The end of the summer in Oxford has arrived and it’s time to bid farewell to not only our last Yarnton cohorts of 2019, but our last students of the year, too. Even though this has been quite a small cohort, every moment of the last two weeks has been fantastic and we’ll really miss the excitement and dedication these students brought to campus.
The main focus of the two weeks has of course been the classes, and this group have really shone, both inside and outside of the classroom as they worked on their academic endeavours. The budding doctors of the two cohorts have worked on their surgical and clinical skills with a heart dissection on the Introduction to Medicine programme and a trip to Oxford Brookes’ medical facilities for the Medical School Preparation class.
For the more artistic students taking the Photography and Sketching class or on the Summer Architecture programme, the city itself has been a fantastic source of inspiration. With so many beautiful, historic sites in Oxford, the students really couldn’t have picked a better location to study. Whichever programme the students studied, everyone has come away from the session with a wealth of fantastic knowledge to carry with them onto further study.
During their social time, the students have really bonded with each other, regardless of which cohort they were members of, through shared activities like laser tag, making tie-dye t-shirts, and a wonderland-themed tea party. Our older cohort spent a lot of their free time taking advantage of the hot weather on trips into the city centre to go shopping or soak in some Oxford culture. Meanwhile the younger students particularly enjoyed the wide a wide range of sports and creative activities on offer, from sketching and cupcake decorating to football and badminton. There was something for everyone to enjoy and as the students relaxed together it only brought the cohort closer.
Our students have benefitted from the wisdom of a range of guests visiting Yarnton. Our younger students were inspired to change the world and never give up on their dreams by guest speakers Jenny Garrett and Jaimi Wilson. In their masterclasses, the 16-18’s got a taste of the business world with a sales and marketing workshop while our 13-15’s learned how to exude confidence when they’re speaking in public. Of course, both cohorts got to see some excellent public speaking live in Yarnton’s great debate! Spearheaded by Dr. Shahar Avin, the students wowed the audience with their extensively researched and expertly presented arguments about the pros and cons of artificial intelligence.
During their time here, the students got to do some exploring of their own, visiting Braesnose College and the Ashmolean museum in Oxford. Further afield, the cohorts delved into London life with our younger students checking out the houses of parliament and our older cohort visiting the famed west end to watch A Comedy About A Bank Robbery or Mousetrap. It was a great way to experience the culture and bustle of another of the UK’s fabulous cities.
Naturally, the high point for most students was their graduation ceremony. As they collected their scrolls, there was no doubt in anyone’s minds that our students had earned them. Everyone’s worked incredibly hard over the last two weeks and whether they ended the night with dinner at Browns or dancing in the marquee, there wasn’t a sad face amongst the students.
This session has been fantastic from start to finish, with counsellors, staff, and students alike giving their all every single day. It was a perfect way to end the summer and we’d like to extend our gratitude to everyone for all the hard work you put in.
Once again, a huge well done to our graduating students – we know you’ll all continue to grow after you leave us and we wish you every success! Perhaps we’ll even see some of you back for summer 2020!