Following all the excitement of arriving on campus, the teachers were keen to get the students energised to kickstart the first day of their busy programmes, and it was brilliant to see how quickly they settled into their first lessons.

In a Sketching and Photography workshop, teacher Emily aimed to get her students, aged 13 – 15, to explore the often-blurry parameters of what it means to create art. She instructed them to sketch one another upside down – this showed them how working differently can facilitate new ways of seeing and thinking.

After some discussion of composition and a quick break, the group then took to the lawn to find some artistic prompts. The students chose to sketch and photograph the bright array of flowers adorning the beds around the grass, or the high windows of the manor house.

When lessons finished, everyone was eager to experience and see some of the famous sights of Oxford. The sun was shining brightly in the afternoon, and as the group boarded the bus, it was fantastic to see close friendships beginning to blossom after such little time here.

On arrival, the students wandered through the streets, pointing out notable architecture such as the Radcliffe Camera, the Bodleian Library and finally the Hertford Bridge also referred to as Oxford’s “Bridge of Sighs.” Once they were finished with their tour, there was time for some independent shopping and sightseeing. Following their trip, the students headed back to the campus for dinner and a quiz!