Arsenal Football Development Airport Transfer Information & Camp Frequently Asked Questions
For students travelling to England alone, the camp provides a negotiated transfer service from London Heathrow (LHR), London Gatwick (LGW) and London Stansted (STN) airports (see airport available based on your camp site location in below table) as well as St Pancras Eurostar train station in downtown London to the campuses (see airport assignments in the Camp Prices page). When a transfer is booked with Exsportise, students are met in the Arrivals Hall by an Exsportise representative. The Camp staff will wait for a group of other students who are arriving at a similar time before driving them to their venue (in case of flight delays waiting time can be adjusted). For their return journey, students will be checked in and seen through security in time for their flight. The staff will remain at the airport/station until all flights or trains have departed. Students will be supervised by an Exsportise staff member at all times before security for departures, and after security for arrivals.
Arrival transfers are recommended on Sunday between 9:00 and 15:00 (3:00pm) and departure transfers are recommended on Saturday between 12:00 noon and 17:00 (5:00pm) from the major transport links. Arrivals and departures to and from non standard airports or different days will be charged on an individual basis, please contact us for details on outside transfer days or airports. If your child is traveling as an unaccompanied minor (UM), make sure to mention it when you process the registration. Please read the following PDF for arrival or departure outside the hours mentioned above.
Participants must arrive on the first date of the camp and leave on the last date of the camp as mentioned on your registration.
The camp cannot accept students to arrive before 9:00 on the FIRST Sunday at the beginning of the summer sessions (check the dates to find out the first/last summer session at your camp site). When all the camps end at the end of the summer on the final Saturday at each center, kids have to vacate the centers by 12:00 noon, so the camp cannot accept anyone flying later than 17:00 on these days.
Check local requirements for children travelling without their parents or legal guardian – each country has specific requirements and may require written consent and/or identity documents.
Please note that UK Border Control (Immigration) does not allow children to wait alone without supervision at airports.
UK Border Control may stop any child traveling alone and will only release them into the care of an adult. Therefore, students cannot wait by themselves.
ARRIVAL TRANSFER PROCEDURES:
- Go through Passport Control (Immigration) and collect ALL your luggage from the Baggage Hall (if you have lost luggage you need to get a lost luggage receipt before exiting).
- Go through Customs Hall and enter Arrivals Hall. Look out for the Exsportise representative, holding an Exsportise sign (they are likely to be wearing an orange Exsportise shirt).
Unaccompanied Minor (UM) Arrival Transfer (usually paid service to the airline!):
- After being shown to your flight at your home airport and having received assistance during the flight, a member of the airline will collect you from your plane, accompany you through Passport Control and Baggage Hall and hand you over to the Exsportise staff member waiting for you in the Arrivals Hall.
DEPARTURE TRANSFER PROCEDURES:
- An Exsportise representative will check you in and accompany you to Security.
- From there you have to pass the security checks by yourself and make your own way to your departure gate.
Unaccompanied Minor (UM) Departure Transfer (usually paid service to the airline!):
- Exsportise will check you in and stay with you until handing you over to the airline staff approximately 1 hour before your flight take-off. The airline staff will then take you through Security and take you on board your plane.
- The airline will look after you on the plane and hand you over to the person collecting you at your home airport.
UNACCOMPANIED MINOR SERVICE (UM SERVICE, usually paid service to the airline!)
Depending on which airline you are travelling with, it may also be possible to take advantage of that airline’s Unaccompanied Minor service (UM, check Airlines Services for UM). The airline will ensure that your child gets safely on board the aircraft and is taken care of on the flight. In London the airline staff will then assist your child with their luggage before handing them on to Exsportise in the Arrivals Hall.
Please note that, in accordance with UK Border Control rules and regulations, children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult at all times whilst in the airport/international station. Students cannot wait by themselves.
It is of vital importance that all necessary flight/train details are sent to Soccer Camps International with the booking form or as soon as available. The camp requires the exact flight information including dates, airlines, flight numbers, arrival and departure terminals, and flight times. This service must be booked no later than 1 month prior to the start of the course.
SF = Seaford | WR = Worth | OD = Oundle | TK = Teikyo
| Approximate Journey Time: | ||||
| SF | WR | OD | TK | |
| London Heathrow (LHR) Airport | 1 hour 30 minutes | 1 hour | 2 hours 15 minutes | 30 minutes |
| London Gatwick (LGW) Airport | 1 hour | 15 minutes | n/a | 1 hour 15 minutes |
| London Stansted (STN) Airport | n/a | n/a | 1 hour 30 minutes | n/a |
| St Pancras (Eurostar) Train Station | 2 hours 30 minutes | 2 hours | 2 hours 15 minutes | 1 hour 30 minutes |
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: What age group can attend Arsenal Football Development?
A: Arsenal Football Development offers training sessions for Boys and Girls from 9 – 17 years old. Age restrictions vary from location to location. Seaford College offers Boys and Girls (Coed) sessions for 10 – 17 years old, Worth School offers Boys and Girls (Coed) sessions for 9 – 16 years old, Oundle School offers Boys and Girls (Coed) sessions for 12 – 17 years old and Teikyo School offers Boys and Girls (Separate) sessions for 9 – 15 years old. Please note that campers must be within the relevant age restrictions to register for the camp and that campers whose age is outside of the above age limits cannot register for the camp. Camp participants need to be the relevant age throughout the duration of the course in order to register.
Q: Are there any girls only training sessions available?
A: Yes, there are girls only sessions available but only at the Teikyo School location (if there are not enough girls registered to do a specific girls only session, that session will then be coed and Girls and Boys will practice together) and there are no girls only sessions available at any of the other locations since the sessions at Seaford College, Worth School, and Oundle School are all Coed sessions where boys and girls train together (limited number of girls participation). For the 4 locations with coed training (Seaford College, Worth School and Oundle School) there is a very limited number of girl participants during the summer for the soccer camp and although the percentage of girls attending the soccer camp usually increases year after year, we cannot guarantee that girls will be attending your child’s soccer camp session but girls will be present at all of the locations since each location also offers other sports camps which have many girl participants attending them. Please visit the Camp Dates page for session availability.
Q: My child is just outside the relevant age for a particular course. What can I do?
A: Unfortunately your child has to be of the relevant age throughout the duration of the course.
Q: What do I need to bring with me to camp?
A: You can find a list of what we recommend children bring with them HERE (PDF).
Q: What are the check-in and check-out times at camp when dropped off directly at camp site?
A: Camp self check-in is on Sunday afternoons from 15:00 PM – 16:30 PM and self check-out is on Saturday mornings from 09:00 AM – 11:00 AM.
Q: What are the contacts at the camp sites during the summer (to come before summer begins)?
Q: How can I get a trial with the Academy?
A: Arsenal has a scouting network to identify talented youngsters. Players need to make an impression for their local club/team. You cannot apply for a trial through Arsenal Football Development.
Q: What are the chances of meeting a player?
A: Arsenal first team players will not be attending the Arsenal Football Development courses.
Q: My child is attending on his or her own; will he or she be ok?
A: Yes, the majority of players attend without friends and family. Individuals will be placed in groups with players near the same age who are also on their own. The first session of every course is designed to help all individual players integrate to form a team and also make new friends.
Q: What to expect as far as camp culture based on the country of the camp?
A: Each camp provides a sports experience as well as a cultural experience. Many of the participants will experience something different from home as they will be in a foreign country with a different way of living. For most of the camps, participants will experience the local cuisine, special times for meals (early meals in northern Europe, late meals in southern Europe) as per the culture of the country, showers after training sessions, typical entertainment at the camp as per the country’s summer camp culture, early or late bedtimes based on the country’s living habits and more. If you feel that your child will have difficulties to adapt to a new way of living, then we recommend that you wait until your child is of an age where they will be ready to do so.
Q: Where are the residential camps based?
A: The weekly residential soccer camps are based at Seaford College, Worth School, Oundle School and Teikyo School. More details can be found on the Camp Location page.
Q: Are meals provided?
A: Meals are provided on the residential courses. The camp provides three nutritious buffet style meals each day as well as packed lunches on days when students are off site or on excursions. All meals are served in each venue’s dining hall. The meals are healthy and nutritious with a wide variety to choose from. Special diets may be catered for by prior request. Halal/Kosher meals cannot be guaranteed but vegetarian options will be available.
Q: Are snacks and refreshments available?
A: The venues run their own shops in the evenings where students may be able to buy snacks or drinks.
Q: What does full accommodation include?
A: Rooms vary from twins and quads. Accommodation includes; 3 meals a day, bedding and full use of site facilities. More information can be found on the Camp Location page.
Q: How much pocket money will they need whilst on the camp?
A: It is suggested that each child brings about 75 – 150 British Pounds per week of pocket money to buy souvenirs, drinks, etc.
Q: Can I visit my child during the camp?
A: The camp does not recommend that parents visit their children during the camp. However, parents are welcome to be there on the first and last day of camp to check the facilities, meet the staff, and get the children settled at camp. it is possible for parents to come once during the week also. You can contact the Centre Administrator during the camp and he will let you know what days are best for visits.
Q: Can I stay on site with my child?
A: No but you can find a list of local accommodations HERE (PDF).
Q: Are there specific goalkeeping courses?
A: Goalkeeper training is available for all sessions at all locations. Goalkeeper training consists of a couple of hours of goalkeeper training daily during the week.
Q: Does the child need a ‘Child Tourist/Visitor Visa’ to attend the soccer camp?
A: IMPORTANT: Please note, you are solely responsible for obtaining all needed travel documents including but not limited to a valid passport and any appropriate tourist travel visas for the person attending the soccer camp, the Participant. You must contact the appropriate consulate office for entry requirements and visa requirements for the country where the selected camp is located. Once you have registered your child with us, and have paid for the camp in full, upon your written request, we will be pleased to provide a letter confirming enrolment for the specific Participant. This letter may be required by certain consulates for the ‘Child Tourist/Visitor Visa’. (NOTE: We can only issue the letter for the Participant not for any other person.) Please be advised that consulate’s visa application processes can take many months. The more you wait, the more chances you have to be denied the required ‘Child Tourist/Visitor Visa’ for your child and certain camps will not issue a refund. Please check the terms for the camp.
Q: Do I need insurance?
A: Insurance in included in your camp. See details on the Camp Prices page but if you want additional coverage we recommend that you do take out insurance to cover personal belongings, illness, repatriation and injury. No refunds will be issued if illness or injury prevents individuals from participation or cuts short their stay on the course.
Q: Will I be in the same room as my friend?
A: Accommodation will be in double rooms thru quad rooms (depending on site), with toilets and showers being shared (except Teikyo with private bathroom). Bed linen will be provided. Should you wish to share with a friend or relative please indicate this when you make your booking online. Please note that we cannot guarantee any room share requests. Please visit the Camp Location page for more information.
Q: How many weeks can my child attend for?
A: We advise you to only send your child for a maximum of two consecutive weeks but if you choose your child can also stay 3 weeks. This is due to the busy training schedule throughout the week and after two weeks children tend to get tired, homesick, or possibly injured. Children staying two weeks will go on excursions during the weekend. One excursion is either a visit to a nearby city of historical and cultural significance or to a theme park/other attraction while the second excursion may be a visit to the home of Arsenal Football Club – The Emirates Stadium.
Q: When is the closing date for applications?
A: Applications are open until there are no slots left. Slots are limited and are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Once a session is filled, then it is closed for sale.
Q: When can I phone my child?
A: Campers are not allowed to use their mobile phones during training, classes, or any activities. Your child will let you know the best time for you to contact him after his camp session has started. Contact details for the camp will be provided to you a few weeks before camp starts in the welcome email packet. WIFI is available at all sites.
Q: What are the camp’s telephone numbers?
A: Camp telephone numbers will be provided on this page a month or so before the start of camp for registered campers.
Q: Will I be able to phone my child on his mobile phone?
A: Mobile phones are not allowed to be used during classes or any of the activities, you will be able to contact him outside of these activities.
Q: Is a laundry service available?
A: Children staying one week will need to bring about 7 days’ worth of clothing. For children staying two weeks, a free laundry service is available mid-week whereby clothes will be collected, washed, dried, and returned approximately 2 days later. Please ensure all items are marked with your child’s name or the camp cannot guarantee that their laundry will be returned to them.
Q: My child has to follow a specific diet for health reasons. Is it possible?
A: If your child has any special dietary requirements, if you did not mention it when you registered online, please inform us as soon as possible. Most diets can be catered for by prior arrangement.
Q: My child takes prescription medication – should I inform you about this?
A: Yes, please be sure to indicate in the online application form any medication that your son is taking or if he is following a treatment. We will update the medical staff at the disposal at the camp who will follow your son. It is important that we receive accurate information about any pre-existing medical conditions your child may have. Should you not have already informed us of a medical condition when you registered online please do so as soon as possible. Please note that Arsenal Football Development accepts students on the assumption that they are in good health. If your child needs to bring any medication with them please give us full information about dosage, time to take the medication, and storage information. Each centre has a Medical Room where your child can go to take their medicine under supervision or if they feel unwell at any time during their stay.
Q: Is there anybody supervising the participants during the night?
A: There is camp staff on site 24 hours per day.
Q: My child is participating for two weeks in the Summer Camp: will the staff take care of him during the transition period between one week to the other?
A: There will be staff staying with the children during the weekend between the two sessions, participants will go on excursions during the weekend.
Q: What languages do the coaches speak at camp?
A: Arsenal Football Development sessions are taught in English only. For many years, we have had participants coming from all over the world and a lot of them do not speak English but acclimate very well to the camp as there has not been any language barrier in the past. As there are other sports activities on site, many kids from all over the world participate.
Arsenal Football Development in exclusive partnership with Exsportise Summer Schools in the UK