It’s exciting meeting new people in Oxford, especially when everyone’s curious and driven. But it’s even better when a few faces feel familiar.

At Immerse, we bring qualified Tutors, Mentors, and Guest Speakers together during our Oxford summer school to support every participant fully.

In this article, we’ll explore the tutors, mentors, and speakers you might meet during our Oxford summer programme, and why they matter.

Ready? Let’s dive in.

What Makes Our Oxford Summer Programme Faculty Different?

What makes our Oxford summer school feel different is the balance between academic challenge and day-to-day support. You’re not lost in a lecture hall. You’re known, guided, and encouraged to speak up.

Academically, you’ll learn in small groups of an average of 7 participants, with teaching designed to feel closer to the undergraduate experience. That means discussion-led sessions, space for questions, and feedback you can actually use, not just a grade.

Alongside that, mentors shape the experience in a quieter but powerful way. They help you settle in, keep on top of your schedule, and become your first point of contact if anything feels confusing or overwhelming.

Add in Guest Speakers, and you get more than a timetable. You get real voices, real pathways, and fresh motivation.

Who Leads the Learning? Meet Our Academic Tutors

Our academic tutors are specialist educators who teach with the depth and pace you’d expect from a top university setting. They help participants build sharper arguments, stronger subject knowledge, and real academic confidence.

For our Oxford summer programme, we bring in PhD-level tutors who’ve studied or taught at Oxford, Cambridge, or closely comparable institutions. That experience shows up in the way they lead discussion, challenge assumptions, and help participants turn curiosity into clear thinking.

They also complete the Immerse Certified Tutor process, including training in our Experiential Learning Framework and safeguarding checks. That means families can trust the quality of teaching and the standards of care.

Here are a few of the academic tutors you might encounter during your two-week stay:

  • Dr Iris (Medicine, University of Cambridge): A postdoctoral fellow at Cambridge’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology, bringing real research insight into molecular medicine and biomedical science.
  • Dr Bhatt (Medicine, University of Oxford and Harvard Medical School): A surgeon and medical specialist with MBBS and MSc (Oxon), plus advanced surgical qualifications, linking clinical practice with innovation.
  • Dr Mathias (Physics, University of Oxford): A postdoctoral researcher in Oxford Physics, widely published, focused on experimental science and the problem-solving mindset top physics demands.

The Six-Step “Immerse Certified Tutor” Process

After reading about the tutors we work with, you might think, “Right, they’re clearly brilliant.” And they are. But we don’t just pluck out PhD holders and hope that intelligence turns into great teaching.

Instead, every tutor completes a strict, six-step process before they teach at our Oxford summer school. It’s how we protect academic quality, keep delivery consistent, and make sure every participant feels safe and supported.

  1. Postgraduate credentials: Tutors are educated to postgraduate level at a top-ranked university.
  2. Small-group tutoring experience: They’ve taught in settings that mirror the undergraduate experience, not just big lectures.
  3. Interview plus demonstration lesson: We watch how they explain ideas, handle questions, and lead discussion.
  4. Training in our teaching framework: Tutors train in the Immerse Experiential Learning Framework, so every session meets the same high bar.
  5. Safeguarding and background checks: Tutors complete safeguarding certification and pass a local criminal record check.
  6. Comprehensive onboarding: They finish a full onboarding process to ensure they can deliver the programme to the highest standards.

That way, when a participant walks into their first tutorial, they’re not just meeting someone impressive. They’re meeting someone prepared.

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Meet the Mentors: The Friendly Faces You’ll Rely On in Oxford

Mentors are the people who make a big place feel manageable from day one. While tutors lead your academic sessions and push your thinking, mentors are there in the background making sure you’re settled, confident, and never stuck wondering, “Where do I go next?”

They’re current or recent students at the host university, which means they know the routines, the traditions, and the small details that help university life click. Mentors oversee timetables, support wellbeing, and run social events and excursions, so you can focus on learning and enjoying Oxford.

To give you a feel for the kinds of mentors you might meet during your stay, here are a few examples:

  • Mihir Abbineni (Medicine student, Christ’s College, Cambridge): A Medicine student who once joined our Medicine programme on a 100% scholarship, and now mentors participants with a participant-first perspective.
  • Lucy Quigley (Medicine student, St Catherine’s College, Cambridge): A Medicine student and college rower who brings college life to you, and on bright days may lead participants into classic riverside moments on the Cam.
  • Kaycee Barwell (Law student, Emmanuel College, Cambridge): A Law student with strong pastoral care experience, including supporting shadowing and access schemes, so guidance comes naturally.
  • Clare Mulrooney (Law student, Jesus College, Cambridge): A Law student who has mentored learners to offers from Cambridge, Edinburgh, and Imperial, and knows how to steady nerves and raise ambition.

What Is a Mentor Family?

Oxford can feel huge on day one, and a little overwhelming too, like everyone else already knows the shortcuts, the schedule, and where they’re meant to be. That’s why we start by giving you a smaller circle that feels steady and familiar.

A mentor family is a small group of up to 10 participants staying in the same college, even if you’re studying different subjects. It gives you an instant support circle, so you’re not figuring everything out alone. 

Each group is led by a mentor, typically a current Oxbridge undergraduate, who’s there to answer questions about the programme, university life, and what “Oxbridge” is really like day to day. Because they’re current undergraduates or very recent postgraduates, they’re often the most relatable people to ask. 

A few days before the programme begins, you’ll usually receive an invite to your mentor family group chat. It’s a simple way to break the ice early, recognise a few names, and arrive feeling more settled. 

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Guest Speakers: Big Ideas, Real-World Voices

Tutorials sharpen how you think. Guest Speakers widen what you can imagine doing with that thinking. In an Oxford summer school, that mix matters, because it helps participants connect academic interests to real lives and real careers.

These sessions are designed to feel approachable and energising. You’ll hear honest stories, ask questions freely, and get a clearer sense of what different paths actually look like up close, not just on a prospectus page.

To give you a sense of the voices participants may hear from, here are a few Guest Speakers we spotlight:

  • Stacey Toussaint Murdock (Founder and Managing Director, Inside Out): A legal leader with 25 years of experience and a Columbia University School of Law JD, sharing insight into law and leadership.
  • Deryk Rhodes (Managing Director, Incapital): A senior finance professional, formerly a Director at Citigroup, regularly quoted in investment journals.
  • James Peach (Global Marketing Leader): A marketing leader with senior brand experience, including former Head of Brand at Uber UK and Global Brand Director at Vinted.
  • Sarah Outen MBE (British Athlete and Adventurer): A record-setting adventurer, the first woman and youngest person to row solo across the Indian Ocean, and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. 

How Academic and Pastoral Support Work Together

The real strength of our Oxford summer school is that academic challenge and pastoral care aren’t separate tracks. They’re designed to support each other, so participants can aim high without feeling overwhelmed.

Tutors lead the learning. They set the academic pace, guide discussion, and help participants develop the kind of thinking universities look for. Mentors, on the other hand, make sure everything around that learning works: knowing where to be, feeling confident socially, and having someone approachable to ask the “small” questions that don’t feel small in the moment.

That day-to-day structure matters. Mentors oversee timetables and act as the first point of contact for wellbeing, while tutors focus on stretching subject knowledge in small-group settings. Together, it creates an experience that feels both rigorous and reassuring.

FAQs

Do Guest Speakers change every year?

Yes. Guest Speakers vary year to year, depending on availability and the themes we want to bring to participants.

Can participants ask Guest Speakers questions directly?

Yes. Guest talks typically include Q&A, so participants can ask about decisions, careers, and what they wish they knew earlier.

Do tutors prepare participants for interviews or admissions-style thinking?

Yes. Tutors push clear reasoning, discussion, and independent thinking, which closely matches what top universities expect.

Will I meet my mentor family before the programme begins?

Yes. You’ll usually be added to a mentor family group chat before arrival, so names feel familiar on day one.

Conclusion

Oxford can feel intense at first, but the right support makes it energising. You arrive curious, and quickly start thinking with real clarity today too.

Our tutors bring deep subject expertise and a consistent teaching standard, shaped through selection, training, and safeguarding. That structure protects quality in every session here.

Mentors handle the practical moments: timetables, questions, nerves, and wellbeing. With Guest Speakers adding perspective, participants see how learning connects to real futures from Oxford.

If you want to explore Oxford with the best balance of challenge and support, enrol in our Oxford summer courses and step into your first tutorial feeling ready.