For Parents and Carers

What are the benefits of attending a Summer School?

The Sutton Trust Summer Schools give students the opportunity to explore their chosen subject in-depth over the course of a week, whilst also getting a taste of student life at the University of Cambridge.

This experience supports students to make an informed choice about what they would like to do after they finish their post-16 studies, enabling them to confidently choose the courses or universities they apply to. Many students talk about what they’ve gained from the Summer School experience in their personal statement.

Alongside academic sessions in their departments, students will have the opportunity to attend Information, Advice and Guidance sessions on a range of topics. In 2022, this included sessions on Personal Statements, Interviews, Career Options, Wellbeing and Student Q&A.

The Summer School experience motivates many students to aim high throughout their final year at school and enables them to confidently progress to university.

Is there a cost to attend the Summer School?

The costs of the Summer School are covered by the University. Students will be provided with single room accommodation and shared bathroom facilities. Breakfast and dinner will be eaten together in the College canteen, and a packed lunch will be provided each day. In addition to food, accommodation and activities, we also book student’s train tickets to and from the Summer School, so there is no upfront cost. Students may choose to bring a small amount of money for a souvenir or some additional snacks, but all the costs of the event are covered.

Safety and supervision

During the proposed in-person residential, a staff member from the Cambridge Admissions Office will be on duty, working with a team of Residential Supervisors and student ambassadors (called CAMbassadors) allocated to each group. They will be responsible for participant welfare and have detailed policies in place to deal with a range of issues that may arise. CAMbassadors will escort students around Cambridge and remain with them throughout the day.

With regards to COVID-19, we will be following the government and university guidance applicable at the time. Alongside this, we will undertake risk assessments and communicate all measures we take to participants ahead of time. Depending upon the current guidelines this may mean enforcing social distancing, wearing masks and frequent hand washing. We will be liaising with the colleges providing accommodation on their additional measures. This is subject to COVID-19’s development over the forthcoming months.

We will provide a duty phone number for all students and their parents/carers. This number is monitored 24 hours a day, and students are able to text or phone us if they have any worries, or if they become unwell during the week.

Trained first-aiders will be available during the event and will be on hand to administer first aid if necessary. All of our Cambridge Admissions Office staff are DBS checked.

How to contact us

Parents and carers are welcome to contact us using the email address and telephone number displayed on this page. For urgent queries during the Summer Schools, please use the duty number provided in the first instance.