Discover one of the longest-running language immersion camps in Spain, located in Santiago de Compostela.
Since 1984, Chester College International School has hosted the Chester International English Summer Camp every July—a boutique summer camp designed to provide children and teenagers aged 8 to 17 with an unforgettable educational experience, combining English learning and personal growth, within a natural, safe, and truly inspiring environment.
In 2025, we will proudly celebrate our 40th anniversary, reaffirming our commitment to quality education, innovation, and personalized attention tailored to the specific needs of every child and teenager entrusted to us.
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.
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.
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!
Our son Noah spent an excellent time in the Camp again. He was very happy to be a Full Camp participant this time and he met a lot of new friends. He absolutely enjoyed the Camp and would like to come again next year. As parents we felt that our son was very well looked after. Thank you to all who helped to make this Camp such a great success.
Helga D., mother of Noah D. Boon, Germany.
When I first read testimonials from other parents, I was struck by one about a child you wanted to return home on day one, was so and so on day two, and was thrilled after day three. My son Angel called me after his first day and asked me: “Could you have sent me to a worse place?!” … Thanks to Chester´s staff, when I picked him up at the end of Camp the first thing he told me was: “I'll be back next year”. Thank you all for this experience, it is totally worth it, the kids have a blast, they make friends, and they learn.
Ana S., mother of Angel S.
“Thank you very much for everything you have contributed to our children, Guillermo and Alejandro Cruzado, who have thoroughly enjoyed the Camp this summer and who have really improved their English skills, made friends, and had huge fun in Drama”.
Dounia C., mother of Guillermo and Alejandro C.
“This summer we sent our daughter to Chester College, and it was a 10 out of 10, as much for her as for us! She will definitely be attending again next year. Many thanks for everything!”.
Olga G., mother of Olga N.
It was my first summer abroad on my own. It took me a little while to realize that people, who were surrounding me, spoke different languages. But after some days in Chester I understood that it was very easy to speak and communicate with others. All in all, I’d say I really improved my English and even my Spanish! They were beautiful days I spent there, and I will never forget them, so thank you very much for such an enriching experience!
Full Camp: June 29 - July 27 Sesión 1: June 29 - July 13 Sesión 2: July 13-27 AGES Participants aged 8-17 Juniors: 8-12 years Teens: 13-17 years
For children aged 4 to 7, we have a specific Day program: the MINI 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-Camp 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!
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.
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
2025 DATES (40th edition)
Full Camp: June 30 - July 27 Sesión 1: June 30 - July 12 Sesión 2: July 14- 27
AGES Participants aged 8-17.
Juniors: 8-12 years Teens: 13-17 years
For children aged 4 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 20:30. These activities are communicated to parents, in advance, via information letters and emails.
Saturday: full-day trip.
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.
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.
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.
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 2025 Summer Camps will open in January!
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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GESE (Graded Examinations in Spoken eNGLISH) exams come in 12 levels and they test oral skills. They are particularly suited for children aged 8 upwards.
ISE (Integrated Skills in English) exams entail the 4 traditional language components: Speaking & Listening and Reading & Writing. These two different modules may be taken in two different exam sessions (a child might take a module one summer, and the remaining one the next). In Chester College, we typically recommend these for children and teenagers aged 12+.
Trinity College London language diplomas are internationally recognized and do not expire.
Chester College is the first official Trinity College London examination center in Galicia and has been conducting exam sessions since 1992.
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