Highlights from Week 2 at SBC
SUMMER BOARDING COURSES
We are delighted that all of our campuses are now up and running! It is fantastic to see so many excited students already taking part in activities, forming new friendship groups and passionately participating in their academic programme.
As we round up the end of a busy and exciting week for all staff, we would like to reflect on some of the highlights of this week.
Capture the Flag is a summer school favourite at SBC and the best welcome game for a new group of students. Eton College played the classic game when welcoming students to the summer camp. The game ignited some friendly competition and it was a great way for students to work together whilst developing their critical thinking skills.
During the first week of each summer school, we like to set our students ‘Photo Challenge’ of their local area. This is a fun way of getting students to familiarise themselves with their new surroundings and demonstrate their creativity and photography skills.
Oxford College had an excursion to our beautiful capital city – London! Students were able to visit the Science Museum, V & A Museum and The Natural History Museum. Students had the choice to opt for the museum that suits their interests and spent the morning fascinated with the discoveries, designs, and exhibits. We then walked through Hyde Park to the incredible Buckingham Palace to enjoy lunch in the sun at St James’s Park and take some photos of the historic surroundings. Once we had eaten, we headed to Covent Garden’s where students could enjoy some free time to explore more of what the incredible London has to offer.
Oxford College students also visited the city of Cambridge. Cambridge is brimming with cultural history, breath-taking architecture and of course its world-class University. Students had the opportunity to walk up the Great St Mary’s Church toward and see a fantastic panoramic view of the city. Punting is a traditional form of boating in England that is popular in both Cambridge and Oxford. Students took part in this tradition as they had the guided tour along the river. This tour was led by a Cambridge University student who gave a detailed history and guide to Cambridge whilst answering any questions that the students had about the University Colleges
Eton students were very excited to visit Thorpe Park Resort this week. Thorpe Park is a full of rides, events and amusements that suit all interests and even has interactive areas for technology whizzes. After a week of academic challenges, this was the perfect place to unwind and have some fun.
Each week we give students the opportunity to hear from a variety of leading academics and professionals that inspire and educate the minds of our students. These lectures take place in the university lecture halls and provide students with listening skills that prepare them for future lecture and university experiences.
One of Cambridge’s guests was Dr Gemma Bale who is the Gianna Angelopoulos Lecturer in Medical Therapeutics, leading the Neuro Optics Lab in the Departments of Engineering and Physics at the University of Cambridge. Dr Bale’s ground-breaking work on neurology and advances in physical medicine along with her passion were a great benefit to the students.
Oxford College had the privilege of welcoming a Politics and International Relations professor from Magdalen University, Professor Paul Billingham, to speak with students. Professor Billingham’s lecture opened student’s minds to political theories, political philosophy and economics. There were lots of inquisitive questions from our students in the seminar at the end.
This week’s industry experience for Law students was the historic court room in Oxford Town Hall. During their lessons, students had been putting together a mock trial to gain an insight into how the justice system works. SBC students had the court room to themselves and took the trial very seriously. A Parish Councillor from Oxford joined the trial as an experienced judge along with witnesses, lawyers and even a jury. Students professionally played their part, answering any questions when cross-examined and attentively listening to feedback. Students gained priceless knowledge from this unique experience and were extremely excited to see inside a real court room.
Medical students have had the opportunity to take part in learning experiences this week that offered them practical and historical knowledge that will thoroughly enhance their future in medicine.
On Wednesday they were given a guided medicine tour from a University of Oxford medical student. The tour explored the history of medicine and answered questions that students had about the rise of medical sciences and public health policies in the UK. The tour created an engaging discussion when returning to the classroom and allowed them to analyse the significant impact of medical research to this day.
During their lessons, medicine students have been exploring the anatomy function of the heart. To gain a deeper understanding of the biology of the heart, our medicine tutor brought in a pig’s heart which students safely dissected and were able to see the structure of the heart first had. It was an incredible learning experience that will stay with them throughout their career!
At SBC we understand the true importance of managing and maintaining the mental health of young people. Therefor we dedicate evenings to focussing on positively improving students’ well-being. One evening this week highlighted the power of creativity by giving students the options of different creative outlets they would like to take part in.
One creative outlet that was recognised was movement and dance. Fortunately, one of the Oxford College mentors is a professional Contemporary Urban Street Dancer and took the opportunity to teach students new techniques, styles and movements that allow students to express themselves and release creativity whilst engaging in physical activity.
The Cambridge Shakespeare Festival is taking place this week and we thought that this was an amazing opportunity for students to become truly immersed in the British culture by experiencing a live Shakespeare. The performance of “As You Like It” took place in the spectator gardens of one of Cambridge’s most famous university colleges – St John’s College. Students were in awe of their first Shakespeare experience and it ignited some fantastic theatrical discussions when returning to the college.
Cambridge, Eton, Rochester and Canford students had their first opportunity to showcase the projects that they have been working so hard on during their classes. Time to Shine is a chance for students to demonstrate not only their creative ideas and impressive projects but also their public speaking and presentation skills that are integral for future endeavours.
Cambridge business students used the knowledge they gained when meeting the bursar at Darwin College to help them realistically adapt their projects and understand the specifics of running a business. There were some outstanding presentations that represented the high standard of SBC.
Our Headington Summer School opens its doors this week and they have so many fun and engaging activities planned for their students! We are looking forward to sharing what they have been up to with you!
