St. Clare's, Oxford

This was our last trip to Theatreland before our Liberal Arts and English plus Academic Subjects students leave St. Clare’s, and for most this was the one they were most excited to see.

The cross college theme this week is National Identity so after classes, students and staff celebrated St George's Day with a typically English tea party with sandwiches, cakes, biscuits and most importantly buttered scones.

16 fun-loving students came with us to Thorpe Park – one of the UK’s best Amusement parks. The weather was perfect, no wind and endless sunshine.

Our students enjoyed the fantastic musical Billy Elliot in London's famous theatreland last week.

Last night 5 students travelled to Stratford upon Avon to see As You Like It at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. This was their first time to see a Shakespearian production and it was an enjoyable challenge.

A group of students visited the University of Oxford Botanic Gardens this week. The warmth of the impressive greenhouses was a welcome contrast to the cool April air.

Our English Language students went on a study visit to Oxfordshire County Council's Redbridge Waste Recycling Centre as part of the cross-course theme on Waste and Recycling.

Oxford is not just for studying as a group of our adventurous adult students found out when they took to the racing tracks for a fun go karting session.

We are delighted to announce that the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) has awarded us top marks again. At the recent monitoring visit the College, situated at Bardwell Road, has maintained the excellent standards found at the previous inspection last year.

Last weekend some of our adult students visited Valencia in Spain included the traditional and the exotic - Plaza del Ajuntamiento, Barrio del Carmen, the Cathedral of Santa Maria and La Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias were just a few of the experiences.

This week’s cross-course theme ‘Helping Others’ was chosen to coincide with Red Nose Day. This is a UK-wide charity event which asks people to ‘Do something funny for money’.

Dr Keith Hopper, who teaches Literature and Film Studies at St Clare's, has recently co-edited a special issue of Litteraria Pragensia (Prague) on the theme of ‘Neglected Irish Fiction’

Our Liberal Arts students went on a study visit to London to visit BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, popularly known as the 'Neasden Temple', Europe's first and largest traditional Hindu temple.

Our University Foundation Course students visited the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, home to the University of Oxford's collection of anthropology and world archaeology.

A group of our adult students at our International College of Further Education had a day of animals, art and culture enjoying their free time on a day excursion trip to the Cotswold Wildlife Park and London!

A visit to the world famous Bodleian Library, an essential part of the University of Oxford, gave our University Foundation Course students the opportunity to learn more about the first library cataloguing system and the history of this national treasure.

Our students took the chance to combine a typical English tea in the Cotswolds with dramatic views of castles in Wales. An unusual opportunity but an easy day trip from Oxford.

As if Oxford was not beautiful enough students visited Cambridge, the "other" famous university town. Like Oxford, it too has ancient university colleges with wonderful medieval, tudor and Victorian buildings.