirement for smart clothes at events such as graduation on the students’ final evening with us.
Laundry
Washing machines and tumble dryers are available. Counsellors will be on hand to show students how to use these.
Bed linen and towels
Each room has bed linen provided, but towels are not provided as standard. Students are asked to bring their own towels to the campus.
Practical Information
Personal security
All of our programmes take place in secure, supervised premises. The campus entrances are supervised round-the-clock by “porters” and usually CCTV cameras.
All the Campus Offices have a valuables safe where students can store their passports, personal documents and other personal belongings.
All students on courses for 13 – 18 years of age must ‘check in’ regularly during the day, for example: at 8am for roll-call; then with their teachers at morning classes; in the afternoon for activities; at dinner; and finally in the evening before curfew (the time of which will depend on age group).
We advise students to adhere to the following:
- Use a secure bag for your money and bank cards;
- Leave your valuables in a secure place (preferably a campus safe);
- Stay in groups when off campus.
Emergencies
Each campus has its own 24-hour emergency telephone number. This number can be used by a student needing to contact a member of staff. Family members wanting to contact a student can call the campus office. In the case of an emergency it is vitally important that we have the right contact details for students and their families, so please ensure that all contact information you give us upon registration is correct and up to date.
Illness and medication
Our campus Welfare Officers are available to the students while they are with us, and can provide students with basic medications such as paracetamol or throat lozenges.
If a student requires to visit the doctor, it will come with an extra cost. Students who are not resident in the UK for more than 6 months are not eligible for National Health Service (NHS) treatment. Students are required to have full travel insurance which will cover any medical fees that they incur whilst attending a summer school with Oxford Royale Academy. This also applies to students on our programmes in the USA.
Oxford Royale Academy has organised a free-of-charge block insurance policy, which our students may be able to take advantage of. This is subject to the exclusions and limitations of the policy as detailed in the documentation, so please read this carefully to determine whether it is adequate for your personal circumstances – it is your responsibility to ensure that you have sufficient insurance cover in place for your stay at Oxford Royale Academy.
Students must indicate if they are regularly taking medication or have any medical conditions when they make their application.
Money
While travelling, students should carry a small amount of British pounds/US dollars with them to cover routine travelling costs such as food and water. Larger amounts of cash should be kept in the safe in the Campus Office. Students need to have sufficient funds to cover the costs of their trip, Oxford Royale cannot advance funds to students who do not have sufficient cash.
Please note that the 50 GBP note is not widely accepted in shops in the UK.
Weather
Up-to-date weather reports can be found by visiting Oxford Weather or the equivalent websites for your summer school location. Please note that the UK is famous for variable weather, even in July and August, and a range of clothes should be packed. The areas of the USA where our USA campuses are based are likely to be warm and humid during the summer months.
Further information
Students will also receive more practical information in the “Summer Course Information” document included in the welcome pack sent to them prior to their course commencing.
Keeping in touch
With your home
Email and internet: Wifi and internet access is available on all sites.
Telephone calls: Students can call home using their mobile phone or payphones on campus. Pre-paid international telephone cards are the cheapest and easiest way to make overseas calls and can be purchased easily in most large towns. You can use these cards in conjunction with the payphones located on the campus. Please note that whilst mobiles are allowed on the programme, they are not permitted in the classroom.
With students on campus
Post/Mail: Letters and parcels can be sent to students at their campus address c/o Oxford Royale Academy.
Telephoning Oxford Royale Academy: There is a telephone line in each campus where students are resident, and an emergency phone where staff can be contacted 24 hours a day. These numbers will be provided before the student arrives.
The ORA head office number is +44 (0) 1865 954800.
Email: Email addresses of each campus will also be provided for parents before the summer school begins.
If you would like more information or to speak to a member of the Admissions Team for further information, please contact us by email or phone. Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0) 1865 954800