Summer Courses

We're excited to announce that our team of tutors is offering summer courses this year, something to stimulate the students who may be ready for a change of pace as well as having a social outlet in the quieter days (perhaps) of summer.

The timetable of courses is published below, and to register for them, use the registration form that appears at the bottom of this screen.

All courses will meet an hour weekly for six weeks starting the week of 28th of June and running through the week of the 2nd of August. There will be the usual reliance on living books and some homework to ensure good participation, and at the end of which, a certificate will be awarded.

Cost is £120/$150 per course.

PLEASE NOTE - THE TOLKIEN CLASSES ARE FULL 

Summer courses in timetable order:

History Spotlight on the Legendarium: 
The History and Legends Behind Tolkien's World
NO MORE SPACES

Join us on an exciting journey through Middle Earth, in which we discover the different cultures, languages, legends and personal experiences from which J.R.R Tolkien drew his ideas for the creation of his imaginary world. We’ll be learning to read and use Anglo-Saxon runes like Gandalf; read original Norse myths to find out how Tolkien named his dwarves; walk with Beowulf into Grendel’s cave to find Smaug’s origins and journey with other heroes of English literature to find many more of Tolkien’s characters. We’ll look at Tolkien’s maps and discover how he created the geography of Middle Earth and journey from medieval Scandinavia, Iceland and Anglo-Saxon England to the battlefields of the Somme to understand how Tolkien’s world came into being. We’ll also read ‘The Fellowship of the Ring together, alongside extracts from The Hobbit. Come and join the adventure!

Art Spotlight on da Vinci 

Leonardo was the ideal of 'Universal Man'. His work encompasses the worlds of arts and science. Come and explore his painting, astronomy, anatomy and many wonderful inventions. We will look at his art, his notebooks and his inspirations. Explore his amazing mind and inspire your own with the chance to draw and invent your own portraits, siege craft or even a new flying machine. Each lesson will be the launch pad for your own recreative response to his thoughts and works. See how his genius can inspire your own 'art of seeing'.

Summer Revision for the CAIE 0475/0992 English Literature IGCSE 

The six-week course goes through the CAIE English Literature IGCSE exam in the UK, aiming mainly for the Oct/Nov sitting. The recommended set texts are the Songs of Ourselves vol 1 part 3, Jane Eyre, and Romeo and Juliet, and will culminate in a set of invigilated mock exams that will be marked by Dr Kat Patrick. The mocks will run a week after the duration of the course for which working webcams and official photo ID are a requirement.

Geography: A Canter 'Round Capricorn

Geography Summer School will take us along the Tropic of Capricorn, crossing Africa, then Australia and South America. We will be learning about ten countries and discussing some of the issues that they are facing including indigenous people, resource exploitation, environmental degradation and drought.

English: Stepping into Literature with Dickens 

Dr Patrick will take students through one of the greatest books in the English language, A Tale of Two Cities. Not only is it well written and an engaging story, but it will be a way for students to get their feet wet with harder literary books. At the end, students will take away some tools to apply to their English studies for the future, whether on their own or continuing with one of Dr P’s 30-week long studies, plus perhaps a few good friends for the future!

Mathematics: Fun with Probability

Dr Leese is excited about how students can learn to recognise and understand mathematics in problems that we see all around us, from burglar alarms to soccer penalty kicks and even toppings on pancakes. He wants students to realise that it's not about a formula where you plug in numbers, but about patterns, principles, and most of all, being able to explain what's going on in sentences rather than just equations.

This course is accessible to anyone who has mastered Algebra 1, but is unlike any mathematics course out there, and deliberately so: Dr Leese can see how these kinds of data analytics issues are the future of the subject, and he wants his handful of homeschooled students to be at the forefront of innovation in the next few decades.

Creative Writing 

Join professional writer Jackie Pavlenko for a fun creative writing workout this summer. The emphasis will be on writing exercises and games during the weekly live classes, rather than homework between times. However, you'll also work towards a short story, with opportunities for feedback from your peers and from Jackie. There will be some reading to support the course, but no narrations. Stretch your imagination, and gain confidence in your creativity and your ability to express yourself!

Science: Climate Change and Environment Crisis

Using resources such as A People’s Curriculum for the Earth, Climate Generation and WWF, students will explore the big climate issues of our times through simulation, role plays, poems and art.

Summer Revision for the CAIE 0500/0990 English Language IGCSE 

The six-week course goes through the new spec for the CAIE board’s English Language IGCSE exam in the UK, aiming mainly for the Oct/Nov sitting, and culminating in an invigilated set of mock exams that will be marked by Dr Kat Patrick. The mocks will run a week after the duration of the course for which working webcams and official photo ID are a requirement.

Classical Civilization: ’Augustus - How to be an Emperor'.

After decades of bloody civil war, Caius Julius Caesar Octavianus became the most powerful man in Rome. Then he became the Emperor Augustus, a legend in his lifetime and finally, a god. We have six weeks to watch this happen. This course is a basic introduction to Augustan Rome, suitable for any student 12+ who is interested in Ancient History.