Elite Football Coaching with Palace for Life at Caterham Summer School

Courses are designed and delivered by Caterham School teachers and specialist coaches, with football coaching delivered by Palace for Life Foundation. Students can attend for one, two, three or four weeks, and the football programme starts each week and stands alone, so a student can join on any week.

The fee covers accommodation, lessons, excursions, airport and train transfers within the advertised arrival and departure times, laundry, course books and materials, and all sports and activities. Residential and day places are both available. A non-refundable application fee applies as part of the application process and includes assessment and interview; a non-refundable deposit secures the place.

Boarding students stay in Caterham School boarding houses, with rooms arranged by age: single, twin or triple ensuite rooms for older students, and twin, triple or small dorm-style rooms for younger students. Boarding houses are divided into separate accommodation for boys and girls. Residential staff live on site and provide 24-hour supervision.

Residential students receive three freshly prepared meals a day, cooked on site, with a menu that mixes international dishes and familiar favourites, a weekly barbecue or street-food style meal, and healthy snacks through the day. Dietary needs are fully accommodated, including vegetarian, vegan, halal and allergies. Day students receive a freshly prepared lunch and snacks.

Alongside coaching, the programme includes the full summer school activity and excursion programme: sports, creative workshops and team challenges, access to the WildCats Adventure Course, two full-day excursions each week, and a visit to a water sports centre for kayaking, paddleboarding and windsurfing. Players also visit the Crystal Palace Academy training ground, train there, and take a stadium tour.

The programme runs on the Caterham School campus in the Surrey countryside, using the school pitches, sports facilities, classrooms for match analysis and the boarding houses.

A genuine boarding school experience rather than a summer school that merely occupies a boarding school. Players come from the UK and around the world. Performance work includes academy-style fitness testing, personal player development reports and a certificate of completion, and the programme ends with a graduation presentation and awards. Pastoral care includes a dedicated welfare team, structured routines and a Summer School Matron.