Claremont School
Claremont School
Claremont School in East Sussex offers an excellent balance of elite football development, outstanding academics and strong pastoral care. As the flagship UK school within the International Schools Partnership, one of the world's largest education groups, Claremont combines a nurturing boarding environment with the resources and ambition of a major global organisation. Located just over an hour from London with excellent access to Heathrow and Gatwick, the school has also received Outstanding OFSTED ratings six inspections in a row.
Coaching & Development
Players at Claremont train daily under UEFA A licensed coaches as part of a structured International Football Academy embedded into the school timetable. The programme is built around showcase fixtures against professional academies including Brighton, Fulham and Crystal Palace, with clear pathways into the professional game and US college scholarships. Over its history the academy has developed more than 400 student athletes, with over 50 signing professional contracts and players generating more than $3 million in US scholarship awards.
- 125-acre prep estate at St Leonards-on-Sea
- Two boarding houses (Pyke House in Battle, 44 beds; Clyde House, up to 60 beds)
- New floodlit 3G football pitches (part of £1.5m investment)
- Modern strength and conditioning suite (in development)
- Senior school campus in the historic village of Bodiam
- Refurbished sixth form boarding provision
The coaches behind the programme
Greg Thurstans
Greg Thurstans leads the International Football Academy at Claremont as Director of Football, overseeing the entire player development programme and setting the standard for coaching and performance across all age groups. His background in elite youth development and experience building structured football programmes underpins the academy's approach to creating clear, credible pathways into professional football and US college scholarships.
Matt Rose
Matt Rose brings rare authority to the Claremont coaching setup, combining a distinguished playing career with elite-level coaching experience. As a player, Rose made over 250 appearances for Queens Park Rangers after starting his career at Arsenal, where he won the FA Youth Cup in 1994 and earned two England Under-21 caps. After retiring, he coached at Arsenal's elite academy in Greece before serving as first-team coach at Barnsley under Gerhard Struber. He co-founded AF Global Football and now directs Claremont's coaching methodology as Director of Coaching.
Trevor Bumstead
Trevor Bumstead joins Claremont in September 2026 as Academy Manager, bringing an extraordinary pedigree from the Premier League academy system. After seven years coaching at West Ham United's academy — where he worked with Declan Rice, Reece Oxford and Grady Diangana — Bumstead spent five years at Arsenal under the UEFA A Licence, coaching Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Folarin Balogun and Yunus Musah at Under-16 and Under-18 level. His Under-16 side won the prestigious Liam Brady Cup in 2017, defeating Bayern Munich, Manchester United and Juventus.
Support staff behind every player
Every player at Claremont benefits from a dedicated multidisciplinary support team covering mental performance, strength and conditioning, and physiotherapy — ensuring development is supported on and off the pitch.
Tiggy Teare
Tiggy Teare leads the mental performance programme at Claremont, working with players on the psychological skills that underpin elite development — including focus, resilience, confidence under pressure and performance mindset. With sports psychology embedded into the academy timetable, players receive structured mental skills coaching as a core part of their programme, not an optional add-on.
Jake Locker
Jake Locker oversees the strength and conditioning programme for all academy players, designing and delivering individualised physical development plans to improve athleticism, reduce injury risk and maximise performance. His work spans speed and power development, movement quality and physical periodisation — structured to complement the demands of the football programme throughout the season.
Will Burke
Will Burke provides physiotherapy and injury prevention support across the academy, working closely with coaching and sport science staff to monitor player loads and manage any physical issues proactively. Players have direct access to professional physiotherapy as part of their programme, with a focus on keeping athletes available, healthy and performing at their best.
Graduates who turned pro
Daniel Gleiber
Joined the Claremont academy in 2020 and progressed to FSV Mainz 05's youth programme, where he starred in the UEFA Youth League. Made his Bundesliga debut in 2024 against FC Bayern Munich and has since signed a new professional contract with his club.
JJ Fuller
Part of the academy team that won a national cup in 2019. JJ signed for Brighton & Hove Albion's youth academy before earning a scholarship at the University of Delaware — a strong example of the US pathway the programme delivers.
Reanna Blades
Developed through the Claremont programme before progressing into Chelsea's academy, signing a professional contract and representing Jamaica at international level — one of the academy's standout success stories in the women's game.
Track record
St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex (South East England)
Claremont's senior school sits in the historic village of Bodiam with its prep on a 125-acre estate at St Leonards-on-Sea, both in East Sussex. The school is just over an hour from central London by train and within easy reach of both major London airports, making it a practical base for UK and international families.
Investment
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