Oxford University's first Climate Change Summer School takes place at Wadham

Summer School students on the five-day residential Climate Change programme attended sessions led by our academics, including Dr Joe Bull, Tutorial Fellow in Biology. Dr Bull's research explores whether and how net positive biodiversity outcomes and climate change mitigation can be achieved alongside economic development activities. The seminar series focused on climate change from a range of perspectives across human and biological sciences, including understanding the impacts of change and potential approaches for mitigating and adapting to it. As part of the programme, the students completed an assignment on the topic and received tutor feedback on it.

Our student ambassadors, tutors, and Academic Office team members worked with the summer school students throughout the week, answering questions about living and learning at Oxford and at Wadham and offering support on making successful applications to top universities.

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, we were delighted to be able to offer Climate Change, alongside our established summer schools on Classics and on Modern Languages, which is funded by the McCall McBain Foundation.

We are grateful to John Howie for making the Climate Change summer school possible. John studied Plant Sciences at Wadham and was keen to support the College’s pioneering Access work and nurture the next generation of climate scientists:

“It has been a privilege to be able to support the Wadham Climate Change Summer school. Seeing the next generation of incredibly bright students being inspired by some of the best climate scientists Oxford University has to offer was fantastic, and offers hope for the future of addressing the critical matter of climate change.”

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.

We thank everyone who worked with us on this year's summer schools. Huge thanks also to the summer school students for making it such a great experience. At the end of the week, as well as learning from inspiring tutors, the students felt inspired by their own peer group. They had enjoyed being able to discuss their interests with others who are as passionate about their subjects as they are. We hope to see some of you at Wadham again soon!