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Family activities

Several student parents have noted the benefits of a family membership at local leisure/sports centres. For example:

For music tuition, students have recommended First Tutors. Oxfordshire County Music Service also provides a range of lessons for young people in schools, usually during school hours.

Phoenix Picturehouse on Walton Street is very close and shows weekly children’s films at low prices. It also has dedicated sessions for parents to watch grown-up films but bring their babies along.

Oxfordshire County Library is a good resource for children’s books and also just a great place to take the kids as their library is in a separate room to the adult section so they can be a bit louder and free to roam around.

Nearest play and green spaces

Children are welcome to play in the college grounds (with adult supervision) and we now have a dedicated play area next to the college gym. Searching via Google will give you a good overview of play areas and child-friendly open spaces and opening times for cafés and facilities. Below are some recent popular student-parent choices:

  • The nearest playground to the college site is in the grounds of St Barnabas Primary School on Hart Street (behind the Co Op).
  • Next closest is Aristotle Lane Recreation Ground on Aristotle Lane, approx 0.7 mile walk.
  • University Parks and Port Meadow do not have play equipment but do have lots of space for children to run and explore, with Port Meadow having a range of animals (cows, birds, ponies) moving freely too. Christchurch Meadows is also a beautiful place to walk near the river, and it’s worth using your student ID to visit other college grounds when open: Visiting the colleges | University of Oxford

Other attractions

The places below are good for visits and regular events.

Blenheim Palace: World Heritage Site

The Story Museum | Family Museum In Oxford

Museum of Natural History homepage | Oxford University Museum of Natural History

Home | Oxford Botanic Garden and Arboretum

Rhymetime at Oxfordshire County Library (Under 5’s) Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite

Medical Care

You and all resident members of your family are entitled to free NHS medical care, including overseas students who will have paid the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) as part of their visa application. Unless you are already settled in Oxford and happy with your current GP, please register with the College Doctor at the Beaumont Elms Practice

A link to the online registration form is now available on the Offer Holders To prepare before arrival page and you can register before you arrive in Oxford. You can also go to the surgery in person to register once you are in Oxford, although this is likely to be time-consuming at a time when you will be particularly busy. International students should note that you will have to take each family member’s passport in to the surgery to complete registration. Each member of your family is welcome to register with the surgery, please complete a separate registration form for each individual.

If you have children under the age of 5, ask to make an appointment with a health visitor to talk about scheduled routine check-ups and vaccinations. If your child does not have a Personal Child Health Record or ‘Red Book’ you can obtain one through the health visitor. It is helpful to bring a copy of your children’s vaccination records with you to your first visit with the health visitor as vaccination schedules vary across countries.

Who to contact for routine and emergency medical appointments

Note that it may often be quicker to seek advice for minor illnesses or health concerns online, by telephone or at a nearby pharmacy. For self-care advice, refer to www.nhs.uk or call the 111 helpline at any time.

Our College Nurse is also an excellent first point of contact. She has a consulting clinic based in Somerville College, adjacent to Green Templeton and welcomes drop-in visitors for initial enquiries or concerns (you do not need to email or phone ahead to make an appointment). You can find details of her clinic hours on our Medical Care webpage.

For emergencies involving acute illness/danger to life, call 999 and an operator will send an ambulance if necessary.

The John Radcliffe (JR) hospital is Oxford’s main hospital with an accident & emergency department, and also includes women’s and children’s departments.