Frequently Asked Questions

We suggest that students bring with them their usual classroom materials. For example, plenty of paper and pens, their subject textbooks (including literature books, anthologies and dictionaries where appropriate), school notes or exam papers for review, and a calculator (if needed). Students will also need to bring an appropriate device to access our online paper portal.

For residential courses, please bring enough clothes for the duration of the course as there are no laundry facilities available to us onsite. Sports may feature on our Evening Entertainment Programme, please bring appropriate clothing and shoes for participation in this. You may wish to bring a small amount of pocket money for snacks or for purchases during the Evening Entertainment Programme. Although bedding is provided, towels are not, please remember to bring one! There are no locks on bedroom doors – please avoid bringing expensive items an abundance of cash with you, that you may not wish to carry on your person.

For all face to face courses we offer small group tuition. There will be no more than six students timetabled per class. Due to the nature of some subjects and the specificity of the classes offered you may find that you end up in a much smaller group. Should no one else enrol for your chosen subject/class you will benefit from one to one tuition – we do not cancel due to a lack of enrolment.

Our revision courses are suitable for students aged 14 to 19 years of age, currently in full time education, studying towards their GCSE, IGCSE, IB or A Level qualifications.  If this does not apply to your student please contact us so that we can advise of other bespoke tuition options that may be available.  Our courses are suitable for students of all levels and we offer tuition for most classroom subjects.

All classes offered are taught in English, for studies in the GCSE, IGCSE, IB, A Level and, in some cases, International A Level.  Students may attend a full time school here in England or abroad.  All students will be studying their subjects in English, at their full time school, and will be taught in English here at Oxford Science Studies, a high level of English language is therefore required to join our courses, to ensure thorough understanding.

Please note that we are required to conduct a check on all students attending a face to face course of their right to study in the UK.  On application, or towards the start of the course, we will ask for a copy of the students photographic ID, which could include a passport or driving license, as available.  We will need to see this document in person, as part of the registration process at the start of the course.

It depends! For our Half Term, Christmas & New Year and May Weekend Courses we offer both small group and guaranteed one to one tuition, on a face to face basis. Our online tuition provision is available only on a guaranteed one to one basis. Due to the high demand of our revision courses at Easter and of our preparation courses over the summer we are not able to offer guaranteed one to one tuition, though you may find that you end up benefiting from this, should no one else enrol for your chosen subject/class.

Our classes are specific. Rather than ‘GCSE Science revision’ we offer GCSE revision specifically for Biology, Chemistry or Physics. Not only is it specific to the subject, but classes are also split by year group, ability and in some cases paper. This ensures that students are allocated to an appropriate group, with others also wanting to focus on similar areas.

The tutorials are student led and we encourage all students to come prepared with a list of topics/areas they would like to focus on. At the start of the first tutorial, the tutor will ask the students what they would like to focus on, finding common ground and ensuring that the content is relevant to all. The more prepared a student, the more benefit they will gain. Tutorials don’t necessarily focus solely on subject content, but can touch on exam technique too. It is not possible to give a definite answer as to ‘how much’ is covered in the tutorials, as this can depend on the pace of the class, the required depth of knowledge etc. Though we can say that it will not be possible to cover the entire syllabus, given the short amount of time that students spend with us. The tutorials will however provide students the chance to consolidate knowledge, fill in any gaps, gain confidence in areas they weren’t previously sure on and develop their exam potential.

Here at Oxford Science Studies we believe in the test and teach method. Our courses incorporate both tutorials and independent exam practice sessions, thereby allowing the student to consolidate knowledge and to put their learning into practice, whilst at the same time gaining familiarity with the style of exam questions they will face. After the majority of tutorials students are set work by their tutors to complete in exam practice. This may be questions from an exam paper, relevant to their areas of discussions, or work set from a textbook. This work is to be completed in an area dedicated to student work, allowing students to focus without distraction. The quiet atmosphere should help replicate exam conditions, so that students can increase their comfort with such an environment, in an attempt to lead to less exam anxiety when the real thing comes around.

We offer Study Skills on our Easter and Summer Courses. All students attend these sessions and listen to a presentation on a particular topic such as note taking, memory techniques or time management. These sessions are aimed at providing useful tips and suggestions for revision and exam preparation.

Online tuition is provided via Microsoft Teams. Students will need a desktop or laptop, an internet connection, webcam, microphone and speakers (most of these do come built in). In our experience, we find that the tuition works best if both tutor and student can see each other. Students are able to ask questions as if they would in a classroom. Microsoft Teams provides an interactive platform, allowing for audio and visual contact, screen sharing, link sharing and whiteboard features.

Absolutely! Students will receive an electronic report for each of their subjects. This will be written by their tutor and will give an overview of their attitude and effort in lessons. The reports will also provide detail on topics covered and recommendations for further study. Due to the short length of time that our tutors spend with the students it is not possible to comment on current or predicted grades. The reports will be sent out individually, as and when they are completed. As such, you may receive some reports whilst the student is still on the course and some shortly after.

We have a core of tutors, many of whom work for us course on course and are experts in what they do! Most are full time private tutors, school teachers or PhD students, and some are GCSE or A Level examiners. Our tutors are keen to show their enthusiasm for their subject and impart insight, having great knowledge of their respective areas and of the exam requirements.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.  Our tutors go through a rigorous recruitment process and successful applicants are subject to an enhanced DBS check, as well as any other relevant local checks, must provide references, and undertake Safeguarding and Prevent training courses, elements of which are updated on an ongoing basis.

Unfortunately, there are times when an allocated tutor is unable to teach. In such a situation, we act as quickly as we can to provide an alternative tutor. Where there is a delay, time will be made up at mutually convenient times. If necessary, we may suggest that we provide revision for an alternative subject/area, if agreeable.

For courses at Oxford International College and St Edward’s School WIFI details are provided upon arrival.

There is no formal dress code, though we would ask that students are dressed appropriately, that they consider their surroundings and that they do not wear offensive or potentially revealing items of clothing. Students are permitted to dress as they wish to do so, including any religious compliant clothing. If attending a residential course, bringing appropriate clothing for sports activities is advised.

Yes absolutely – we want to make sure that students make the most of their time with us, enjoying the course, but that they do so in a safe environment. As such, we may ask students to sign an agreement with us on arrival, to confirm that they will adhere to our rules and that they understand the potential consequences of any such violations, including immediate expulsion without refund.

For a detailed list of rules, please click here.

To summarise some of the most crucial rules:

– We operate a strict no alcohol/drugs rule (regardless of the students age).
– All students are to reside in their own boarding houses and room after curfew.
– Students are expected to show respect to others and treat others as they expected to be treated. We do not tolerate any form of harassment or bullying.

Staff are present at all times during the course, and can be contacted 24 hours a day during a residential course. The Course Office will be manned by our administration staff during teaching time, who hand over to our Residential Manager for the evening and night-time. Our Residential Manager leads a team of House Parents and Evening Entertainment Team Members. Our Evening Entertainment Programme is fully supervised, after this our House Parents take over signing in students at curfew and being present onsite to ensure that the boarding houses are quiet and that students are where they should be. All students are aware as to who their House Parents are and where to find them, along with being given the 24 hour contact telephone number for emergencies. Students over the age of 16 are allowed off campus, outside of lesson time, without supervision. Any student aged 15 and under must partake in our Evening Entertainment Programme and must remain on campus at all times, unless accompanied by a member of staff. We register all students in the morning, to ensure that they are up and where they need to be.

Our residential courses provide an all rounded experience, with a rigorous academic timetable throughout the day and an enjoyable social programme arranged for the evening. Engaging in our Evening Entertainment Programme is not only the ideal opportunity to have some relaxation time but also to work on personal development, interacting with new people and building friendships.

For further information, including how much pocket money to bring, please click here.

The best thing to do is to contact us straight away, as soon as the issue presents itself. We are available in the Course Office/at reception at all times and are there to discuss any concerns that you may have. Students may feel more comfortable approaching tutors or other staff members, who may then bring matters to the attention of the core staff or safeguarding team, depending on the nature of the concern.

If there is an issue with an element of the course, such as tuition, we appreciate being informed quickly so that we have time to rectify the situation. Sadly, if we are not made aware of an issue we cannot assist, and we do not offer retrospective refunds.

There are a number of ways to contact us, either in person at the above locations, via telephone on 01865 240637 or via email. We will do our absolute best to resolve any issues in an acceptable way, as quickly as we can. Parents/guardians/agents will be kept informed as necessary.

If you would like to speak to one of our Designated Safeguarding Leads, please see James Blencowe or Marshall Martin.

We are sorry to say that we do not accept childcare vouchers as a form of payment for any of our courses.

We are thrilled to announce some exciting discount schemes, starting from our 2024 Autumn Half Term Revision Course.  

Early Bird Booking Discount

• For a limited time, you will see discounts available for early bookings.  The discount amount will vary depending on the course type, and terms and conditions will apply.

Sibling Discount

• A 5% discount is available to siblings attending the same course, i.e. both siblings attending the Christmas Revision Course together.  They do not need to be taking the same subjects or be in the same classes.  Terms and conditions will apply.

Referral Discount/Credit

• This applies to any new customer, referred to us by an existing OXSS customer.  The new customer will receive a 5% discount on the main course fee, for their first OXSS course booking.  Providing the new booking goes ahead, the existing customer will receive a 5% credit to use towards the main course fees of a future course.  Terms and conditions will apply.

For further information on the discounts available, please get in touch.   Please note that the onus is on the applicant to advise of any eligible discount or credit, and that these cannot be applied retrospectively.

The following refunds will be given in the event of cancellation, please note these refunds are based on the first day of each course, and not the first day the student will attend:

– Over 4 weeks before the course commences: 100% refund minus any banking fees and a £75 non refundable deposit
– Between 4 and 2 weeks before the course commences: 60% refund
– Between 14 and 7 days course commences: 30% refund
– 6 days or less before the course commences: no refund
– No-show on the day the course commences will not be refunded

Please note the onus is entirely on the parent or guardian to claim the refund. All refunds must be claimed within 1 month of the finish of the course – outside this period no refunds will be made.

Please note that we operate a ‘no complaint – no refund’ policy. This means that if we are not informed of an issue as soon as possible while the revision course is running, we cannot retrospectively offer a refund. We pride ourselves on the quality of the courses; if there is an issue we would like the opportunity to address it during the course.

The above cancellation policy is detailed in our Terms and Conditions and agreed to upon application.

Your specific question may be answered in the course specific Joining Instructions, so please check here first. If your question remains unanswered please contact us directly, either via telephone or via email to info@oxss.co.uk.