Summer with us, designed by you.
Queen Ethelburga's International Summer School offers a glimpse into the exceptional experiences available at our award-winning, industry-leading independent school.
From registration to departure, we provide a bespoke and personalised experience, ensuring that each student enjoys an unforgettable time of learning, relaxation, and making lifelong friends from around the globe. With limited places available, we maintain an intimate and engaging environment where every student can thrive.
Nestled in over 220 acres of picturesque North Yorkshire countryside, Queen Ethelburga’s has been a vibrant and supportive school community since 1912. Our innovative and highly successful school offers first-class teaching in outstanding facilities, creating the perfect setting for students to immerse themselves in English and activity-based programmes.
Students have the opportunity to develop their English language skills, customise their schedules with creative and enriching elective modules, and experience the best of British boarding life at one of the UK’s top independent boarding schools.
Why Choose QE This Summer?
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“All the teachers and members of staff here are very kind and reasonable. They’re very warm and nice especially Jason, Sam, George. The basketball court is high-quality. I wanted to spend all week at the court.”
International Summer School student, 2023
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For All Ages
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The Programme
“I really enjoyed this summer camp, it was a very good experience, very different. I learned a lot of things and I loved making new friends. I hope I have the opportunity to come back next year!”
International Summer School student, 2023
| English Learning Pathway |
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Students will have a minimum of 10 hours of English language learning per week. Some of this will be in a traditional classroom setting, but most English teaching will be embedded within other lessons and activities. Cross-curricular teaching means English language learning is at the heart of all of what we do here at the International Summer School. Students have the potential to make huge progress in their spoken and written English, focusing on fluency and usability. The curriculum will loosely follow the internationally recognised IELTS examination syllabus and is taught by experienced English tutors. Students will be put into ability groups (based on a short test on arrival) to build foundational skills to be practised in activities and different scenarios. |
| Senior Elective Pathways |
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Students aged 13-17 will tailor each week of their academic summer school programme with one of four exciting pathways. Students can discover exciting, new subjects or develop existing skills while learning from our expert team of professional coaches and teachers. Students can change pathways on a weekly basis. Language learning will be embedded and enriched by participation in these classes. Students can choose from:
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| Junior Programme - Camp QE |
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After a jam-packed English lesson, Junior students can look forward to an energetic afternoon with our Camp QE staff. Students will take part in activities such as water sports, footgolf, scavenger hunts, building challenges and much more. We love team challenges and themed days at QE, and so do our students! Success is celebrated with end of week events, such as discos and pool parties. Or, if students want something more relaxing, there are activities such as arts and crafts or film nights. Our state-of-the-art facilities and high-quality, independent-school coaching staff ensure that your child has a safe, enjoyable learning experience that they will always remember. |
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Thrive and Evening Sessions |
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At Queen Ethelburga’s, wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do. Our THRIVE programme was even recently shortlisted for a TES Independent School Wellbeing Award. Students on our short courses can begin their day with activities such as yoga, crafts, or mindfulness, and have access to specialised wellbeing workshops throughout their time at International Summer School. After the evening meal, there are additional sessions to help you meet other students, learn new skills, or practice old hobbies. These sessions include music, team games, board games, swimming, badminton, yoga, baking, and access to our onsite wellbeing garden. Our varied and exciting entertainment programme also includes outdoor theatre productions, cinema experiences, sports tournaments, and themed nights, all designed to help students relax before settling into their comfortable boarding accommodation. |
*New for 2025* 7-Day Intensive Football Residential in Partnership with Mike Phelan Coaching
This course is designed for students aged 14-17 who are currently playing football in a team and want to enhance their skills on the pitch and expand their knowledge of the professional football industry.
Participants will have the opportunity to work with nutritionists and strength and conditioning coaches, meet the professional coaches running the performance sports programme at Queen Ethelburga's, and collaborate with Mike Phelan and his team.
Creativity, Culture, Health, And Wellbeing
All students will take part in creative activities daily. Performing Arts in the King's Theatre, (our professional, 314-seat venue) or our dance and music studios; or fashion and design challenges, drawing, craft, and photography workshops as part of the Creative Arts.
Health is a core principle of International Summer School and we have an industry-quality student fitness centre and swimming pool, plus outdoor courts for tennis, basketball and cricket. Timetabled sessions will allow students free time to engage in physical activity, whether it be group-led or as an individual.
The wellbeing of our students is paramount. We aim to provide a safe and secure environment and a happy, supportive, and close community, in which students can thrive, both mentally and physically whilst in our care.
Students are encouraged to be considerate, confident, independent and resilient, respecting and celebrating cultural diversity.
Trips And Excursions
Students can look forward to an exciting itinerary of trips, with both an academic focus, and of course, the chance to relax, socialise and experience a wide range of leisure activities.
There is no better way to embed language learning than practising it with others, and our mixed nationality student body means that there are plenty of chances to do this throughout the day, as well as whilst on trips.
There is one planned trip per week and to maximise your Summer School experience, we recommend staying for four weeks.
- Week One - Full day excursion to Manchester
- Week Two - Overnight stay in London
- Week Three - Full day excursion to York
- Week Four - Overnight stay at residential activity centre which includes outdoor and water-based activities
Please book your place at International Summer School by 23rd May 2025 to guarantee your place on the weekly trips.
Here is an overview of the trips that took place in July 2024:
| London |
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Two Full Days - one overnight stay in London Explore the sites of London by taking a walking tour from Tower of London to Buckingham Palace via St. Paul's Cathedral, the Palace of Westminster, Trafalgar Square, seeing Horse Guards Parade and The Mall. In the evening, you can enjoy a meal out and a West End show. The following day, explore Covent Garden, the Tomb Raider Experience, Crystal Maze or Harry Potter Studios. |
| York |
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Full Day Trip Historical and cultural immersion in what many describe as the Northern Capital City of England! Finish by enjoying an evening meal at Panda Mami. |
| Residential Outdoor Activity Trip |
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Three Day Residential Challenge yourself to a variety of team building activities, such as 'Jacob's Ladder', archery, zip-wiring, orienteering, disc golf, trapeze, fencing and an agility course. The residential trip is at an activity centre and includes meals. |
| Manchester |
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Full Day Trip Visit the football capital of England! In the morning, you can take a walking tour through the city to Manchester Museum/Whitworth gallery. Visit the famous Old Trafford arena where Manchester United play in the afternoon. Then, in the evening take a shopping trip with a visit to the cinema. |
Further Details
Queen Ethelburga's is a boarding school throughout the year and staff are highly skilled in offering students from around the globe the highest quality of care.
Our accommodation is spacious, comfortable and modern. There are common rooms and leisure spaces where students are encouraged to relax and recharge whilst having the opportunity to socialise with others.
To prepare you and your child, we send useful information with everything you need to know and details on what to bring before the course begins.
We do not offer single-occupancy rooms, our boarding accommodation is designed to integrate students, helping them to build new and lasting friendships. Rooms sleep between 2 and 4 students. There is also a chance to meet online at our ‘Before you arrive’ webinar.
Pricing
| Juniors |
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| Seniors |
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We currently do not charge VAT on our camps and courses and the fees on our website do not include VAT. If that exemption is removed, we will charge VAT on our fees. VAT will then be payable in addition to our fees at the same times as our fees are due for payment. The VAT amount will be clearly stated on our invoices. Providing the best education and experience at an accessible price for our families remains our top priority. We have already engaged with our advisors and the Independent Schools Bursar’s Association on this and will benefit from the findings of the various school associations to ensure that we can provide affordable options for parents. We are committed to exploring all possibilities to keep our camps and courses manageable for our families.
What’s Included?
QE’s International Summer School is an all-inclusive summer school offering a learning experience for junior and senior students, as well as a unique Intensive Football Residential in partnership with Mike Phelan Coaching.
Here is what is included:
- Comfortable, modern accommodation with amenities. Most rooms offer 3-4 student occupancy as standard. All boarding houses offer a communal, social area allowing students to relax and make friends with others
- 24-hour supervision and pastoral care
- Freshly prepared meals and snacks
- 30 hours of tuition per week with proof of attendance/assessment subject to suitable progress on the course. (60 hours per course)
- Written assessment from academic staff
- Exciting trips - both academic and leisure
- Wellbeing activities integrated into daily schedules
- A focus on physical wellbeing through sport and exercise with our professional coaches and access to our industry-standard facilities
- Access to the incredible on-site facilities: fitness suite, swimming pool and student-favourite: Muggles. Muggles is a dedicated leisure facility offering table-tennis, video games, a food-outlet and an entertainment suite in a vibrant, fun-filled atmosphere
- The potential to gain a conditional offer to Queen Ethelburga’s based on academic progress
- A rich, cultural experience within a diverse community of mixed nationalities
Welfare And Safeguarding
We have a dedicated Pastoral Team who report directly to the Course Directors. Every student in our care is assigned a tutor who will check in on welfare regularly. The tutors are supported by the Boarding Team, and together, we provide welfare care 24 hours a day.
There is access to on-site first aiders, and off-site medical staff if needed. Students will have the chance to take part in daily wellbeing activities – referred to as THRIVE – to help boost their positive mental health during and after their stay with us.
Frequently Asked Questions
| What dates can students arrive/depart? |
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Our arrival days are Tuesday 1st July, Tuesday 8th July and Tuesday 15th July. Our departure days are Tuesday 8th July (7-day football course only), Tuesday 15th July, Tuesday 22nd July and Tuesday 29th July. |
| Are there specific times at which we need to arrive on site? |
| We recommend arriving between 10 am and 4 pm, but we understand this isn’t always possible. Should you need to arrive outside of these hours, we will provide a contact number and a member of staff to greet students on arrival and get them settled. Once registered on the course, we will request your international flight information and estimated arrival time to the site. This information must be provided before arrival. |
| Can we pre-book a place on a certain trip? |
| Trips are included in the price. If you wish to attend all four trips, you will need to attend all four weeks of the Summer School. The sample timetables and trip overviews give further information on the trip schedule. For example, should you wish to go to London, your stay must include Week 2 of July! |
| What level of English do students need to have? |
| We require students to be able to communicate their needs in English; this is to ensure their safety. All the courses, lessons and activities are delivered in English. |
| We wish to send students, but they do not need intensive English lessons. Is there anything else on offer? |
| Yes – email us shortcourses@qe.org. |
| I’m an agent, and have a group- can you cater for us? |
| Yes – we work with groups annually and are happy to discuss any requirements - please get in touch at shortcourses@qe.org. |
| Do you accept group leaders? |
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Due to our rigorous safeguarding onsite, we can only permit group-leaders who can complete all required safer recruitment checks. Please email shortcourses@qe.org if you would like to know what checks and documentation we require before adult trip leaders can be permitted on site. We do not allow group leaders into boarding houses, they are accommodated in adult-only accommodation and have scheduled check-in times with their groups daily. We strongly stress that as a renowned boarding school, we have highly skilled and experienced staff in all areas. You can be confident in sending us your groups in the knowledge that they will be looked after by our on-site QE staff without the need for a trip leader. |
Application Process
How To Book & What Happens Next?
Follow these steps to apply:
- Read the Terms & Conditions & Cancellation Policy documents
- Complete the Application Form
- Follow the Payment Instructions
- Submit Travel Information and essential forms.
After submitting your application, our Admissions Team will contact you. Please provide a copy of your child’s birth certificate, passport, and any relevant medical information. Once received, we will send an invoice for payment. Bookings made between September and December 2024 can use a deposit system.
Upon payment, a booking confirmation email will be sent.
For students needing a visa, we can provide a Visa support letter.
