Terms & Conditions

These Terms govern your use of this website and your application to, and participation in, the Elite 2026 programme operated under the International Academy of Football brand.

Last updated 30 May 2026 · Effective from 1 September 2026

This website (internationalacademyfootball.com) and the “The Academy of Football” / “International Academy of Football” programmes are operated by Choices International (“we”, “us”, “our”, the “Operator”), a company registered in England and Wales. By accessing this website, submitting an application, or paying any fee, you (“you”, the “Applicant”, or, where applicable, the “Parent/Guardian”) accept these Terms in full. If you do not accept them, you must not use this website or submit an application.

1. Acceptance & eligibility

1.1 These Terms form a binding agreement between you and the Operator. By submitting an application or making a payment you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by them and by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated by reference.

1.2 The programme is intended for prospective students aged 16 to 18 at the cohort start date. Where the Applicant is under 18, the application must be made and these Terms accepted by a parent or legal guardian who agrees to be bound on the Applicant’s behalf and confirms they have authority to do so.

1.3 You confirm that all information you provide is true, accurate, current, and complete, and that you will keep it up to date. Providing false or misleading information may result in rejection of an application or withdrawal of an offer without refund of programme fees.

2. Definitions

“Programme” — the Elite 2026 academic-year football and education programme delivered in London, and any related camps, trials, or showcase activity.
“Application Fee” — the one-time fee payable to submit an application, described in clause 4.
“Programme Fees” — tuition, accommodation, and other charges payable on enrolment, set out in your offer documentation.
“Partners” — the third-party organisations that deliver elements of the Programme, including the West Ham United Foundation and our academic partners.
“Offer” — a conditional or unconditional written offer of a place on the Programme.

3. The application process

3.1 Applications proceed in stages: an eligibility check, payment of the Application Fee, submission of supporting materials (including playing footage, statements, and identity documents), technical review, and — where shortlisted — interview and assessment.

3.2 Submission of an application does not guarantee an Offer. Places are limited and awarded at the Operator’s and Partners’ sole discretion based on football and academic assessment, safeguarding checks, and programme capacity.

3.3 We may close intakes, extend deadlines, or pause new applications at any time. Published deadlines are indicative and may change.

4. Fees, payment & refunds

4.1 Application Fee. The Application Fee is £375, comprising £25 administrative processing and £350 for the Head Coach and General Manager technical review of submitted footage. It is a single payment, charged once, in pounds sterling, and processed securely by Stripe. We do not store full card details — see clause 13.

4.2 Application Fee refunds. If an Applicant is not invited to the interview stage, the Application Fee is refundable in full on written request to admissions@internationalacademyfootball.com within 30 days of the decision being communicated. The Application Fee is otherwise non-refundable once the technical review has commenced, including where an Applicant who has been invited to interview subsequently withdraws or declines.

4.3 Programme Fees. Where an Offer is accepted, Programme Fees, payment schedule, deposit, and any non-refundable elements are set out in the offer documentation, which supplements these Terms. In the event of conflict on fee matters, the offer documentation prevails.

4.4 Consumer cancellation rights. Where you are a consumer entering this agreement at a distance, you may have a statutory 14-day right to cancel under the Consumer Contracts Regulations 2013. By requesting that we begin the technical review (a service) before the end of that period, you acknowledge that you may lose the right to cancel once the service is fully performed, and that you will be charged on a pro-rata basis for services already supplied. Nothing in these Terms affects your non-excludable statutory rights.

4.5 Taxes & currency. Fees are stated inclusive of any applicable UK taxes unless otherwise specified. You are responsible for any currency-conversion charges or bank fees imposed by your payment provider.

4.6 Chargebacks. Initiating a chargeback in respect of a validly charged, non-refundable fee is a breach of these Terms; we reserve the right to contest such chargebacks and to recover associated costs.

5. Offers & enrolment

5.1 Offers, where issued, are typically conditional on: successful interview and assessment; satisfactory safeguarding and background checks; verification of English-language proficiency; verification of academic records; payment of the required deposit; and, for international Applicants, the grant of a valid UK immigration permission (see clause 9).

5.2 A place is confirmed only when all conditions are met, the deposit is paid, and we issue written confirmation of enrolment. Until then, no place is guaranteed.

6. Programme delivery & partners

6.1 The Programme is delivered by the Operator together with its Partners: football coaching is delivered in partnership with the West Ham United Foundation, and the academic component is delivered by one of our academic partners and Pearson / OFQUAL-recognised, QAA-quality-assured delivery partners.

6.2 References to Partners, their badges, and accreditations describe the structure of the Programme and do not imply that any Partner is a party to this agreement or assumes liability to you under it, except as separately agreed in writing with that Partner.

6.3 Programme dates, locations, intake size, coaching staff, fixtures, accommodation arrangements, and module composition may be adjusted at the Operator’s reasonable discretion. We will give reasonable notice of material changes.

7. Changes & cancellation by the Operator

7.1 We may modify or discontinue any part of the Programme. If, before the cohort start date, we make a change that fundamentally alters the Programme to your material detriment, or cancel the cohort entirely, and you do not accept a reasonable alternative, you will be entitled to a refund of fees paid for services not yet delivered.

7.2 Save as set out in clause 7.1, our liability for changes or cancellation is limited as described in clause 15.

8. Conduct & safeguarding

8.1 Applicants and enrolled students agree to comply with the West Ham United Foundation Code of Conduct, our academic partner's safeguarding and student policies, accommodation house rules, and all reasonable instructions of coaching, teaching, and welfare staff.

8.2 Safeguarding is our paramount concern. We operate enhanced safeguarding procedures appropriate to working with young people, and we may share information with Partners, accommodation providers, and statutory authorities where necessary to protect a student’s welfare.

8.3 Serious or persistent breach of conduct or safeguarding rules may result in suspension, withdrawal of an Offer, or removal from the Programme without refund of Programme Fees, subject to a fair process.

9. Immigration & visa

9.1 The Operator (or a sponsoring Partner) holds the relevant UKVI Student Route sponsor licence. We will provide the documentation reasonably required to support a visa application for Applicants who have firmly accepted a place and met the relevant conditions.

9.2 You are responsible for making an accurate and timely visa application, for any associated fees (including the Immigration Health Surcharge), and for maintaining valid immigration permission throughout the Programme. We are not liable for visa refusals or delays caused by inaccurate, incomplete, or late applications, or by decisions of UK Visas and Immigration.

9.3 Where a place is conditional on a visa and that visa is refused despite a complete and accurate application, our refund obligations are limited to Programme Fees for services not yet delivered, less any non-refundable deposit and reasonable costs already incurred, as detailed in your offer documentation.

10. Use of the website

10.1 You may use this website only for lawful purposes connected with learning about and applying to the Programme. You must not: misuse the site by knowingly introducing malware; attempt to gain unauthorised access; scrape, harvest, or systematically extract data; or use the site in any way that is unlawful, fraudulent, or harmful.

10.2 We provide the website on an “as available” basis and may suspend, withdraw, or restrict it without notice. We do not guarantee that the site, or any content on it, will always be available or uninterrupted.

11. Intellectual property

11.1 All content on this website — including text, graphics, photography, video, logos, and marks (including those bearing West Ham United Foundation branding) — is owned by the Operator or its licensors and is protected by copyright, trade-mark, and other laws.

11.2 You may view and print pages for your own personal, non-commercial use in connection with an application. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from any content without our prior written consent. Partner marks remain the property of the respective Partners and may not be used without their authorisation.

12. User-submitted content

12.1 When you submit footage, statements, documents, or other material as part of an application, you grant the Operator and its Partners a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to store, reproduce, and use that material solely for the purpose of assessing your application and administering the Programme.

12.2 You warrant that you own or are authorised to submit the material, that it does not infringe any third party’s rights, and that any individuals featured (and, for minors, their guardians) have consented to its submission. We may remove or refuse any material at our discretion.

12.3 Use of footage or imagery for marketing or promotional purposes is governed separately and requires your specific opt-in consent, as described in our Privacy Policy.

13. Data protection, cookies & tracking

13.1 We process personal data in accordance with the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, and our Privacy Policy, which explains what we collect, our lawful bases, retention periods, international transfers, and your rights. Payment card data is handled exclusively by Stripe (PCI DSS Level 1); we do not receive or store full card numbers.

13.2 This website uses cookies and similar technologies for analytics (Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, Microsoft Clarity) and advertising measurement (Google Ads conversion tracking and remarketing, including hashed-identifier "Enhanced Conversions"). Booking calls are scheduled via Cal.com. Non-essential cookies load only with your consent, managed through our cookie banner (Google Consent Mode v2); you can change or withdraw consent at any time via "Cookie settings". Where local law applies, you may opt out of targeted advertising and the sale/sharing of personal information (e.g. California CCPA/CPRA, Brazil LGPD). Full detail is in the Privacy Policy.

14. Disclaimers

14.1 The Programme offers high-quality coaching and education but does not guarantee any specific outcome — including selection for a professional club, academy placement, scholarship, university admission, examination result, or athletic performance. Statements about alumni, pathways, or past results are illustrative and are not promises of comparable outcomes for any individual.

14.2 To the fullest extent permitted by law, content on this website is provided without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, as to accuracy, completeness, or fitness for a particular purpose.

15. Limitation of liability

15.1 Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes our liability for: death or personal injury caused by our negligence; fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; breach of statutory consumer rights that cannot lawfully be excluded; or any other liability that cannot be limited or excluded under English law.

15.2 Subject to clause 15.1, we are not liable for any loss of opportunity, loss of expected outcome, loss of profit, or any indirect or consequential loss, however arising.

15.3 Subject to clause 15.1, our total aggregate liability arising out of or in connection with your use of this website or the application process (prior to enrolment) is limited to the total fees you have paid to us. Liability arising after enrolment is governed by the offer documentation.

16. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify us against reasonable losses, costs, and expenses we incur arising from your breach of these Terms, your submission of material that infringes a third party’s rights, or your unlawful or fraudulent use of this website.

17. Third-party links

This website may link to third-party sites (including Partner and payment-provider sites). We do not control and are not responsible for their content, policies, or practices. Links are provided for convenience and do not imply endorsement.

18. Force majeure

We are not liable for any failure or delay in performing our obligations caused by events beyond our reasonable control, including acts of God, epidemic or pandemic, government action, war, civil unrest, strike, fire, flood, or failure of public infrastructure or third-party services.

19. General

Entire agreement. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and (on enrolment) your offer documentation, form the entire agreement between us regarding their subject matter.
Severability. If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full force.
Waiver. Our failure to enforce any right is not a waiver of that right.
Assignment. You may not assign your rights under these Terms. We may assign or transfer ours to a successor or affiliate without diminishing your rights.
Third-party rights. Except for Partners (who may enforce clauses that benefit them), a person who is not a party to these Terms has no rights under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.
Updates. We may amend these Terms from time to time. Material changes will be reflected here with a new “Last updated” date and, where appropriate, communicated to current and recent Applicants. Continued use after a change constitutes acceptance.

20. Governing law & disputes

20.1 These Terms and any dispute arising out of or in connection with them are governed by the laws of England and Wales.

20.2 The courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction, save that if you are a consumer resident elsewhere in the UK, you may also bring proceedings in your home jurisdiction. We encourage you to contact us first so we can try to resolve any complaint informally.

21. Contact

Questions about these Terms or an application: admissions@internationalacademyfootball.com.
Data-protection requests: privacy@internationalacademyfootball.com.

Choices International — operator of the International Academy of Football. Registered in England and Wales; registered office and company number available on request. London, United Kingdom.

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