A Guide to Studying in Headington

Experience an unforgettable summer at Headington School, Oxford, where a blend of tradition and innovation shapes a dynamic learning environment. Our summer school, welcoming students aged 12-16, offers a diverse array of courses, from Future Engineers to Global Leaders. Headington provides top-notch facilities and the inspiring ‘Time to Shine’ project, nurturing skills and confidence. Set in the vibrant Oxford backdrop, it’s a perfect mix of education, creativity, and fun.

Alumni

Let’s see if you can guess who Headington’s most famous former pupil is. There’s a strong chance you know her.

She’s an icon and modern-day role model for young people all around the world.

She is a wonderful spokesperson and campaigner for gender equality.

Was made UN Women Goodwill Ambassador in July 2014.

Oh, and she is formidable with a wand and once starred as a ‘little-known’ character called Hermione Granger.  You’ve guessed it, it’s Emma Watson.

So in Oxford not only can you visit several Harry Potter filmset locations, but at Headington School you can wander the same boarding school corridors once graced by one of the UK’s most celebrated film stars.

Location

Set in a beautiful, secure location, and spread over 23 acres, Headington is just under two miles from Oxford city centre, making it close enough to conveniently visit the historic splendour of the city, and far enough to keep the busy summer crowds at bay.

If Headington’s 23 acres of facilities and playing fields weren’t enough, the school is also close to the leafy surroundings of one of Oxford’s award-winning parks, which we make the very most of as part of our exciting activities program.

At Headington School, our students will benefit from all that the wonderful city of Oxford has to offer.

Accommodation

At Headington there are four boarding houses, providing accommodation for more than 200 students. Boarding at Headington is fun and friendly and students benefit hugely from the facilities, support and friendships they form in the boarding houses.

Overall, accommodation at SBC Oxford Headington is as fun for students as it is safe and follows the same levels of security and welfare measures as you would expect to find at any other boarding school. Student rooms and corridors are organised so that male and female students are separated, and a curfew is in place to help ensure that our students have enough rest for the jampacked days of learning and activities ahead. Each boarding house has round the clock surveillance and we have our very own night wardens that are on hand in case they are needed.

Facilities

Headington benefits from outstanding facilities and caters for a wide range of interests and talents. Whether you want to tap into your inner Emma Watson on the stage or compete against new friends in the fitness centre and sports hall, you will be able to make the most of fantastic equipment and a learning environment that is second to none.

For an overview of Headington’s facilities check out the list below:

Touch rugby in the rain?

At Headington, the rain is no excuse not to take part in your favourite sport, because it boasts a floodlit all-weather pitch that opened in 2008. Meaning there’s a place to train, compete, and take part in a variety of sports outdoors even in poor light or bad weather.

The Hive

Feeling creative? Would you like to work with fashion textiles? Well at Headington the school is home to a super modern arts complex which can be found in the west wing and is accessible to all. Its facilities include:

• Three art studios
• Two textiles studios
• Kiln room
• Exhibition gallery
• Photography studio
• Darkroom
• Music rooms

Let’s Dance!

If dancing is your passion then you will be able to express yourself at Headington, and dance to the same music that each individual pupil dances to throughout the rest of the year. The School’s new multi-million pound state-of-the-art Dance and Fitness Centre opened at the start of the Summer Term 2015. Headington benefits from dance and gym facilities to match the very best from across Europe, which have been developed over the last five years. Its facilities include:

• A 270m2 fully equipped dance studio
• A high-performance fitness centre with gym facilities
• A fully equipped Technogym ‘Artis’ Cardio Vascular (CV) suite that includes treadmills, Vario cross-trainers, cycle machines, rowers and kinesis stations

Study in the library

Headington School Library is not just a silent house of books, but is a vibrant place of learning, with interactive tables for collaborative learning, and in 2017 it was presented with the great achievement of the School Library Inspiration Award.

Sports Facilities

At Summer Boarding Courses we encourage our students – whether they are just starting out at a new sport or looking to compete at a national level and go for a gold medal- to enjoy sport, since Headington offers fantastic sporting facilities where students can fulfil their sporting potential.

Headington’s modern sports facility, located next to the swimming pool, Dance and Fitness Centre and spacious playing fields, forms part of our extensive sports complex.

The Sports Hall is the place where students can take part in fun activity sessions where they can enjoy:

• Badminton
• Basketball
• Gymnastics
• Indoor Hockey
• Netball
• Trampolining

Swimming Pool

Another feature of Headington which is the envy of many boarding schools in the wider community is its stunning 25m swimming pool which lies within its sports complex, next to the Sports Hall and close to three of the School’s boarding houses.

As you look through the high, arched windows of the pool building, swimmers enjoy a beautiful view of the School’s leafy grounds, making it a fantastic place for a leisurely swim. As prestigious as any swimming facility in Great Britain.

The Theatre

With Headington’s striking, modern day Theatre with its distinct, contemporary design students can work together to put together memorable performances. It has a 240-seat auditorium, making it a perfect venue for SBC’s Time to Shine.

Education at Headington Summer School

At Headington this summer, all students receive 15 hours of lessons per week (additional lessons are available), specially designed by our academic team for international students.

Using the site’s state of the art academic facilities the following exciting programs will be taught on campus:

Time to Shine

With Time to Shine, no Summer Boarding Courses experience is complete without it. Every student will take part in a series of creative and challenging projects each week to utilise language learning. The British Council have noted strengths for every area they inspected, including Course Design and Academic Management.

At Headington Summer School we challenge our students to step outside of their comfort zone and motivate them to reach beyond the limits of what they believe they are capable of. Traditional teacher-led input is important, but equally as is student autonomy, where students can deliver their own ideas, solutions to problems, plus shape their own outlook and vision of the world.

This is precisely the spark which is ignited through Time to Shine.

At SBC we reduce the gap between that of the academic world and the corporate world, by teaching 21st-century skills students will need every day in their future professional careers. By providing students with motivational research projects to present to their peers, students practice:

• Thinking & innovation
• Communication & collaboration
• Speaking and cross-cultural awareness

Our students complete their academic programs with increased confidence and a fantastic sense of achievement they can take back home to spur them on to future success.

At SBC, our students are the stars of the show.

Students from beginner through to fluent speakers enjoy learning in our supportive and immersive English environment.

Oxford weather and what to pack

In Oxford, the summers are short, comfortable, and partly cloudy, and over the course of the year temperatures can vary from 22°C to 27°C. However, in the summer of 2019 temperatures shot up as high as the mid-30s, so there is plenty of room for exceptions.

Although there is a distinct possibility of occasional heavy rain, hopefully, you won’t be needing to wear waterproofs all the time and could just as likely need to wear summery clothes. Although you shouldn’t need a heavy-duty winter coat, it would be best advised to pack a rainproof jacket, and jumpers and hoodies for cooler weather.

We hope our guide to Oxford Headington has got you as excited about the coming summer as we are and have a much clearer picture of all the fantastic opportunities on the horizon at this truly unique and modern school.

If there are any questions or queries in which you would like more information on then our dedicated admissions team are always on hand to answer any of your queries and are here to help you every step of the way.