Five Venues, One Mission: Arsenal Football Development Summer 2024
What does a squad do after coming within touching distance of the Premier League title and falling short? If you are Arsenal, you go again. After finishing as runners-up last season, Mikel Arteta's side are right back in the title race, playing some of the best football the Emirates has seen in years. Declan Rice is thriving in his first full season after arriving from West Ham. Kai Havertz has been transformed in the false nine role, looking like an entirely different player from the one Chelsea fans watched last year. Bukayo Saka continues to do extraordinary things on the right wing, and both William Saliba and Martin Odegaard have established themselves as genuinely world-class performers.
For the young footballers who follow every match, every goal, and every Arteta touchline celebration, the excitement is infectious. And this summer, we are channelling all of that energy into the biggest Arsenal Football Development programme we have ever run.
Our biggest summer yet
Summer 2024 will see Arsenal Football Development operate across five venues for the first time in the programme's history. That is not a small step up. It is a significant expansion driven by sustained demand from families around the world who want their children to experience the Young Gunners development philosophy first-hand.
Our established venues at Oundle, Worth, and Seaford will all be running again this summer. Worth School, set in 500 acres of West Sussex countryside, remains one of our most popular locations for residential football camp experiences. Oundle, close to Cambridge, offers outstanding pitches and a campus that feels like a proper football academy environment. Seaford, on the Sussex coast, combines excellent facilities with that fresh sea air that makes outdoor training a pleasure.
Joining them this year are two additions. Teikyo is a brand new venue for the programme, and we are genuinely excited about what it offers. Clayesmore, meanwhile, is returning to the Arsenal Football Development family after a break, and it is great to have it back. Five venues, spread across the south of England, means more flexibility for families when choosing dates and locations, and more places overall for children who want to be part of this experience. Arsenal recently announced that the partnership with Exsportise has been extended for another three years, reflecting the strength of the programme and the club's commitment to it.
Why now?
The timing is not a coincidence. Back-to-back Premier League title challenges have put Arsenal firmly back at the top of English football's conversation. Children who might not have looked twice at an Arsenal camp five years ago are now desperate to pull on the shirt and learn the Young Gunners way of playing that Arteta has built. Rice's combative midfield displays, Havertz dropping deep to link play, Saka cutting inside onto his left foot - these are the moments young footballers want to replicate, and the demand for places on our summer programme reflects that perfectly.
We welcomed students from over 60 countries last summer. That number continues to grow, and expanding to five venues is our way of making sure we can offer every family a place without compromising on the quality of the coaching or the residential experience.
Two programmes, one standard
Every student at an Arsenal football camp in the UK chooses between two pathways, and both are built around intensive, high-quality development.
The Football Only programme is designed for players who want total immersion in the game. Thirty hours of coaching per week, six hours a day from Monday to Friday, covering technical skills, tactical understanding, small-sided games, match play, and individual development. It is a serious amount of football, delivered by official Arsenal Football Development coaches who follow the same Young Gunners methodology rooted in the Hale End Academy's programme.
For international families, the English and Football programme combines 15 hours of Arsenal coaching with 15 hours of English language tuition each week. The English classes are British Council accredited and taught in small groups, so your child develops genuine language confidence alongside their football. It is a combination that makes a two-week residential stay genuinely productive in ways that go well beyond the pitch.
Both programmes are open to boys and girls aged 9 to 17, from complete beginners through to academy-level players. Coaching groups are organised by age and ability, so every student is challenged appropriately. And yes, goalkeepers are very much welcome and catered for. We run dedicated goalkeeper coaching sessions throughout the programme because we know that goalkeepers need specialist attention, not just an afterthought at the end of an outfield drill.
A global community
One of the things that makes this programme distinctive is the environment your child walks into. With students arriving from 60-plus countries every summer, the residential experience is genuinely international. Your child will share a campus, a dining hall, and a football pitch with young people from backgrounds completely different to their own. The friendships that form tend to last well beyond the final day, and parents regularly tell us that the social experience was every bit as valuable as the coaching.
We typically welcome between 600 and 1,000 students across a summer, and with five venues now in operation, that number will grow. But the feel remains the same. Each venue operates as its own community, small enough that every child is known by name, large enough to create a buzzing, energetic atmosphere.
Book your place for summer 2024
This is the biggest Arsenal Football Development summer we have ever planned, and it is happening because the programme has earned the trust of families around the world. Five venues, two programme options, dedicated goalkeeper coaching, and an international community that your child will not forget in a hurry.
With Arsenal pushing hard for the Premier League title and excitement around the club at its highest point in years, places for summer 2024 will fill up faster than usual. Have a look at the full schedule and book your child's place today. If you have questions about the programme, the venues, or anything else, our team is here to help.
