Today, students will arrive in Clare College, Cambridge for the fourth session of Oxford Royale Academy’s summer programme. Many come after long journeys from every corner of the globe: there are dozens of nationalities in Clare this session, and we cannot wait to get to know each and every student.

Once they are settled in, the next two weeks will pass in a blur. In the classroom, students will be learning about subjects that they themselves have chosen, from expert teachers who know exactly how to explain the trickiest parts. In some afternoons, free time will allow students to ramble out into the picturesque, winding cobbled streets of one of Europe’s most beautiful cities; otherwise, there will be organised activities such as sessions in the famous Cambridge punts, coaxing the unwieldy craft along the River Cam; trips to plays by Shakespeare; tours of some of Cambridge’s most beautiful colleges; a visit to London, where after a day in England’s capital the evening will hold a West End musical— and more, far more than there is space to write here.

At the end of each week, there will also be a grand party, at which students will be able to dance the night away with new friends. By the end of the session, students will have learnt a great deal, become more confident in themselves, experienced what may be a new culture and certainly have seen some new sights, and have made what may be friends for life: we’re looking forward to it, and we’re sure all those coming to Clare today are, too!