General Requirements

Ringwood

The welfare of your student is key, and we ask you to provide a welcoming and secure environment, to encourage them to integrate and to help them if they have difficulties.

Please provide students with the following.

Comfortable bed
Wardrobe and plenty of storage
Desk, chair and lamp
Natural light
Linen and towels
Internet access

Food

Students require breakfast, a packed lunch and a cooked dinner Monday to Friday and all meals at the weekend.

Dietary requirements will be given on booking and will also be in the student confirmation. We strongly recommend that you do not purchase too much food in preparation for your student before you establish their particular likes and dislikes.

Mealtimes are an important part of the homestay experience. This is a great way to get to know your student and for them to practise their English with you. We do ask that you eat together whenever possible.

Heating

Please remember that students coming from warmer climates may find Britain very cold. If your student complains of the cold, please be sympathetic and offer them extra blankets or turn the heating up a few degrees. You may need to explain to your student the economics of heating in the house, given the climate in the UK, to avoid confusion since it may be very different in their country.

Bathroom

Daily showers or baths for students are usual and we would encourage you to discuss bathroom usage with your student especially if there are multiple occupants in the household. You may also need to explain the use of water meters in the UK.

Laundry

We ask that hosts offer a reasonable and regular laundry service. This may be something to discuss with your student at the beginning of their stay. Drying and ironing facilities should be explained and made available to the student. The student’s bed linen and towels should be changed at least once a week.

Cleaning (Student’s Bedroom)

Students are informed that they are required to keep their room clean and tidy. Please provide access to a vacuum cleaner and dusters etc to facilitate this. If you plan to clean the student’s room yourself during their stay, please let them know in advance.

Journey to/from School

If your student will be travelling to school on foot or by bus, we ask you to accompany them on their first morning. For students travelling by car, we ask you to take and collect the student on a daily basis.

Keys

Students must not return to an empty house and should not be provided with their own key. If there are any problems with this, please inform the school.

Fire & Gas Safety

You are required by law to ensure you have a Gas Safety certificate which is renewed annually. Click here for an example. For more information, visit the Gas Safe website.

Anyone having paying guests is required by law to provide an annual fire risk assessment. Click here to go to our fire risk assessment form.

English Language

One of the main reasons students choose homestay accommodation is the chance to practise English with their hosts. It is therefore a requirement that English is the language of communication when the student is present.