Our View
Offering three-week camps at both the University of Oxford and the University of Stirling, ISSFT provides a programme of thought-provoking academics and English-language immersion, balanced with sport and adventure activities, off-site day trips and team-building social evenings. Students stay in single, ensuite university residence rooms divided by age and gender.
The ISSFT experience is all about quality – facilities are top notch, (Stirling for example is a centre of sporting excellence and has facilities to match) staff are highly experienced and enthusiastic, and the pastoral care exemplary for a course of this kind – thanks in most part to the capped numbers at each site which ensure that every individual is cared for and fully engaged.
Students pre book an academic study topic for the mornings (these range from IB extended essays and study skills to global sustainability and an introduction to law) and a more creative or sporting pursuit for the afternoon (sports leadership, theatre skills, golf or tennis are popular examples). Additionally, there are a wide range of optional activities bridging the afternoon to supper gap – so students can pursue other interests, call home or just have some downtime. Evenings are sociable and fun with roller discos, talent shows, laser tag and many more activities – some of which contribute to informal ‘clan’ competitions, bringing an additional sense of belonging and generating some (very) friendly rivalry. Weekends are spent visiting the local cities and we were delighted to hear that activities continue whatever the weather – all part of the British international experience.
Students eat together for breakfast, lunch and supper and having a member of staff closely linked to every small student group means that they can keep an eye out for homesickness, ensure that all pupils are engaged and integrating well and generally keep tabs on their wellbeing. A ‘no group booking’ policy and a cap on any one nationality also ensures that it’s a clique free zone and students will have no trouble settling in.
Staff are a mixture of experienced teachers, long standing returning staff and younger counsellors. There is a very ‘young at heart’ and approachable vibe across the board. ISSFT prides itself on giving every student the best possible time, and from the moment they wake until the moment they go to sleep, students are engaged, entertained and cared for in a school that prides itself on quality and attention to detail and measures its success by the enjoyment of its students, who try new things and make new friends along the way.