Teenagers: Merrist Wood

• Safe study environment in Surrey countryside

• Supportive and promotes learning

• Interactive academic teaching style

• Entertaining educational activities

Campus Life

Merrist Wood Campus is set within 400 acres of beautiful Surrey countryside, offering a peaceful and spacious environment where students can enjoy both learning and outdoor leisure. The campus features a working farm, an animal management centre (with a licensed zoo), landscaped gardens, sports fields, and ancient woodland, creating the perfect environment for students seeking space, nature and hands-on learning.

Located just outside Guildford, a charming British town with shops, cafés, and cultural attractions, the campus is also only one hour from central London, making it the ideal setting to study and experience life in the UK.

Merrist Wood offers a different atmosphere from our bustling Oxford Teens campus. While Oxford hosts up to 320 students in a lively city setting, Merrist Wood welcomes around 80 students in university-style accommodation, creating a close-knit, family-feel environment. It’s perfect for students who enjoy community, nature and a slower pace.

Learning Experience

Learning extends beyond the classroom with topical weekly themes that connect lessons to real-world topics. English language classes are taken alongside a range of afternoon electives, while learning through project work and interactive activities that make lessons engaging and practical.

Courses at Merrist Wood:

Immersive English

two teenage students in summer classroom lesson

Leadership & Sustainability

Project Eco-Innovation – in Oxford:

Project Eco-Innovation

Where sustainability, creativity, and entrepreneurship come together! In this one-week, multi-disciplinary course, students from different courses across both Oxford and Merrist Wood programmes collaborate to develop bold ideas for a greener world. You’ll research, design, and present innovative, cost-effective eco-solutions to real-world challenges.

Activities and Excursions

A key highlight of the summer school is its varied weekly sports and activities programme, offering something for everyone. Students can enjoy football, badminton, volleyball, table tennis, tennis, and basketball, as well as arts and crafts, mini Olympics, karaoke, movie nights, afternoon tea, bushcraft, survival skills workshops, outdoor yoga, and nature crafts.

Up to three excursions are included each week (subject to availability). Destinations range from London – with highlights such as the London Eye, Tower of London, Westminster, and the British Museum – to Windsor Castle, Canterbury and Leeds Castle, Oxford, and Portsmouth.

Sample Timetable

View the sample activities timetable. Please note these are subject to change.

Accommodation

Students will stay in comfortable residence buildings on campus, designed to provide both independence and support. All rooms are single and include a wash basin, with bedrooms arranged in flats, each featuring a shared bathroom, communal kitchenette, and common area. Boys and girls live in separate flats, with overnight supervision and care provided by dedicated residential staff. All accommodation includes bedding, towels, access to laundry facilities, and free Wi-Fi.

Food

All meals are included and served in the dining hall, where students can enjoy delicious and nutritious options with all dietary requirements catered for. Snacks and drinks are also available between meals at the on-site café, Woody’s.

Student Welfare

Student welfare is prioritised with 24-hour support from a team of residential staff and a Welfare Manager, a high staff-to-student ratio, and a daily evening curfew to ensure a safe and supportive environment.

Fees and Dates

Students can choose to study for 2+ weeks, with start dates available in July.

The course fee includes tuition, full board accommodation, a full sports and activities programme, up to 3 excursions per week, insurance, and airport transfers to and from London Heathrow and Gatwick Airports.

View Fees and Dates 2026.