Daily schedule
After registration on Sunday afternoon, we invite you to a welcome meeting in the Amersi Lecture Theatre in New Quad, where you will meet your tutors. Join us in Deer Park afterwards for our opening drinks reception, followed by dinner in Brasenose’s historic dining hall (informal dress).
Seminars take place on weekday mornings. Most afternoons are free, allowing you time to explore Oxford, enjoy a variety of optional social events (see details below), or to sit back and relax in one of the college's atmospheric quads.
Your course culminates on Friday evening with a closing drinks reception and gala farewell dinner at which Certificates of Attendance are awarded. For this special occasion smart dress is encouraged (no requirement to wear dinner suits or gowns).
Social programme
We warmly invite all Inspiring Oxford students to take part in our optional social programme, with all events provided at no additional cost. Events are likely to include:
- Croquet on the quad
- Chauffeured punting from Magdalen Bridge
- Expert-led walking tours of Oxford
- Optional visit to an Oxford Library or the Ashmolean Museum
- River Thames afternoon cruise
- Quiz night in the college bar
- Scottish country dance evening (where you do the dancing!)
Seminars and field trip
Monday
From Queens to Flappers — The Changing Face of Womanhood (1900–1920s)
We begin our journey in an age still shaped by Queen Victoria’s long shadow; an era of duty, decorum, and dignified reserve. But beneath the surface, change was brewing. As the 20th century dawned, women began to demand more: education, independence, and, most of all, a voice. From the suffragette marches that shook the streets to the dazzling energy of the Jazz Age, we’ll explore how the 'New Woman' was born. By the 1920s, corsets had given way to cocktails, and a generation of flappers danced into modernity; bold, confident, and unashamedly themselves.
Tuesday
Women at War — Duty, Danger, and Defiance (World War I)
The Great War turned the world upside down and with it, women’s lives. As millions of men marched off to the front, women stepped into roles they had never been allowed to fill. We’ll meet those who healed the wounded, fought the system, and sometimes even fought in disguise. There’s Edith Cavell, the nurse executed for helping Allied soldiers escape; Mata Hari, whose name became synonymous with intrigue and betrayal; Dorothy Lawrence, the daring reporter who disguised herself as a soldier; and Vera Brittain, whose moving memoir gave voice to a generation scarred by war. This session delves into how wartime necessity (and propaganda) redrew the boundaries of what women could do, and what society would allow them to be.
Wednesday
Shadows and Secrets — Women of the 1930s and World War II
The interwar years brought new freedoms, and new fears. As the world edged towards another conflict, women once again found themselves caught between heroism and horror. Today, we take you into the shadows, where courage and compromise often blurred. We’ll uncover the stories of fearless secret agents and resistance fighters, but also the complex roles of women within the Nazi regime, from opportunists to ideologues. Alongside them, millions of ordinary women kept nations running under unimaginable pressures, their quiet resilience as vital as any battlefield victory.
Thursday
A Day at Bletchley Park — Secrets, Ciphers and Extraordinary Minds
Step back in time to the hush of wartime Britain and uncover the secret world of Bletchley Park, the legendary home of the codebreakers. Once Britain’s best-kept secret, this country estate was the beating heart of intelligence during WWII, where quiet brilliance and relentless determination helped shorten the war by years.
Highlights:
- Guided tour of the historic codebreaking huts and mansion.
- Stories of the women of Bletchley Park — their work, secrets, and legacy.
- A close look at the Enigma machine and wartime decoding techniques.
- Time to explore exhibitions, artefacts, and the tranquil grounds.
Friday
Beyond WWII — Trailblazers, Icons, and Modern Pioneers
As peace returned, women refused to go quietly back to the old order. From the corridors of power to the stages of pop culture, they continued to push boundaries and redefine what it meant to lead, create, and inspire. We’ll trace the rise of women in politics, science, and the arts. Together, we’ll reflect on what it means to be a trailblazer: how the definition has evolved, and who today stands in that lineage of courage and creativity.
