Summer 2017: Why This Is the Year to Join Arsenal Soccer Schools
There is something in the air at Arsenal right now. The Premier League season has been a frustrating one for Gunners supporters, with the title race slipping away and questions being asked about whether this squad can compete at the very top. But look beyond the league table and there is genuine cause for optimism. The FA Cup run is building real momentum, and if you have watched Arsenal in the competition this season, you will know they look like a team with a point to prove.
That fighting spirit is exactly what we want to see in the young footballers who join us this summer. And with bookings now open for Arsenal Soccer Schools 2017, there has never been a better time to secure your child's place at the UK's most established Arsenal football camp.
Why summer 2017 is special
Every summer at Arsenal Soccer Schools has its own character, shaped by the students who attend, the coaches who lead the sessions, and the broader context of what is happening at the club. This year, the atmosphere will be charged by a season that has tested Arsenal's resilience. Alexis Sanchez has been sensational, Mesut Ozil continues to create chances at will, and the younger players coming through are showing exactly why Arsenal's development pathway is so highly regarded.
Arsenal describe the residential programme as giving children the chance to "learn to play the Arsenal Way", and there is no substitute for training under coaches who actually deliver that methodology day after day. Every coach on the programme holds a minimum UEFA B licence, and the ratio of one coach to every ten students means your child receives genuine individual attention across every session. This is not a holiday club where fifty children chase one ball around a field. It is structured, progressive, professional coaching delivered the Arsenal way.
Four venues, one programme
Arsenal Soccer Schools returns to four outstanding boarding school campuses this summer, each offering the same high standard of coaching, accommodation, and pastoral care.
Charterhouse School in Surrey is our longest-established venue and welcomes boys aged 10 to 15 in a stunning campus setting. Clayesmore School in Dorset brings the programme to the west of England, while Seaford College in Sussex offers a beautiful rural location with excellent sports facilities. Oundle School in Cambridgeshire serves families looking for a venue in the east of England with direct access from London and the Midlands.
All four schools are traditional British boarding schools with the kind of facilities, dormitories, and dining halls that give international students a genuine taste of English boarding school life. Boys and girls aged 9 to 17 are welcome at Clayesmore, Seaford, and Oundle.
More than a football camp
What sets Arsenal Soccer Schools apart from other football camps in England is the combination of professional football coaching and English language tuition in a single residential programme. Every student receives three hours of Arsenal coaching and three hours of English tuition per day, Monday to Friday. The English classes are delivered by qualified teachers and designed to improve fluency through real communication, not textbook exercises.
This is not an add-on or an afterthought. The football and English programme is the core of what we do, and it is the reason families from over 60 countries choose to send their children to us every summer. When your child trains alongside students from Brazil, Japan, Russia, Turkey, France, Nigeria, and dozens of other countries, the English language becomes more than a classroom subject. It becomes the shared language of friendship, teamwork, and daily life.
We expect between 600 and 1,000 students across the summer, creating a genuinely international community that many parents tell us their children talk about for months afterwards.
What your child receives
Every student on the programme receives an official Arsenal Soccer Schools shirt and water bottle on arrival. It is a small thing, but putting on that shirt on the first morning and walking out onto the training pitch alongside students from around the world is a moment that stays with children for years.
The coaching follows official Arsenal Soccer Schools methodology, covering technical development, tactical awareness, small-sided games, and full match play. Sessions are designed to challenge players of all abilities, from those who play regularly at club level back home to those picking up the game more seriously for the first time.
Students who stay for two weeks or longer also enjoy an excursion to Emirates Stadium, which for many young Arsenal fans is the highlight of the entire trip. It is one of the details that sets this Arsenal residential camp apart from anything else available in the UK.
A typical week
The daily schedule is designed to keep students active, engaged, and improving throughout their stay. Mornings begin with coaching on the school pitches, followed by English tuition after lunch. Afternoons bring a second coaching session, and the evenings are filled with organised social activities, from quizzes and talent shows to film nights and football tournaments.
The welfare team is on site around the clock, and the residential nature of the programme means your child is fully immersed in English and football from the moment they wake up to the moment they go to bed. It is an intensive experience, but it is also enormous fun.
Detailed information about fees and what is included can be found on our fees page.
Secure your spot
Places at Arsenal Soccer Schools fill up quickly, particularly at our most popular venues and during the peak weeks of July. The Premier League season may not be going entirely to plan, but Arsenal's cup form suggests this could still be a season to remember, and there is no better way to channel that excitement than by booking your child onto an Arsenal summer camp this July or August.
Visit our booking page to check available dates and secure your child's place. You can explore the full programme on our website, and if you want to talk through which venue or option would work best for your family, our team knows the programme inside out and is happy to point you in the right direction.
