English summer school
for children aged 8-12
English language courses for kids
Learning a new language boosts a child's development, confidence, and social skills. At our children's summer camp in southern England, students immerse themselves in English while enjoying a beautiful countryside setting.
The camp is held at a secure school campus with spacious grounds, comfortable boarding houses, and excellent facilities, including a swimming pool, performance hall, and a lovely library. House parents ensure students feel supported and at home.
Our program combines English lessons with fun activities, sports, games, and trips. Kids build confidence, improve language skills, make friends from around the world, and enjoy new experiences.
During free time, children can play safely in open spaces, explore the treehouse area, or enjoy swings and slides. Healthy meals with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables support their active lifestyle.
Whether it’s their first or returning experience, ECS offers a happy, safe, and supportive environment with caring staff dedicated to student wellbeing.
Location: Dorset, England, UK
Course length: 2-5 weeks
Course size: max. 80 children
English tuition per week: 15 hours
Class size: max. 16
Staff to student ratio: 1:6
Accommodation: residential on our countryside campus
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Age range
Our children's summer camp is for 8 to 12 year olds.
We sometimes accept 7-year-olds if they are independent, and 13 year-olds can join this group if they prefer. This flexibility ensures a personalised summer experience for every child.
Children aged 13+ join our English summer camp for teenagers.
Teaching programme
English lessons for younger children use art, crafts, songs, games, stories, and drama, blending language learning with personal, social, and educational development.
Lessons are engaging and often tied to activities and excursions. For example, learning about nature in class may include treasure hunts, leaf crafts, and countryside walks.
Workshops in art, drama, and cookery help students build confidence, develop creativity, and learn practical skills. This holistic approach, called Real Learning, ensures lasting education.
Our friendly and professional teachers, activity leaders and house parents are qualified and thoroughly vetted to ensure pupils are safe and well-supported.
Accommodation
Our summer school offers on-site residential accommodation for children aged 8-12 in a modern boarding house. Boys and girls stay on separate floors.
Each child has a private bedroom with a desk, storage, and washbasin. Corridors for about 10 children have shared toilets and washing facilities. Bedrooms have removable partitions, allowing kids to share with a similarly aged friend or relative if they prefer.
The boarding house includes a common room with disco lighting, a cosy seating area with a TV and piano, plus table tennis and pool tables.
House parents provide a warm, friendly, and supervised environment where children feel comfortable, practice English, and make new friends.
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The main school building is called 'The Mansion'. We sometimes use this for small groups, or if we have a particularly busy summer.
The Mansion is comfortably furnished and full of 'Harry Potter' style character. Children are accommodated in bedrooms or four to six people. There are separate areas for girls and boys and comfortable common rooms.
The grand hall is oak panelled and has a huge working fireplace, great for gathering round for story telling and hot drinks in the evenings!
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Sports, activities and excursions
After morning English lessons, students practice their skills through a wide variety of afternoon and evening activities.
Our camp offers sports like swimming and dodgeball, with optional professional coaching in golf and tennis. No fitness level or experience is required - everyone is welcome!
Weekends feature trips to local attractions for sightseeing, shopping, and culture. Evenings include social activities like games and movie nights, helping students connect, make friends, and improve their English communication.
Students aged 11+ can also join a special trip to see the ancient stone circle at Stonehenge.
Child Care
Our experienced team supports pupils from arrival to departure.
Activities are risk-assessed and planned to be safe, fun, and inclusive. Staff are always available to help during games, sports, social events, and trips.
All staff are background-checked and trained in child safeguarding, with several also qualified in first aid. The swimming pool is always supervised by a lifeguard.