COMMUNITY PROGRAMME
At Wonder River, everything is designed around one simple aim: helping young people grow in confidence and flourish. Whether through the Community Programme, personalised mentoring or workshops, young people are encouraged to discover their strengths, embrace challenge and develop the confidence to navigate life with curiosity, resilience and purpose.
The Wonder River Community Programme offers three different options, with the focus on keeping consistent, small groups together for a fixed amount of time. This is important to build a sense of trust and community, and hence groups are built into 6 week blocks.
The programmes are built around the three pillars of Communication, Collaboration and Mastery. Through meaningful discussion, shared projects, creative challenges and opportunities for reflection, young people learn to communicate with confidence, collaborate effectively and persevere when faced with challenge. These experiences help them develop resilience, self-belief and a deeper understanding of their own strengths.
Keeping the community intentionally small allows every young person to be known, valued and encouraged. Strong relationships with peers and a trusted adult create a sense of belonging where confidence can grow and young people feel safe to contribute, ask questions and take positive risks.
Each week follows a clear and thoughtful rhythm, balancing guided learning with opportunities for independence, creativity and deeper thinking.
ONLINE PROGRAMME
Online sessions run once a week from 9:30–12:00. The morning is broken down into three 45 minute sessions - communication, collaboration and mastery. Regular breaks in between sessions ensure that the group members have time away from the screen to rest, reset and return with renewed focus. Children meet online using Google Meet, and will also have their own Google Classroom.
Communication
Young people come together to read, write, discuss and share ideas around carefully chosen texts and themes. Activities may include discussion, debate, creative writing, literary analysis and presentation. Of the three pillars, this session is likely to be the most adult-guided in structure.
Collaboration
Young people work together in pairs or small groups on engaging projects using breakout rooms on Google Meet. These projects may involve creating a podcast, exploring an environmental issue, researching a topic or developing a shared idea. The emphasis is on teamwork, problem-solving and shared achievement.
Mastery
Each young person pursues an area of personal interest over an extended period of time. This may involve practical, creative, academic or technical pursuits and often takes place partly away from the computer. Sessions provide opportunities for guidance, discussion, reflection and sharing progress with others.
Families local to South Oxfordshire can opt for the Hybrid programme, which includes one weekly in-person community session lasting 90 minutes in addition to the online morning.
These sessions allow the cohort to meet in person each week, helping to build on the work covered during the online sessions. It also allows the children to strengthen relationships and build a strong sense of belonging within the group. There will be opportunities to discuss and share the collaborative projects explored during the week as well as update the group with their mastery progress.
There will also be time for movement and physical activity. Social sporting activities will be played to help create a sense of community, and activities might include running games, fun football activities, diamond cricket or drama-based games.
HYBRID PROGRAMME
WEEKLY IN PERSON SESSIONS
This 60 minute session is the entry level Wonder River experience, open to families in South Oxfordshire. This is open to children from aged 10 to 16. Families can turn up each week without a need to block book.
Activities will follow the pillars of communication, collaboration and mastery.
There will be time for movement and physical activity. Social movement activities will be played to help build a sense of community, and activities might include running games, fun football, diamond cricket or drama-based games.
A SMALL AND SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY
Wonder River is intentionally small in size, with the online and hybrid groups never exceeding 12 in number. The consistency of the group allows each child to feel known, valued and supported, while also developing strong relationships with their peers and a trusted adult.
Within this environment, young people are encouraged to:
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Think deeply and ask questions
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Develop independence and confidence
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Contribute their ideas and perspectives
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Build positive relationships with others
Autumn Term 2026
Block 1 (6 weeks): Week commencing 7 September 2026
Half-term break: Week commencing 19 October and 26 October 2026 (2 weeks)
Block 2 (6 weeks):Week commencing 2 November to week commencing 7 December 2026
Block 3 (6 weeks): Week commencing Monday 4 January 2027
Half-term break: Week commencing Monday 15 February 2027
Block 4 (6 weeks): Week commencing Monday 22 February to to week commencing 29th March 2027
Spring Term 2027
Block 5 (5 weeks): Week commencing Monday 19 April 2027
Half-term break: Week commencing Monday 24 May 2027
Block 5 (5 weeks): Final week of term: Week commencing Monday Thursday 28 June 2027
Summer Term 2027
Term Dates (2026 - 2027)
FOUNDING COHORT FEES
* Wonder River runs in six-week learning blocks in Autumn and Spring, and five-week learning blocks in Summer, with breaks broadly following the independent school calendar (see above).
* All students can enrol in two free sessions before committing.
* Reduced founding cohort fees are being offered for the first academic year of Wonder River.
* Fees for Individual Support vary according to the nature and frequency of support. Please contact me to discuss your child's needs and current availability.
* Fees for each block are payable in advance via bank transfer. Further details will be shared following enquiry and confirmation of a place.
