June 2024 – summer schools, camps and courses, and looking ahead to university

Monday June 24th, 2024

In this issue, we’ll be looking at summer courses. There’s a huge range of options, all offering great learning opportunities in beautiful settings with the chance to make new friends and have some fun. Then we’ll look ahead to university options, exploring how to go about choosing what degree course to study and where to study it. We hope you’ll find it helpful, and if you’d like to find out more about any of the topics we cover, drop us a line today.

Sun’s out, fun’s on – summer courses to suit

Whether you’re after an adrenalin-fuelled week interspersed with English lessons; a culture-steeped stay in a centuries-old school; or a longer-term plan to see the world and learn life-changing skills, there’ll be a summer school, camp or course to suit. We can help you navigate the best summer course offers for your child, matching their preferences and aspirations with the exciting packages our summer course partners provide.

An unforgettable, four-year tour in two-week blocks

We’re excited to be working with one of the world’s leading English language educational companies again, offering a unique journey of discovery for future leaders aged 13 to 17. Across four consecutive summers of immersive learning in four continents, teenagers travel to a new destination each summer, where they’ll spend two weeks with the same cohort of students. You can either sign up to the full four-year course, or attend for just one, two or three years.

Each two-week programme features five core topics, covering such relevant issues as AI, biodiversity and sustainability, international relations, investments and crypto currencies, leadership styles, equality, and success. And, wherever possible, modules focus on real-life examples in that year’s destination. For summer 2024, that’s Harvard University in Boston, USA for 13 – 14-year-olds and Imperial College, London, Europe for 14 – 15-year-olds, with summer 2025 and 2026 dates for the same cohorts in Singapore (ages 15 – 16) and Africa (ages 16 – 17).

There are life skills units too, covering personal goals, public speaking, debating, studying and communication skills. All courses are delivered in English, so students need a good level of English to get the full benefit.

If you like the sound of this unique approach to broadening our teenagers’ horizons, get in touch to secure a place on this truly global programme.

Work experience with a difference

We’re teaming up again with a London-based organisation offering amazing, immersive work experience opportunities this summer. They provide hands-on, interactive experiences across different sectors. Their programmes – available live online and in person – are all designed and run in conjunction with industry experts and enable children aged 12 to 18 to get a real taste of a specific career. Options range from fashion to forensic science, across 15 of the world’s most exciting industries, including medicine, law, banking, architecture, psychology, engineering and computer science.

Tens of thousands of students from more than 100 countries have already taken advantage of their programmes, which range from a 1-day weekend masterclass to a 5, 10 or 15-day summer experience. Places on their summer experience specials are filling up fast. Drop us a line to find out more and secure a place.

Outdoor adventures

We also work with long-established specialists in adventure camps for children aged 8 to 16. Choose from 12 activity centres across the UK, and select one-day, two-to-three-night trips, or up to seven-night camps. With new activities, such as street dance and ‘cool science’, added to more than 40 classic camp adventure activities – from abseiling and archery to horse riding, river rafting and water sports – you’ll find something to suit everyone. The same organisation offers family adventures too: short breaks in the UK and France (Disneyland, Paris) during the school holidays; action-packed family activity days or weekend escapes all year round in their Devon or Lincolnshire centres set in acres of English countryside. Or you could escape en famille to Edinburgh and explore all the city and surrounding countryside has to offer from your base in Edinburgh’s premier caravan and camping park. Take your own touring gear or book on-site accommodation (holiday homes or wigwams available).

Learn English in London

If you want to focus more on mastering English, what better place to do it than the heart of England’s capital? Based in Royal Regent’s Park, English classes interspersed with discovery trips into London to visit museums, theatres, galleries, sports stadiums and palaces make these courses a great way to learn and make friends. Last year, students representing 62 countries studied for an average of two weeks, but start dates and length of courses are flexible. Contact us to find out more about summer courses for 5 to 9 and 10 to 17 year olds.

Study at the UK’s top schools or universities this summer

We also work with experienced partners offering summer school programmes across the UK from top-ranking schools and universities. You stay on site and get a taste of life as a student at, say, St Andrews University… or Rugby School. There’s a whole range of courses available, and you can choose what you want to focus on and where you’d like to be based. Get in touch to talk through the options if it’s something you like the sound of.

 

Choosing your degree course

We get asked lots of questions about this, so we thought we’d summarise a few thoughts below. Don’t forget, you can get in touch with us at any point to discuss any questions you might have about your child’s higher education.

How do I choose a degree course?

For some people, it’s an easy decision. They have a vocation in mind and plan to study the degree course that will best prepare them (e.g. medicine, law, veterinary science, architecture). But for people who’ve yet to decide what they want to do career-wise, choosing a course can seem a daunting decision. Our advice is usually two-fold: think about the subjects you’re best at and that you enjoy the most. Research the sorts of careers those subjects could launch you into (talk to us, your careers’ advisor at school, friends of the family, etc. to get ideas). Secure some work experience if you can, or see if you can volunteer somewhere. Practical experience not only helps you decide, but it also gives you invaluable insights for your UCAS personal statement and CV.

Where should I study?

If you know the course you want to do, it can be easier to make a shortlist of the ‘best’ universities to study your chosen degree. It’s likely they’ll be competitive, so any conditional offers are liable to be high. So, it’s important to do the rounds, attend university open days and visit all the universities you’re considering for (at least) two reasons. Firstly, the course might be highly ranked, but does the establishment, teaching style, etc. suit you? Secondly, the same applies to your insurance choice. Feeling confident about your back-up option / plan B can help take the pressure off during exam season. Some of this detail you can find out by reading prospectuses, listening to current students, and chatting to us. But some of it you need to feel for yourself. You can’t beat being in a place in person to see if it will suit you. Open days are a great opportunity to find inspiration for different courses too, if you’re undecided what to study.

Does the course or the university matter more?

It’s a valid question, but as with all life’s most challenging questions – there’s not really a straightforward answer! Your university degree is an intense three-to-four years of your life. Everyone does it differently of course, but the elements that make it intense as well as exciting are: studying hard and learning new concepts at a rapid pace and in greater depth; fending for yourself (food, washing, budgeting, etc. – not especially glamorous but all very necessary); and unprecedented opportunities to socialise, party or play new sports or explore new interests. That’s a lot of ‘stuff’ to be getting to grips with. So, it’s important that you enjoy your course. Feeling challenged is fine, being bored by it is far worse. It’s not only the subject matter that matters – it’s the way it’s taught. For example, what’s the balance of lectures versus tutorial groups and opportunities for one-to-ones with your tutor? Who’ll be teaching which modules? Do you like the way they present? (Attending lectures at university open days can be a great way to experience this first-hand.) By the same token, you need to feel comfortable and confident in your study space. Do you like a campus-style set up. Or do you prefer a city-based site? What about halls of residence? And the nearby locations for student housing?

These are all considerations from a student’s perspective. Future employers will, of course, look at your degree outcome and where you achieved it. It’s fair to say that degrees earned at Oxbridge and Russell Group universities are likely to have more impact and can still hold more sway with recruiters. Interestingly, recent studies found going to Oxford or Cambridge University could boost graduates’ salaries by more than £15,000 – even doubling income in certain subjects.

Considering Oxbridge?

The Daily Telegraph analysed data from the Department for Education (DfE) and found that Oxbridge graduates typically earn £16,800 more than their peers five years after graduating. The study looked at 18 subjects offered by both universities, and found that three degree courses in particular – computing, law, and business & management – were especially well-remunerated for Oxbridge graduates.

The average £85,000 earnings figure for computer science graduates from Oxford or Cambridge was almost 2.3 times the nationwide average of £37,500, making it the highest-earning degree for any UK university (with Oxford just pipping Cambridge to the post). The figures were similar for law and business & management: Oxbridge graduates in law earning £76,900 versus £31,200 at all other universities, and business & management Oxbridge alumni typically earning £65,500 versus £32,000. Interestingly, it’s only in medicine and dentistry that Oxbridge graduates’ earnings fall very slightly below the national average, perhaps because medicine is a six-year course at Oxford and Cambridge, rather than the more typical five years.

If you’re considering an Oxbridge education, take a look at our Oxbridge application programme. And for any questions about finding the best university to help your child fulfil their unique potential, talk to us today.