Academy Royale International Reviews 

175
•
TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

4.6

While we don't verify specific claims because reviewers' opinions are their own, we may label reviews as "Verified" when we can confirm a business interaction took place. Read more

To protect platform integrity, every review on our platform—verified or not—is screened by our 24/7 automated software. This technology is designed to identify and remove content that breaches our guidelines, including reviews that are not based on a genuine experience. We recognise we may not catch everything, and you can flag anything you think we may have missed. Read more

Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Evaluating 80 reviews, reviewers overwhelmingly had a great experience with this company. Customers frequently share that the academic classes are exceptionally engaging, and the friendly instructors consistently provide kind and helpful support to help students learn effectively. People also mention making wonderful international friends, actively participating in fun social activities, and feeling entirely safe and well cared for throughout their entire stay. However, some reviewers were distinctly not happy with the quality of the meals provided during their program. Consumers pointed out that dinners could sometimes be quite boring or repetitive, and certain basic facilities occasionally fell short of their overall expectations.

What people talk about most

Staff

Customers had positive experiences with staff, frequently highlighting the incredibly kind, caring, and... See more

User experience

People report positive experiences with user experience, highlighting fun activities, engaging classes, and... See more

Product

Consumers find product to have mixed qualities, as reviewers praised the interesting courses, academic value,... See more

Service

Reviewers mention positive feedback about service, expressing deep appreciation for the supportive staff,... See more

Facilities

Reviewers highlight ambiguous aspects of facilities, as consumers expressed mixed experiences regarding the... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

This program was amazing but what made the whole experience over the top was the friendship. I loved the classes and my teacher was amazing. Grazia was the absolute best and I don't think I would've e... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I really liked the lessons and my teacher was amazing, she explained everything very clearly and, if one of us didn't understand, she re-explained everything without making us feel bad. I also made a... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I loved meeting people from all over the world that gave me insight into their own personal experiences, cultures and languages. Learning with others from all year levels allowed me to extend my knowl... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

This year, I attended this summer school, and it was probably the best experience I have had this summer. From the staff and the buildings to the friends I made, everything was perfect. This summer... See more

Company replied


Company details

Written by the company

Academy Royale International, formerly Oxford Royale Academy, offers award-winning academic summer schools for ambitious students aged 10–18 from across the globe. Based in Oxford, Cambridge and Marlborough, our programmes combine world-class teaching, college-style living and unforgettable cultural activities across over 75 courses. Whether exploring a passion for medicine, law, AI, engineering or the arts, students leave with new knowledge, confidence and lifelong friendships. With roots in Oxford dating back to 2004, Academy Royale International is proud to inspire the next generation of leaders, thinkers and innovators.


Contact info

4.6

Excellent

TrustScore 4.5 out of 5

175 reviews

5-star
4-star
3-star
2-star
1-star

No recent history of asking for reviews

This company hasn't invited customers recently, so reviews may not be representative

Replied to 100% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 24 hours

How this company uses Trustpilot

See how their reviews and ratings are sourced, scored, and moderated.

4.6

All reviews

(175)

80 reviews in the last 12 months

Write a review
Companies on Trustpilot aren't allowed to offer incentives or pay to hide reviews. Reviews are the opinions of individual users and not of Trustpilot. Read more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great experience for everyone

Everything was handled correctly

21 July 2026
Academy Royale International logo

Reply from Academy Royale International

Thank you so much for this review! Great to hear everything was handled correctly for you. We hope to see you again soon!

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Premium price, disappointing academic experience

My daughter attended Oxford Royale’s Medicine Summer Camp because she is genuinely interested in becoming a doctor. We chose this programme despite its very high price because we expected a serious, inspiring, and practical introduction to medicine.

Unfortunately, the academic experience did not meet those expectations.

Very limited medical learning

Each group was assigned one instructor for the programme. In my daughter’s group, the instructor was a physical therapist, rather than a doctor, medical student, or specialist medical educator.

The main issue was not her profession, but that she did not appear able to connect with, motivate, or inspire the students. Some scheduled class time was spent watching YouTube videos, and the students were also taken on walks to Starbucks twice a day, despite the already limited amount of teaching time.

My daughter attended to learn about medicine, not to spend valuable class hours on coffee outings and online videos.

Missing materials and poor organisation

The programme had promoted practical activities using medical mannequins, suturing kits, and other equipment. However, the instructor told my daughter directly that they did not have all the materials students had been told would be available.

For the first several days, the only practical equipment provided was a set of stethoscopes, some of which were old, dirty, and visibly rusty.

When I collected my daughter, one of the camp directors apologised and explained that approximately four days of classes had been affected by a communication problem: the instructor had not known that additional materials were available.

This explanation reflects a serious lack of planning, communication, and supervision. In a short two-week programme, losing four days is significant.

Basic facilities and poor food

The Yale accommodation used by the programme was also far below what we expected for the price.

My daughter’s room was old, had no air conditioning, no chair, and only old, noisy fans. The facilities were very basic, and the food ranged from poor to very poor.

I understand that student accommodation is not a luxury hotel. However, Oxford Royale charges a premium price and markets a premium experience. The facilities, food, and attention to detail did not reflect that positioning.

Even the diploma was not personalised. It simply said “Dear Student,” rather than including each student’s name. This may seem like a small detail, but it illustrates the overall lack of care.

The positive side

My daughter had a very good social experience. She made excellent friends from around the world, and there were students representing more than 27 countries. She genuinely enjoyed meeting them and had a great time socially.

However, the main reason for attending was to learn about medicine, feel inspired, and become even more enthusiastic about becoming a doctor. That did not happen.

My conclusion

Oxford Royale provided a strong international social environment, but the academic quality, practical learning, organisation, facilities, and food were not consistent with the price charged.

Based on our experience, I cannot recommend the Medicine Summer Camp. Families should carefully research other options before paying such a high fee.

12 July 2026
Unprompted review
Academy Royale International logo

Reply from Academy Royale International

Thank you for this detailed feedback. We're sorry the academic side of the programme didn't meet your expectations.

Please email your daughter's booking reference to customerservice@oxford-royale.co.uk so we can look into this. We're glad she made good friends, but we know that's not why you enrolled her.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

An unforgettable experience

Everyone was so nice , we had the opportunity to go out of the campus and everything was so fun

20 July 2026
Academy Royale International logo

Reply from Academy Royale International

Thank you so much for this lovely review! It's great to hear everyone was so friendly and that the trips out of campus added to the fun. We hope to see you again soon!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Meals were meh and there was limited…

Meals were meh and there was limited water

20 July 2026
Academy Royale International logo

Reply from Academy Royale International

Thank you for this review. Sorry to hear the meals didn't hit the mark and that water was limited, we'll pass that on to the team. Glad the rest of your time with us went well. We hope to see you again soon!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

I really liked it

I really liked it but it would have been better if we had more free time

17 July 2026
Academy Royale International logo

Reply from Academy Royale International

Thank you for this review, we're glad you had a good time overall! We'll pass your feedback about free time on to the team, it's useful to hear. We hope to see you again soon.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I gained a very essential experience in…

I gained a very essential experience in learning business studies by communicating with international people

24 July 2026
Academy Royale International logo

Reply from Academy Royale International

Thank you so much for this review, it's great to hear you gained real value from learning business studies alongside such an international group. We hope to see you again soon!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

What a wonderful life experience

What a wonderful life experience! My son spent two enriching weeks in a magnificent setting! The quality of instruction from Oxford tutors, the staff, the exciting program, and the diverse group of children made this experience a valuable opportunity for his future. Thank you, Oxford!

5 July 2026
Unprompted review
Academy Royale International logo

Reply from Academy Royale International

Thank you so much for this wonderful review! We're delighted your son had two great weeks with us, and it's lovely to hear the quality of tuition, the staff, and the mix of students all added up to a valuable experience for him. We hope to see him again soon!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Happiness & learning

The time was really enjoyable. We had 2 hours free time. The only thing I did not really like was, that the staff was sometimes not as nice. For example my friend needed a bandage because she had an injury. The staff member nicely got her one, but he threw it away in front of her eyes. I’ve never experienced something this disrespectful. On the other hand there were also a lot of member who helped us. Thanks for that wonderful experience…

21 July 2026
Academy Royale International logo

Reply from Academy Royale International

Thank you for this lovely review. We're glad you enjoyed your time and had a good balance of free time and learning. We're sorry to hear about the incident with the bandage; that's not the way we expect our staff to behave, and we'll be raising this with the team. We're glad other staff members made a positive difference, and we hope to see you again soon!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

yays

I loved meeting people from all over the world that gave me insight into their own personal experiences, cultures and languages. Learning with others from all year levels allowed me to extend my knowledge greatly and learn not only from my professor, but from the others around me.

21 July 2026
Academy Royale International logo

Reply from Academy Royale International

Thank you so much for this lovely review! It's great to hear you got so much from meeting people across cultures and languages, and from learning alongside students of different year levels. That mix of perspectives is exactly what makes the experience so rich. We hope to see you again soon!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Everything

The friends some counsellours and just overall everything

21 July 2026
Academy Royale International logo

Reply from Academy Royale International

Thank you so much for this review. It's great to hear you enjoyed everything, especially the friends you made and the counsellors who looked after you. We hope to see you again soon!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great chance to meet new people

Great chance to meet new people, made friends for life.

21 July 2026
Academy Royale International logo

Reply from Academy Royale International

Thank you so much for this lovely review! Meeting new people and making friends for life is exactly what summer programmes like ours are all about, and we're delighted that's what you took away from it. We hope to see you again soon!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Academy Royale International logo

Reply from Academy Royale International

Thank you so much for this great review. We're delighted you had two great weeks with us. We hope to see you again soon!

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

bitterly disappointed

I must admit that I am genuinely surprised by the overwhelmingly positive reviews of this academy. My son attended the programme from 5 July to 18 July 2026, and before confirming his enrolment, I carefully reviewed the information provided on the website. I was particularly impressed by the presentation videos, especially those concerning the Oxford school, which portrayed an experience including accommodation, dining facilities, entertainment activities, and an immersive environment connected with the prestigious setting of the University of Oxford.

It was precisely this image that played a decisive role in my choice. However, the reality was profoundly different. My son was assigned to St Peter’s College, a location that bore little resemblance to the Oxford environment presented in the promotional material and did not reflect the atmosphere, facilities, or overall experience that had been conveyed to prospective families.

I also exchanged numerous emails with the organisers in order to clarify every aspect of the programme, verify that what was presented online accurately reflected the reality, and, above all, confirm the availability of sports activities, which were a fundamental factor in my decision.

Unfortunately, what followed was a profoundly disappointing experience, falling dramatically short of the expectations created during the enrolment process.

From the very beginning, the organisation proved to be deeply disappointing. There was considerable distress and anxiety when I discovered that my son’s airport pick-up reservation from Heathrow had not been properly recorded. Despite being charged an exorbitant fee for this service, I was assured that the transfer would be an “express” service. In reality, it turned out to be a standard bus transfer that simply waited for other students arriving from different destinations, including those whose flights were delayed.

What followed was, in many respects, an extremely disappointing experience. The rooms were unbearably hot, and the lessons were held in makeshift facilities that appeared entirely unsuitable for an educational environment, including temporary tent-like structures. The level of supervision and support provided by the tutors was virtually non-existent. On the rare occasions when assistance was required, the attitude displayed was often unhelpful, dismissive, and unnecessarily arrogant.

The sports activities, which had been a key element in my decision to enrol my son, were practically non-existent. Apart from occasional visits to a basic outdoor area where students were sometimes allowed to play football, without proper goals or dedicated facilities, there was no meaningful sporting programme as advertised.

The only genuinely positive aspect of the entire experience was one particular teacher. I had to insist that my son be transferred to her class, as his initial class had not met expectations. The lessons with this teacher were undoubtedly more engaging and constructive, and her professionalism represented the only aspect of the academic programme that my son found truly satisfactory.

Beyond this, however, there is very little that I can commend.

Based on our experience, I would strongly advise against this academy. The reality of the programme was profoundly different from the image presented on the website, and the level of service provided did not come close to justifying the expectations created during the enrolment process.

5 July 2026
Unprompted review
Academy Royale International logo

Reply from Academy Royale International

Thank you for sharing this in detail. We're sorry to hear the programme fell so far short of what was promised.

Please email your booking reference to customerservice@oxford-royale.co.uk so we can investigate properly. We're glad one teacher made a difference, and we'll pass on your feedback about her.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Good Life

I made many friends, learnt a lot, and had lots of fun. The friends I've made will be characters in my life's story for long.

17 July 2026
Academy Royale International logo

Reply from Academy Royale International

Thank you so much for this lovely review! We're delighted you made so many friends and had such a great time this summer. Hearing that these friendships will stay with you for life is exactly what we hope for every student who joins us. We hope to see you again soon.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Review

This program was amazing but what made the whole experience over the top was the friendship. I loved the classes and my teacher was amazing. Grazia was the absolute best and I don't think I would've enjoyed the class if she wasn't my teach. But overall, the people and friends I made was what made this camp extraordinary. I loved the countless hours I spent trying to study together and laughing our heads of for hours.

13 July 2026
Academy Royale International logo

Reply from Academy Royale International

Thank you so much for this wonderful review! We're thrilled you had such a memorable summer. It's lovely to hear how much you enjoyed the classes, and we'll be sure to pass your kind words on to Grazia — she'll be delighted. The friendships made here are always what our students remember most, and it sounds like you made some truly special ones. We hope to welcome you back one day!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

The grade that I’ve got was terrible…

The grade that I’ve got was unacceptable due to my full focus and effort I have towards the summer camp

10 July 2026
Academy Royale International logo

Reply from Academy Royale International

Thank you for sharing this — we're sorry to hear you're disappointed with your grade. We'd love to look into this for you. Please email us your booking reference and we'll ask the campus team to investigate.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

PROFESSIONAL TEACHERS - AVOID

I strongly advise teachers give this organisation a swerve, after a terrible chapter of experiences with their inept and manipulative HR department surrounding no fewer than THREE positions - jobs misadvertised while allegedly filled, emails ignored, and phone messages not passed on (or not responded to). What they 'aim' to do and what they actually do (or rather don't) do are two entirely different things.

4 July 2026
Unprompted review
Academy Royale International logo

Reply from Academy Royale International

Thank you for taking the time to leave a review. We take all feedback seriously and aim to communicate clearly with every candidate throughout our hiring process, including when a suitable position isn't available at the time of application.

If you'd like to discuss your experience further, please contact us at hr@oxford-royale.co.uk.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Nothing short of magical - life changing experience

Attending the Architecture course with Oxford Royale at the stunning Balliol College campus was nothing short of magical and gave me a true insight of what it would be like to study in Oxford.

The Oxford Royale team did a fantastic job creating such a welcoming atmosphere. They didn’t just focus on academics but also made sure we had chances to make friends through daily team-building activities as well as enjoying our free time. I genuinely built strong friendships with people from all over the world. Six months later, we regularly stay in touch and I have even met up with several of them since the summer school.

I joined the course right after finishing my last year of sixth form. Having studied the IB in the UK, I had already applied to study Architecture at university, but I wanted to be sure I was making the right choice. This course really helped me confirm my decision, explore my strengths and weaknesses and understand what being an architect could feel like in practice. When I started university in September, I felt more confident and even a little ahead of the other students.

The teacher Anna was incredibly kind and knowledgeable, making every session engaging. I especially loved the history lectures and the hands-on model-making project where we each designed a house for a fictional client. As a manual, hands-on learner, building the model helped me bring my ideas and floor plan sketches to life.

I honestly can’t stop telling everyone how this course changed my life for the better. It gave me clarity, confidence, unforgettable memories and reassured me that Architecture was indeed where my future lies.

16 August 2025

The Trustpilot Experience

Anyone can write a Trustpilot review. People who write reviews have ownership to edit or delete them at any time, and they’ll be displayed as long as an account is active.

We use dedicated people and clever technology to safeguard our platform. Find out how we combat fake reviews.

Learn about Trustpilot’s review process.

Here are 8 tips for writing great reviews.

Verification can help ensure real people are writing the reviews you read on Trustpilot.

Offering incentives for reviews or asking for them selectively can bias the TrustScore, which goes against our guidelines.

Take a closer look