We can’t believe the first week of classes is nearly over for the students on our 19 + programmes. And what a week it’s been, with field trips and guest speakers, our students have been introduced to the city of Oxford with a busy schedule. 

With everyone fully settled into their programmes, it was brilliant to see the group coming out of their shells in lessons on Friday. Students are now beginning to challenge one another as they relax into the collaborative and questioning atmosphere of study here on their ORA programmes. 

After a few days of intense heat, the clouds provided some relief to our students and with the forecast of a thunderstorm in the evening, students headed out in the late afternoon to make the most of the dry spell. 

In town, everyone enjoyed a fun Ghost Tour of the city which highlighted some of the most haunted spots in historic Oxford. Despite the creepy ambiance, the tour was a good opportunity for students to see more of the city – and those horror lovers in the group enjoyed the ghostly re-tellings of some of the darker secrets at the heart of Oxford’s history. 

Once the tour was over, everyone headed back to their college to relax for the rest of the evening. It was a time for the group to reflect on their past week in Oxford, as well as to get started on any homework before the activities of weekend were to begin.