Becoming a Host:

What’s Required?

  • The family must have a spare room for hosting either one or two students. A student may share a room with another student placed by my UK homestay but not anyone else, such as a family member. The room should include furnishings such as a bed and storage space, with either a desk in the room or another space within the house to do study at.

  • Our students require 3 meals a day.

    • Breakfast – this may include a cereal, fruit and yoghurt, bread / toast. It may include other food that you and your family are eating, but a cooked breakfast isn’t required.

    • Lunch – a packed lunch is to be provided, such as a sandwich with a few snack items.

    • Dinner – this should be a cooked meal that is ideally shared with the family in order to help support a positive experience for the student and allow them to hear English being spoken in a natural situation.

  • Provide help to the student to know their new environment. This might include bus routes or trains, where local shops and cafes are, and cultural and sports activities. Depending on the age of the student it will be confirmed by my UK homestay what the student is able to do by themselves.

  • Specific additional activities are not required by a host family, however there will often be opportunities to share British culture and traditions as part of what your family is doing whilst the student is staying.

  • Depending on the arrangement, a homestay family may need to assist with helping a student to get to their course, especially when a student has arrived and beginning to understand the local area.

  • Homestay families are responsible for the well-being of the student. This means that they are able to offer a safe and comfortable living environment, addressing any concerns the student may have, and ensuring that the student feels included as a member of the household.

  • Open communication is vital to a successful arrangement. Regularly checking in with the student, providing feedback in a respectful way and contacting my UK homestay and/or the language school whenever necessary to discuss an issue or concern.

Becoming a Host:

Our Process

Accepting a host family for an international student typically involves a careful selection process to ensure a suitable match for both the student and the host family. The process may vary depending on the language school programme and the length of stay with the family.

1) Application

Apply online now, or download the application form and email it through. The application gathers information about your family, where you live, references, lifestyle and preferences for hosting.

2) Screening

my UK homestay will conduct a screening process which may include background checks, interviews and references. The purpose of this is to ensure the safety and suitability for hosting an international student.

3) Expectations

Families will be talked through the requirements of hosting a student and how this experience might impact their family to confirm it is the right opportunity for them.

4) Home Assessment

my UK homestay will conduct a home assessment to ensure that the living conditions meet certain standards. This includes ensuring the room is appropriate and the environment is positive for our students.

5) Matching Process

Once a host family has been approved, my UK homestay will work to match them with suitable international students depending on both their preferences and the student’s.

“Not all classrooms have four walls.”