Football Camp Arsenal FC – Portsmouth

Here’s what happens when you arrive on campus:

Check-in

Deposit of valuables, including pocket money and travel tickets, which will be kept in a safe place.

We encourage your child to telephone you to let you know that they have arrived safely.

Your child is taken to his/her room

Brief presentation of the course

Visit to the centre

Activity/game or dinner (depending on arrival time)

The first day begins with a presentation of the site and assessment tests.

Your child will take part in a range of activities to help them settle in quickly and make new friends.

The departure list will be posted two days before the planned departure date, with departure times for all children concerned. Departure times are calculated according to the transport time from the centre to the departure point and the check-in time for your child’s train/plane.
If your child believes that a mistake has been made regarding their departure time, they should inform an Administrator who will check their ticket and make any necessary changes.

On the day of departure, your child must pack all his/her belongings and be ready for the departure time that has been communicated to him/her.

They will then be taken to their airport or Eurostar station by taxi, minibus, coach or, in some cases, public transport.

The ratio of staff to children is 1:4, guaranteeing excellent supervision.

The teams are all enthusiastic, motivated and professional. Before working for the Arsenal course, all staff members must undergo a DBS Check (a background and criminal record check carried out by a non departmental public body). They must also also undergo training in first aid, pastoral care and health and safety procedures. Sports instructors are fully qualified, have extensive experience or are former players in the sport they teach.
The English teachers all hold TEFL diploma (Teaching English as a Foreign Language).

Finally, all the staff live on site, which means that the children can be looked after children 24 hours a day, both on and off site. Some centres are also equipped with CCTV. Staff bedrooms are adjacent to the children’s bedrooms. Anyone attempting to leave the centre at night, at the risk of endangering themselves or others, will be immediately dismissed.

An emergency number will be given to you before the start of the camp so that you can contact your child.

Most participants come to the camp without their friends and family. Children attending the camp alone will be grouped with other players of the same age who are also alone. The first session of each camp is designed to help all individual players integrate into a team and make new friends.

If necessary, paramedics and first-aiders will be able to administer over-the-counter medicines (such as paracetamol) to your child unless you advise them otherwise in writing.

All campuses are close to a medical centre and they will arrange for your child to see a doctor if necessary.

If you would like your child to share a room with a friend or family member, please let us know when you book online and at least 4 weeks before the start of the camp. Please note that we cannot guarantee all requests and that in some cases it may be necessary to reapply on the first day of the camp.

It’s always a good idea to remind us that your child will be celebrating his or her birthday during the camp. They can celebrate with their new friends over a birthday cake.

If you would like to send a letter or parcel to your child during their stay, you will find the campus address on the document we will provide you with a few days before the start of the camp.

Every evening there is a varied programme of entertainment in which both children and instructors take part. These activities allow everyone to get to know each other better while having fun.

Some examples of entertainment: quiz night, film night, games night, karaoke and disco.

All children must be in bed between 9.30pm and 11pm, depending on their age.

Yes, it’s available on all the Arsenal campus

The bathrooms are cleaned every day and the sheets are changed once a week, on Saturdays

Players must bring :

T-shirts/tops/sweatshirts 5 and over

Trousers/Shorts/Socks 5 and over

Underwear 5 and over

A pair of slippers /Two pyjamas & 2 swimming costumes

Rainwear

Shower towel/Pool towel/Toiletries bag

A cap and a tube of sun cream

Rucksack

Water bottle

At least one pair of moulded studs, one pair of trainers, shin guards, football socks (at least 5 and more), sports T-shirts and shorts (at least 5 and more).

All clothing must be marked with the player’s first and last name.

Please do not bring valuable jewellery, clothing, luxury luggage or expensive electronic equipment.

If your child wishes to bring valuables to camp such as iPods, tablets, phones, cameras, etc., we recommend that they hand them over to the centre director or administrator on arrival for safe keeping. We recommend that they hand these in to the centre director or centre administrator on arrival for safe keeping.

The course accepts no responsibility for the loss or theft of valuables.

If your child is staying for a week, they will need to bring approximately 7 days’ worth of clothes, and there will be NO laundry service.

If your child is staying for more than a week, a free laundry service will be available every weekend. Clothes will be collected, washed, dried and returned approximately 2 days later, provided they are marked with your child’s name.

We recommend that you bring a small amount of pocket money for souvenirs, snacks and occasional purchases. Children staying for more than a week will take part in at least two excursions and will also enjoy an evening entertainment programme, which may be off-site for older children.

However, we do ask that you do not give excessive amounts, and that you do not give euros or other currencies as there is no exchange available. All pocket money must be in British Sterling.

We recommend between £50 and £100.

Yes, all passports, tickets and pocket money will be held by the centre director or administrator for added security.

Visa requirements are constantly changing. Please contact your local British embassy for the latest information on travelling to England.

Two weeks before your child arrives at the camp, he or she will have to take an online English assessment to accurately evaluate his or her level of English before the start of the camp. This will enable us to form groups efficiently.

When you take the transfer option, players are met in the arrivals hall by a camp representative. Camp staff will wait to see if other players arrive at similar times before taking them all to their accommodation. For their return journey, players will be checked in and escorted through security checks in time for their flight. Staff will remain at the airport or station until all flights or trains have departed. Players will be supervised at all times by a member of the camp staff before security checks for departures, and after security checks for arrivals.