Summer Camp
Summer Camp

Chester International English Summer Camp

This summer you will speak a lot of English

English is the first language of over 400 million people and the second language of a further 200 million.

It opens doors in social, career and academic contexts.

And above all it is not a hard language to learn.

It may seem so at times, but that can be put down to failings in methods and settings. The problem is that sometimes learners do not obtain tangible results in terms of the various communication skills (listening comprehension, reading comprehension, written expression and, above all, oral expression).

We hear this from you continually:

  • "There are too many students per class at my child's school for them to speak and practice the language properly".
  • "My daughter is beginning to speak English with a poor accent because she has no good examples of pronunciation and intonation to follow".
  • "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to have my son make substantial progress in his fluency in English, but I don't know what to do. Private classes? Send them abroad to an English-speaking country?”

In short, what do you recommend?

Chester English Summer Camp: Galicia's first international, full-immersion English language camp.

The ultimate in learning and fun, in sunny Spain

Learning via language immersion on a fun, educational program, where children aged 8 to 17:

  • Are constantly exposed to English and given continual opportunities to speak the language and interact in it: this can help them make a great leap forward in their communication skills;
  • Help prepare and stage a musical. This gives them confidence and helps them lose or at least learn to face up to any sense of embarrassment about speaking and singing in English on a stage;
  • Can also sit for a Trinity College London official English language certificate at the school itself;
  • Can enjoy themselves playing and doing sports outdoors on Chester College's ample green grounds (football, basketball, volleyball and the swimming pool) and off campus (canoeing, kayaking, surfing and horse-riding for beginners, aqua-park trips, etc.);
  • Also have the chance to get to know one of Spain’s landmarks, Santiago de Compostela, and see some of Galicia's cultural heritage sites at weekends, with trips to the beach included: we don't waste our time or our chances to enjoy the sun!; and
  • Make friends with classmates of their own age from all over Spain and indeed the world, in a safe, family setting.
  • Summer Camp
  • Summer Camp

All thanks to a method honed over 35 years

  • A sound team of carefully selected native English-speaking teachers.
  • A low teacher/student ratio (1:8) to maximize exposure and interaction.
  • A timetable optimized to make sure that not a second is wasted.
  • Emphasis on drama and singing as teaching tools to help develop communication skills.
  • The presence of campers from all over Spain and elsewhere encourages interest in others and in the wider world.
  • Large, beautiful grounds in a natural setting conducive to outdoor play, sports and recreational activities.

And you can obtain an official qualification too

Full-Program (4 weeks) campers may optionally prepare and sit a Trinity College London language certification test (GESE or ISE) at the end of the Camp, in-house.

More information about the tests
65% of our campers return to our summer camps two or more consecutive years.
In 2022, 40% of our campers had attended our summer programs for 6 or more consecutive years!

We are passionate about watching them grow!

View more testimonials

Two options: Boarding and Day

Boarding option

2024 DATES (39th edition)

Full Camp: June 30 - July 28
Session 1: June 30 - July 14
Session 2: July 14 - 28

AGES

Participants aged 8-17
Juniors: 8-12 years
Teens: 13-17 years

For children aged 3 to 7, we have a specific Day program: the MINI Camp.

Chester College International School

Summer Camp

WHAT DOES THE BOARDING CAMP INCLUDE?

  • More than 80 weekly hours of English immersion, including a daily (Mon-Friday) program entailing oral English sessions, Music, Drama, public speaking and a wide range of intensive linguistic activities.
  • Accommodation in Chester College’s residential facilities (separate male/female houses, carefully and caringly supervised by dorm parents). 2, 3 and 4-bed bedrooms.
  • Full board: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and morning and afternoon snack. All meals are cooked in Chester College’s kitchen. Special diets are catered for.
  • Daily recreational, sport and cultural program on and off campus. Sports may include: football, baseball, swimming, volleyball, introduction to surfing, kayaking, horse-riding, amongst many others.
  • Preparation and full staging of an End-of-Program Musical and a showcase after Session 1.
  • Preparation for Trinity College London examinations (GESE, ISE) – Full Program campers only.
  • Separate program of evening activities: talent shows, treasure hunts, “Discover Santiago” games, competitions, arts & crafts, themed parties… & more!
  • Saturday & Sunday trips to areas of educational and recreational interest in Santiago de Compostela and the wider region of Galicia.
  • Use of course materials.
  • Weekly laundry service (personal clothes & bed linen).
  • Progress Report at the end of the Camp.
  • Accident insurance.
  • Airport / Train Station transportation & pick-up service to and from the Camps (optional).
  • Permanent, 24:7, staff supervision, care and assistance, for an unforgettable experience.

Boarding Camp Fees

Download our Boarding Camp fees here.

If you have any queries or wish to talk to us to discuss your child’s particular needs or situation,
do not hesitate to get in touch with us: we would be delighted to assist you.

Get in touch

Boarding Life

For our residential participants, there are two separate school residences (a girls’ residence and a boys’ residence), with bedrooms for 2-3 campers in each.

Camp participants are accompanied by dorm-parents at all times, who strive to create a homely, safe and caring environment, where the values of friendship, respect, tidiness and age-based autonomy are actively promoted.

Families receive a list of guidelines with regards to Camp clothes and personal equipment. The Camp also offers a laundry service, so clothes will need to be adequately named or tagged. Details on this and other practicalities to follow upon Camp registration.

Day option

2024 DATES (39th edition) 

Full Camp: July 1 - 28
Session 1: July 1 - 13
Session 2: July 15 - 28

AGES
Participants aged 8-17.

Juniors: 8-12 years
Teens: 13-17 years

For children aged 3 to 7, we have a specific Day program: the MINI Camp.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE
Monday to Friday: 09:15 - 18:30.
One or two times a week special out-of-campus activities stretching up to 21:00. These activities are communicated to parents, in advance, via information letters and emails.

Saturday: full-day trip.

Summer Camp

WHAT DOES THE DAY CAMP INCLUDE?

  • More than 50 weekly hours of English immersion, including a daily (Mon-Friday) program entailing oral English sessions, Music, Drama, public speaking and a wide range of intensive linguistic activities.
  • Half-board: lunch and afternoon snack. All meals are cooked in Chester College’s kitchen. Special diets are catered for.
  • Daily recreational sports program on and off campus. Sports may include: football, baseball, swimming, volleyball, introduction to surfing, kayaking, horse-riding, amongst many others.
  • Preparation and full staging of an End-of-Program Musical and a showcase after Session 1.
  • Preparation for Trinity College London examinations (GESE, ISE) – Full Program campers only.
  • Saturday full-day trips to areas of educational and recreational interest in the region of Galicia.
  • Use of course materials.
  • Progress Report at the end of the Camp.
  • Accident insurance.
  • Early Arrivals & Breakfast service from 08:00 to 09:15 (optional).
  • Transport from and to Santiago city center, in the morning and afternoon (optional - please get in touch with the Office for details).
  • Permanent staff supervision, care and assistance, for an unforgettable experience.

Day Camp Fees

Download our Day Camp fees here.

If you have any queries or wish to talk to us to discuss your child’s particular needs or situation,
do not hesitate to get in touch with us: we would be delighted to assist you.

Get in touch

Our musicals

In parallel to all the other activities organized, all campers prepare a musical over the course of their stay at the camp, which is then performed before friends and families upon the end of Camp. Session 1 campers partake on a Showcase.

Helping to prepare a show is quite an experience, and one that entails effort, teamwork, active communication and so much more. Our campers generally give this major feature of our program a 5/5 rating: Even the shyest children; and even those who have never been involved in drama before.

In the past years, our campers have performed stylized versions of numerous musicals, including High School Musical, Matilda, The Greatest Showman, Mary Poppins, Rewrite, Frozen,The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, School of Rock... amongst many others! Do check our Vimeo channel here to access trailers of past performances.

Summer Camp Summer Camp

Chester's Camp history

Chester College’s first summer camps took place the summer of 1985.

That first July, at a time when traveling to Spain for summer work was relatively infrequent, a team of teachers from the UK, Ireland and the US landed in Santiago de Compostela.

Led by the local team, led by Ms Juan Pías, Ms Dolores Peleteiro and Mr Aubrey Whitehead, they organized Chester’s first English language immersion Camp for a group of 80 children and teenagers.

Since then, Chester College has welcomed over 4000 campers and 300 teachers (many of which join us year after year).

In the past decade, we have begun to welcome the children of many alumni: they are the best tribute to our work and the greatest of motivations to continue creating unforgettable educational summer experiences!

Camp registration

Registration for our 2024 Summer Camps is now open!

We do not have a registration deadline: please note places are limited and they are assigned on a “first-come, first-served” basis. Registration before April 1 is highly encouraged.

An Early Bird registration discount (5%) will be applied to registrations formalized by March 15.

  • 1. Fill in an online Registration Form for each Camp participant:
  • 2. You will receive an automatic email from us stating that we have received your registration form. If that were not the case, something has gone wrong: do contact us so that we can help you.
  • 3. We will get in touch with you to confirm your place or places in the Camp and send you both our banking details, for Registration Fee payment, and other practical welcome information.
  • 4. Remaining fees should be made payable before June 15, 2023.
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