Designed to complement students’ class work, the activities, sports, and cultural enrichment program ensures that whenever students are not in the classroom they have a range of opportunities available. Whether a museum tour, a choral concert, or a tennis tournament, students have multiple options every day to satisfy their creative, intellectual, and athletic ambitions. Our Activities Directors transform the cities of Cambridge and Oxford into classrooms where students can engage with the history and tradition around them.

From Cambridge’s Shakespeare Festival to Evensong at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford, students have almost unlimited opportunities to be out and about in Cambridge or Oxford. Both cities offer a host of wonderful galleries, museums, parks, street markets, libraries, and scientific institutes for students to explore. And, of course, there are the many historical sites within each city that mark pivotal events in British history from the Dark Ages to the present day.

The majesty of Cambridge lies in the University – one of the great universities of the world. Over 30 colleges constitute this grand institution, some of them vast and majestic, others hidden behind ivory-clad walls in the city center. There is the Gothic splendor of King’s College Chapel, the scholarly cloisters of Trinity and St John’s, and the quiet seclusion of Gonville and Caius. Each college has distinct features and character, fellows and alumni, traditions and ambiance. The city boasts some remarkable museums, including the Fitzwilliam Museum, the Museum of Archeology and Anthropology, the Scott Polar Research Institute, the Whipple Museum of the History of Science, and many more.

Oxford has countless opportunities for intellectually curious and adventurous students. One can marvel at the architecture of the Bodleian Library, the Radcliffe Camera, and the Sheldonian Theatre, as well as explore the Ashmolean Museum (Britain’s oldest public museum), the Pitt Rivers Museum, and Oxford’s Museum of Modern Art. Students can discover the grandeur of Christ Church, the enchanting quads of Trinity, and the secluded peace of Corpus Christi. Every college is a fascinating chapter in the story of the University.

Together with the summer festivals, drama productions, and art and museum exhibits, these cities offer unsurpassed opportunities for cultural exploration and adventure. We do our best to ensure that every student can make the most of their time in Cambridge or Oxford.

Field Trips

During their month in the UK students enjoy day-long field trips, which may
include:

Broughton Castle. Lying in a peaceful valley in the Cotswolds, this castle has
stood since the 14th century, remaining in the same family since it was first
built. Students are introduced to this magnificent castle and its grounds on
a private tour with Lord Saye and Sele himself, who explains its history and
allows students to try on genuine 17thcentury armor.

Stratford. Famous as the birthplace of William Shakespeare, Stratford boasts
streets lined with Tudor buildings, spacious parks, leafy riverside walkways,
and a variety of museums, sites, and activities associated with ‘the Bard’.
One of these is Holy Trinity Church, where Shakespeare was baptized and
buried.

Canterbury. Canterbury is not only a beautiful medieval town, but has been a
seat of religious power for almost 1500 years. It is now the site of Canterbury
Cathedral, a huge gothic edifice, in which Archbishop Thomas Becket was
murdered in 1170 by knights of Henry II. One of the most infamous assassinations in British history, T.S. Eliot described it in his Murder in the Cathedral. The
cathedral was also the destination of Chaucer’s pilgrims in The Canterbury
Tales.

London. The capital city of the United Kingdom, the seat of Parliament, and
the home of the Royal Family, London is truly one of the greatest cities in the
world. For over 2000 years a center of business, religion and culture,
London offers students unforgettable sites and experiences. Each major
teacher crafts a unique visit to London for their students featuring sites relevant
to their subject.

Activities and Sports

Our extracurricular program maintains a healthy balance between study and leisure time that allows students to relax and unwind. To that end, the Activities
Directors organize a full daily program of elective social events and sports. These typically include dances, quiz nights, talent shows, and poetry readings, as well as many activities and sports.

Students may choose to participate in structured activities or take advantage of the hundreds of other opportunities each city provides. Our sports program includes aerobics, yoga, fitness classes, and English sports, such as cricket, lawn tennis, soccer, and touch rugby, as well as opportunities to play softball, basketball, Ultimate Frisbee, touch football, or to go jogging.

In Oxford, one might run a lap on the track where Roger Bannister broke the four-minute-mile barrier in 1954. In Cambridge, one might visit Trinity College’s Great Court, a lap of which was run by Olympians Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell in the classic English film, Chariots of Fire. Other pursuits include playing croquet, chess and board game tournaments, punting on the Cam, Cherwell, or Thames Rivers, staff-led country rambles, and walks to local villages and other historic sites.

Many students use their free time to pursue individual interests. On a given day, one might find our students browsing in an antiquarian bookshop, visiting an exhibition in the Fitzwilliam or Ashmolean Museums, perusing the latest British fashions in the local mall, hearing evensong in King’s College Chapel or Christ Church Cathedral, or simply watching the world go by in the local streets. There is plenty of time for fun, relaxation, sightseeing, and socializing with new friends.