Wadham welcomes 2023 Summer School students

Thanks to the support of our generous donors and alumni, Wadham runs the most extensive summer school programme of any Oxford college. Our five-day residential summer schools for Year 12 pupils in UK state schools or sixth-form colleges take place each August . This year, for the first time, we were delighted to be able to offer a third summer school on Climate Change alongside our established summer schools on Classics and on Modern Languages, which is funded by the McCall McBain Foundation.

Wadham aspires to become a beacon of fair access and academic excellence. Our vision for Access to Excellence includes securing funding for every step of the educational journey – from pre-16 outreach to increased support for our students and graduates. With the support of our donors, Wadham is breaking new ground with our access programme, raising aspirations and attracting talent through summer schools, school visits, and online support. Find out more about how you can support our extensive access work.

As part of the 2023 summer school programme, Classics students took part in a series of seminars led by the Faculty of Classics, including language classes in Ancient Greek.

Modern Languages students attended seminars led by Wadham’s language tutors in their selected language of study (French, German or Spanish). They also had the opportunity to try other languages as beginners, including German, Portuguese and Russian.

Climate Change students undertook seminar sessions led by academics from a range of disciplines, including Biology and Human Sciences, to develop their subject knowledge and relevant skills. The seminar series focused on climate change from a mixture of perspectives across the human and biological sciences.

All students received support from current undergraduates and from our Academic Office team members on making successful applications to top universities. We are grateful to our donors, whose support makes the summer schools possible.

Modern Languages students, Alannah, Samantha and Riga, felt that it was an excellent opportunity to see how languages are taught at Oxford, particularly the emphasis on literature. They enjoyed learning in a group where everyone enjoys languages as much as they do and felt that the experience had 'reaffirmed their love for languages!'

Classics students, Gaby, Aisha, Michelle and Melodi, enjoyed the 'amazing' seminars and classes, particularly the language classes on Ancient Greek. They also liked studying and spending time with each other and staying in Wadham's student accommodation.

Climate Change students, Benedik, Freddie and Deep, felt that they had known each other much longer than a week. They enjoyed being able to engage with inspiring academics but also felt inspired by their own peer group.

Thank you to everyone who worked with us on the programme and to the summer school students for making it such a great week. We hope to see some of you at Wadham again soon!