Q1 What kind of accommodation will students stay in? How are rooms allocated, and who will my child share a room with?

Students stay in a combination of four-star hotel accommodation and school boarding accommodation at Guangzhou Minxin School. Evening room checks are conducted as standard. Rooms are allocated by gender and age. Wherever possible, we room international students together and accommodate requests to share with friends. Specific rooming arrangements and roommate details are finalised before arrival and communicated to families as part of the pre-departure information.

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Q2 What will the food be like, and can dietary requirements and allergies be accommodated?

Guangzhou is the culinary capital of southern China, and meals are a central part of the cultural experience. Students experience a range of Chinese cuisine including dim sum (with etiquette instruction), street food market tastings, formal Chinese banquets, and a multi-course Formal Dinner blending British and Chinese dining traditions. A welcome dinner is held at a local upscale restaurant on the pre-arrival Welcome Day.

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All dietary requirements and allergies are collected prior to the programme via the medical and enrolment information forms, and the catering team is notified in advance. Parents and guardians should disclose all dietary requirements (including allergies, religious dietary requirements and food preferences) at the application stage so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

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Q3 What does a typical day on the programme look and feel like?

A typical day follows a structured three-part schedule:

• Morning (8:30–11:30) - Mandarin lesson (taught by a Chinese teacher), Chinese culture workshop, or preparation for excursions and presentations

• Afternoon (14:00–17:30) - Classroom participation alongside Chinese students, university application workshops, off-site excursions including company and factory visits, or cultural excursions

• Evening (18:30–20:30) - Social and recreational activities such as College Olympics, fashion show, scavenger hunt, talent show, water fight, or themed challenge evenings (Squid Games being very popular!)

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Students live, eat and explore alongside their Oxford & Cambridge mentors and Chinese peers. Days are dynamic and full, mixing academic learning, cultural immersion, leadership experience, social connection and personal development. Mentors lead daily reflection sessions to help students process what they are experiencing.

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Q4 Will students have free time to relax, socialise, shop or explore?

The programme is intentionally rich and structured, but free time is built in. Students have opportunities to relax and socialise during mealtimes, between scheduled activities, and during evening recreational events. Excursions include time for exploration, for example, visits to Shenzhen's electronics markets (the world's largest concentration of component suppliers), cultural sites, and shopping areas. Community engagement activities (street interview challenges, cultural taste-testing) involve exploring local neighbourhoods in supervised groups.

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For safety, independent movement outside supervised environments requires accompaniment by the UK Student Director or authorised staff. Students are not permitted to leave the programme site or hotel unaccompanied unless explicitly authorised under controlled conditions.