Drawing, designing, photography, visual ideas or creative projects appeal to you, and you enjoy experimenting with different approaches.
Adventure Programmes
AGES 12–16
Future Artists at Headington Oxford
Spend two weeks developing your English through art, design and creative expression. Explore different ways of communicating visually, experiment with ideas and create work to share at Time to Shine.
- No.1 UK multi-campus summer school
- British Council accredited
- 155 nationalities (since 2008)
At a glance
- Fees from
- £4,795 2-wk residential · Day Programme £3,495
- Ages
- 12–16 Adventure Programmes tier
- Start dates
- 12th & 26th July Two-week sessions, 2027
- Class size
- 15 max Students per class
- English level
- B1+ Intermediate and above
- Academic hours
- 15 hrs Lessons per week
- Location
- Oxford Headington School
What’s included: tuition, accommodation (residential option), meals, excursions, social programme, student report, certificate and student insurance.
Transfer service available for an additional fee.
Is this right for your child?
Develop your English through creativity
Future Artists is a two-week English-language programme for students who enjoy art, design and visual communication. Students develop speaking, listening, reading and writing while exploring creative ideas, discussing artwork and creating individual and collaborative work.
The emphasis is on creativity, exploration and communication rather than specialist technical training. Students learn the language needed to describe visual work, discuss interpretations, explain creative decisions and share their own ideas with others.
- Develop English through art, design and visual culture
- Explore ideas through accessible creative activities and projects
- Practise describing, discussing and presenting creative work
What you'll study
Explore visual ideas and creative communication
Students develop English through accessible themes from art and design. Activities encourage creative experimentation alongside discussion, reflection and communication about visual ideas.
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Module 01
Art & Visual Language
Explore how colour, shape, composition, image and style can communicate ideas while developing the English needed to describe, compare and discuss visual work.
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Module 02
Artists, Ideas & Experimentation
Encounter selected artists and creative approaches and use them as inspiration for accessible creative activities. Students discuss interpretations, experiment with ideas and explain their choices.
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Module 03
Design & Communication
Consider how images and design communicate messages in areas such as posters, illustration, photography or branding while developing creative and presentation vocabulary.
The signature experience
Create and share at Time to Shine
Students work towards a final creative display or presentation, selecting and developing ideas from across the programme and considering how they want other people to experience their work.
At Time to Shine, students practise talking about their creative process and explaining their decisions in English, bringing together visual communication and language development.
- Creative work developed across the programme
- Practice discussing and presenting creative ideas in English
Is this programme for you?
Does this sound like you?
Students arrive with different creative interests, but many recognise themselves in at least one of these.
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You love making things.
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You notice the world visually.
You’re interested in images, colours, design and the different ways artists communicate ideas.
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You want to talk about creativity in English.
You want to develop the vocabulary and confidence to discuss artwork, explain your own choices and share ideas with other students.
Sound familiar? This course was built for you
Outcomes
What your child leaves with
Future Artists combines English-language development with creative exploration, giving students opportunities to make, discuss, reflect on and present visual work.
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Certificate of Achievement
An SBC certificate recognising completion of the Future Artists programme.
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Personalised Report
An individual end-of-course report reflecting participation and progress during the programme.
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Creative English
Practice describing artwork, discussing interpretations and explaining creative choices in English.
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Creative Project
Experience developing and presenting creative work as part of the Time to Shine programme.
Independently recognised
The UK's leading multi-campus summer school — inspected, ranked and reviewed to prove it.
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No.1
Ranked the UK’s number 1 multi-campus summer school provider
EL Gazette
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15 / 15
Areas of strength, including student welfare and safeguarding (2018 Inspection)
British Council
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Excellent
Rated Excellent on Trustpilot by families
SBC STAFF
Meet some of the SBC team
SBC staff support students throughout their summer — in lessons, activities and daily life. They help students settle in, grow in confidence and make the most of their time with us, in a safe and friendly environment.
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Natalia Mavromoustaki
MA Careers Guidance, BSc Psychology
As a tutor, Natalia teaches through discussion, activities and real examples. "It's rewarding to see someone grow in confidence or find a real passion. Summer schools let students learn outside the classroom, build confidence and meet new people."
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Cas Slater
Office Coordinator
As Office Coordinator, Cas handles arrivals, departures, excursions and daily site running. "Watching students go from shy and overwhelmed to leading group presentations is inspiring. They get to know themselves, make friends for life and really come out of their shells."
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Olivia Clark
Theatre & Performance · University of Warwick
As Activity Leader, Olivia runs the daily sports, arts and evening activities. She studies Theatre and Performance at Warwick. "Knowing I played a part in watching students have fun, learn and try new things is very rewarding. You will make friends from all over the world."
Beyond the classroom
Excursions & activities
Some of the fortnight’s most memorable hours happen away from the lab bench — on excursions that showcase the best of UK culture and attractions.
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Excursion
Thorpe Park, London and Oxford
Excursions designed to ignite adventure and curiosity, broaden horizons and create lasting memories.
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Social programme
Multi-activities and specialist events
Football, basketball, tennis, arts and crafts, disco, talent shows, karaoke, punting and many more!
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Time to Shine
Practise presenting in English
Weekly showcases where language turns into performances, broadcasts and displays, building public-speaking confidence.
A day in the life
Always moving. Always learning.
Subject lessons and projects by day, a packed activity programme by afternoon and evening. Here’s how a typical day on Future Artists at Headington runs — and how each one builds toward the Time to Shine Ceremony.
Roll over a moment in the timetable to see it — and what it’s really like.
Activities
- Arts & Crafts
- Badminton
- Basketball
- Board Games & Puzzles
- Circuit Training
- Creative Writing
- Cricket
- Film Festival
- Football
- Karaoke
- Murder Mystery
- Museums
- Photo Challenge
- Picnic in the Park
- Punting
- Rounders
- Silent Disco
- Taskmaster
- Trashion Show
- Volleyball
- Yoga
Excursions
A sample of what recent groups have done. Excursions vary by session.
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Oxford
Wander through the historic city of Oxford, home to the world-renowned university, stunning architecture, and centuries of academic tradition.
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London
See famous landmarks, visit world-class museums and cultural attractions, take epic photos, shop some big-name stores, and soak up London's unforgettable energy.
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Thorpe Park
Experience the thrills of Thorpe Park, one of the UK’s top theme parks, packed with exhilarating rides and unforgettable adventures.
Safeguarding & welfare
Safe days, settled nights
Sending your child abroad is a big decision. So we start with your child’s wellbeing, and build everything else — lessons, activities, boarding life — around it.
- 24/7 On-site pastoral support
- 1:6 staff-to-student ratio
- 100% DBS-checked, trained residential staff
- 15/15 British Council areas of strength met (based on 2018 inspection)
Accommodation & campus
Live and learn at Headington Oxford
Headington Oxford Summer School is a fast-paced summer built on learning by doing. Through project-based lessons, sports and creative activities, students build confidence, independence and skills like teamwork and problem-solving — with the historic city of Oxford all around them, part of the experience itself.
Everything is on one campus: an indoor swimming pool, sports hall, tennis courts, dance studio and theatre, plus five comfortable boarding houses with separate accommodation for boys and girls, mostly in single and twin rooms, and staff available for pastoral support.
- Art Studio
- Dance Studio
- Laundry Service
- Lecture Hall
- Modern Dining Hall
- Shared Bathrooms
- Single Bedrooms
- Small Dorm Rooms
- Sports Hall
- Student Common Room
- Swimming Pool
- Tennis Courts
- Theatre
- Twin Rooms
- Wifi
Why SBC
Trusted, accredited and part of Dukes Education
Dates & fees
Two Options. One transformative fortnight.
Whether your child boards with us or returns home each evening, your fee covers everything in their programme. See what’s included with each option below.
Residential
From £4,795
per 2-week course · Boarding — full days plus evenings and weekends
- Full board — all meals & accommodation included
- Multi-activity programme
- Evening activities & excursions
- 24/7 pastoral care
Non-residential
From £3,495
per 2-week course · 09:00–21:00 daily · varies by campus
- Same academic programme as residential
- Lunch & evening meals included
- Full activity programme and excursions
- Return home in the evening
2027 dates
Flexible lengths
2 or 4-week options available
Programme start dates
12th & 26th July
Places are limited and allocated on a first-come basis. Check availability before you plan.
Places can start to fill from spring — book early
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Students should have a minimum English level of B1 so they can take part confidently in discussions, creative activities and collaborative project work.
No previous formal art study is required. Future Artists is designed for students who enjoy creativity and visual expression, whether or not they have studied art before.
No specialist equipment is required. Students should bring basic stationery; materials needed for planned course activities will be provided.
Students explore themes from art, design and visual communication. Activities may include drawing, image-making, design challenges, discussion of artists and creative project work.
No. Future Artists is an English-language programme that uses art and creativity as the context for learning. It is not intended as specialist technical training or formal portfolio preparation.
Yes. Students receive an SBC Certificate of Achievement recognising completion of the Future Artists programme.
No. This is a Summer Boarding Courses programme. We use the facilities at Headington School in Oxford so students can live and study in a prestigious school setting, but the course is designed and delivered by Summer Boarding Courses. Summer Boarding Courses contracts the use of these facilities and has no formal connection with Headington School, and the school does not deliver, partner in, or endorse our programmes.
Explore before you enquire
Take the detail home
No call, no pressure. Just the documents that help you decide — sent straight to your inbox.
Academic Overview
Every module, the learning outcomes and how the programme builds over the fortnight.
Free PDF download
Sample Timetable
A full fortnight, hour by hour — lessons, activities and excursions. Please note that timetables are given as an example and are subject to change.
Free PDF download
Dates & Fees
Full pricing, what's included, and when the programmes take place
IGNITE YOUR SPARK
Arrange a free consultation
Our friendly Student Experience team are happy to answer any questions, big or small, and help you find the best summer experience for your child — no pressure, ever.
What happens after you enquire
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Step 1
We read it personally.
A member of our Student Experience team reviews your enquiry.
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Step 2
You're matched with an advisor.
Someone who knows this course and can answer your specific questions.
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Step 3
We arrange a call.
Phone or video, at a time that suits you, to talk through dates, options and any concerns.
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Step 4
You decide — no pressure.
We help you find the right fit. You book when you're ready.
One student's summer
Nadine
Student · Egypt
The experience has been amazing
Beatrice
Student · SBC at Canford · Italy
We would highly recommend it
Anjali
Parent · India
155+
Nationalities represented since 2008
21,000+
Alumni since 2008
№1
UK multi-campus summer school (ranked by EL Gazette)