On other occasions issues of spirituality that relate to a weekend theme are considered. Weekend sessions incorporate acts of worship, and structured periods of quiet. A unique feature of the NOC, particularly valued by former students, is the Sunday Quiet Morning of every residential weekend. This an important opportunity for integration and reflection. The largest part of the course is spent in private study.
Students read, reflect and write assignments in their own time, but with guidance.
Some are short pieces of work, often aimed at testing communications skills. Others are longer essays, reports or projects. Students receive detailed and constructive comments on drafts of their assignments from the staff. Students have a personal tutor for their three years on the course. They have an interview each term with this tutor to review overall progress.