St Clare's, Oxford

St Clare's is a coeducational independent, international day and boarding college in North Oxford, England offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma program, English language courses, Liberal arts courses, IB teacher training workshops and University Foundation Courses.

The school was founded in 1952 by Anne Dreydel OBE and Pamela Morris, and grew out of a scheme to establish links between British and European students after the Second World War. Its mission is to advance international education and understanding.

The original name was The Oxford English Centre for Foreign Students, which later became St Clare's Hall, and then St Clare's, Oxford.

Throughout the year, courses for adults include the University Foundation Course, English language courses, advanced English with academic subjects and Liberal Arts courses for Gap Year students from US universities. In the summer months, adults, teenagers and younger students can study English language courses on three separate sites.

The school is consistently listed in the Top 20 IB Schools in the UK School League Tables from Education Advisers Ltd.

International Baccalaureate Diploma

St Clare's is a co-educational day and residential sixth form college. Having offered the International Baccalaureate Diploma for over 35 years, St Clare's is the 41st school in the world to run IB, and is the longest-established provider of the International Baccalaureate Diploma in England. Over 150 different nationalities are represented, of which about 15% are from Britain

St Clare's also provides a Pre-IB course which is an excellent preparation for the full IB Diploma. During the summer, St Clare's offers an IB Introduction course for those wishing to experience a two-week taster of the IB program. The college is authorized to run IB Teacher Workshops for both new and experienced teachers in co-operation with the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO).

St Clare's offers a wide range of languages to study at A1 Literature level. Students must study six subjects, three at Higher Level and three at Standard Level. Every student must study one subject from Groups 1 - 5. The sixth subject option can be chosen either from group 6 or from one of the previous groups.

Extra-curricular activities

There is a large variety of activities students may choose from. All of these can be a part of the CAS component of their IB course. Although there are many more, listed below are some popular examples:

• St. Clare's Union (debating society)
• Model United Nations
• Clarity magazine
• Girls football
• Boys football
• Boys basketball
• Table Tennis
• Tennis
• Chess club
• Student council
• Choir & vocal group

English Language courses

A range of adult English Language courses are run throughout the academic year from September to June. Courses run from 4 weeks to 12 months; 21 lessons per week, as well as one-to-one tuition. Courses include General English for Everyday Use; IELTS and Cambridge examination preparation; English plus Academic Subjects and Combined English, where students mix classes with private lessons.

Students wishing to apply to university in the UK, USA and Europe take the 28/35-week University Foundation course.

Students with advanced level English are able to study a unique program which combines English language classes with academic subjects taught at university level. These academic subjects are a part of the Liberal Arts Program for American students who are taking a Gap Year as part of their US degree.

Scholarships

Scholarships applications for studying the IB Diploma program are considered in February each year. Students must attend a Scholarship Day where they sit tests, have interviews with teachers and the Principal and parent financial information is reviewed.