British CouncilEnglishUK
Malvern House

Homestay Guidelines

Staying with family is not only a good way to practice your English, but also an excellent opportunity to get to know and understand British Culture, which is probably very different from your own.

Here are some guidelines to help your stay more comfortable and enjoyable:

Our Host Families

Our host families are carefully chosen and regularly visited by our accommodation agency. Many have a lot of experience of hosting students and helping them make the most of their time in the U.K.

A host family does not always consist of two parents with children. Many of our popular hosts include single parents with children, young couples without children, co-habiting adult siblings and retired professionals whose children have left home. This wide choice of families offers an excellent range of environments for hosting international guests.

London is a multi-cultural city, as you know, so our friendly host families are drawn from a diverse range of ethnic groups. We have host families with origins from areas such as Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Eastern Europe. They were born, or have lived for many years in the U.K., so they are all fluent in English. Your homestay environment is designed to support you and offer you some insight into the fascinating diversity of London life.

On arrival to the Host Family

Please inform your host family of your arrival time before your arrival date. If your flight is delayed, or if you have some problem with arriving at an expected time, please inform your host family as soon as possible. Unfortunately, students who do not advise their host or the school about their planned arrival schedule may experience unavoidable delays before entering the family home.

Travel to and from your Host Family

Your host family will be located around 30 minutes to 1 hour by public transport from the school. Public transport may include buses, trains or the underground. Remember, London is a big city. Our study centres are located in Central London and host families live in a quiet residential area in zone 2, 3 or 4.

Please check the locations section of the website and arrival transport information provided to you or to your agent in our Welcome Letter. The family will also be able to give advice about the most convenient bus routes in the local area.

Please contact the school if you require more detailed public transport information for the area around your homestay accommodation.

Meals

Self Catering: No meals will be served, but you can use the kitchen to prepare food. Please ask your host family how to use all the kitchen facilities and when you are allowed to use it. All food supplies must be provided by the student.

Bed and Breakfast: Breakfast* included. Use of the kitchen at other times is not guaranteed. Some host families allow the students to use their kitchen for cooking light meals. Some families only permit access for preparing hot or cold drinks. Please ask your host family for the rules in their home.

Half Board: Breakfast* and dinner** included. The use of kitchen at other times is not guaranteed. Families may only permit access for preparing hot or cold drinks.

* The usual breakfast is toast, cereal, fruit juice and tea or coffee. Please do not expect to be given other hot foods or a fried breakfast which, although traditional, is no longer a common breakfast.

** Dinner will usually include meat and some vegetables, rice, or pasta.

If you cannot eat any particular food for dietary, religious, or other reasons, please tell your host family immediately.

You will be expected to be punctual at mealtimes. The family will be as flexible as possible for your schedule but you MUST tell your host family as soon as possible if you are going to be late or to miss a meal. If you arrive late, your meal may be a selection of cold food such as meat or eggs with salad. Alternatively, it may be possible to have your meal reheated later in the evening if you prefer.

Please talk to your host family before using the kitchen or if you would like any food or drink outside the family’s normal mealtimes.

Keys

You will be loaned a key to the house free of charge. The family will trust you to take good care of their house key. If you lose it, the family may ask you to pay for a new one.

Your Room

Your room should have a bed, a chair and a lamp as well as enough cupboards or drawers for your clothes and personal items. Some student bedrooms may also have a table or desk for studying. (If a table or desk is not available in the room, the host family will allow you to study in another quiet part of the house.)

Please make your own bed and keep your room tidy. Your host family will clean your room once a week. Your sheets, duvet cover, and pillow case will be changed or supplied by the host once a week.

Please be careful with all the furniture as you may be responsible for payment to repair or replace something that you break or damage in the house.

Bathrooms

Most host families have only one bathroom and not all have showers. You will be able to have a bath or shower everyday. Please arrange the most convenient times with your host family. Please remember to leave the bathroom, shower, washbasin and toilet clean after use.

In Britain, it is common that hot water is controlled with a timer and not available for 24 hours. Your host family will explain if there is any special information about the bathroom facilities or hot water system in their home.

Heating and Lighting

All houses have some heating in the bedrooms, but you may find the British Climate colder than your country. If you are cold, please ask for additional bed covers for bed or extra heating. Please note that most British homes have the heating switched off from late evening to early morning, and in the middle of the working day.

Electrical Equipment

The UK voltage is 240 volts. If you have brought any electrical appliances with you, please check they are compatible before using them. You can buy travel adapters from electrical stores. Before using extra electrical appliance (such as a mobile phone charger, hair drier or laptop computers), please ask your host family.

Laundry

Generally, one wash per week is standard. Some families will give you permission for you to use their washing machine by yourself. Often the family will do the laundry for you with the family washing. The system depends on the individual family. Please check with your family for details. If you wish to have more than one wash a week, you may be charged for it.

Please remember to ask your host family where and when you can hang your wet washing. Please remember, putting wet clothes on radiators causes paint and wallpaper to peel away from walls and host families will be upset by this.

Families are not expected to iron clothes after washing but you may be able to borrow an iron when required.

Visitors

If you have friends coming to visit you, please always ask your host family in advance if it is a convenient time to invite guests. Host families are happy to help you feel at home, but please remember, it is not your own house. Please respect the family and make sure your friends are reasonably quiet and do not stay until late at night.

Telephones

Telephone calls are very costly in the U.K. and host families may only allow you to receive incoming calls. Access to the family telephone is not guaranteed.

  • Please remember to ask for permission each time you want to make a call.
  • Please make sure that your friends and family call you at a reasonable time of the day.
  • Please try to avoid making too many calls or any really long phone calls as the phone is a service for use by all the family.

Pre-paid telephone cards are widely available in newsagents, off licence shops and supermarkets. Please try to use those prepaid cards with non-chargeable access phone number if you make calls at host family’s house.

Absence

You must inform your host family if you are going to be away overnight or coming home later than normal. The family will be advised about your class schedule at Malvern House before you arrive. If you change your study timetable, it may affect mealtime preparations so please talk to your host about this.

If you are unexpectedly absent, your host family will contact the school.

Problems

If you have any problems or difficulties in your host family, please come to the reception and talk to any member of our reception staff. We will do our best to understand the situation and solve your problems as soon as possible. You can also book appointments for extended conversations with the accommodation services staff if you have detailed questions or comments about your accommodation.

Cancellation or Changing Accommodation

Any changes or cancellation of your accommodation, please come to the reception BEFORE you speak to your host family. Please give a full week notice for any changes or cancellation. There will be an extra charge for any cancellation and changes made without a clear reason or without enough advanced notice for the change.

Some Tips to enjoy your stay with Family

  • Please be open minded and try to have patience to understand British Culture.
  • Be friendly and communicate with the family. The family would appreciate the chance to learn about you and your home country too!
  • Every host family has their own rules. Please find out what they are as soon as you arrive and try your best to follow their normal customs.
  • Please respect the host family and express your appreciation for their help.