Our Host Familes

Kingston Study Centre (KSC) has a large portfolio of Host Families all over the UK available for our students studying in Boarding schools. We always try and match our students with the right host families to make sure they feel relaxed and safe. Once we know we have made a good match the student is likely to return to the Host family for all School Holidays. This is beneficial for the student and the host family in building trust and confidence. Opening your home to become a host family with KSC is a unique, rewarding, fun and educational experience for all the family. It gives families a chance to host a language student, meet new friends and appreciate learning and sharing differences in cultures and languages.

Becoming a host family and welcoming an international student to your home will allow them to experience maximum immersion by living as ‘locals’. Also, hosting a foreign student gives them the opportunity to understand and experience British culture. 

Why Become a Host Family?

It’s a great opportunity for our students to engage and experience British culture with a local family. Also, there is a chance for you as a host family to learn a different culture as well as meeting new people without leaving your home. By becoming a host family, you can benefit from:

• Meet students of all ages from all over the world
• Competitive rates – earn cash from your spare room.
• Weekly Pay direct to your account.
• Teach students about British culture and you’ll probably learn from them too.
• All communication is dealt with through the KSC team.
• Our staff are contactable at any time of day or night via our 24/7 emergency phone number.
• You children might also benefit from having gained lifelong friendship with student in a different part of the world.

We always encourage the host family to include the students with there everyday activities and students are also expected to try and embrace every opportunity that is given to them.

What is Expected From Host Families?

• A warm, welcoming and safe home environment for our students and guests.
• Care & sensitivity to their guest’s needs and cultural background.
• A clean, private bedroom with a single bed per student, clothes storage space and a table or desk and chair for study.
• Access to communal areas of the home and to adequate daily use of the bathroom, with bath or shower.
• Provision of meals on a Bed & Breakfast, half-board or full-board basis.
• Communication with the student in English, eating meals with them when providing half or full-board.
• In some cases, picking up and dropping off the student(s) each day at a local agreed meeting point.

Safeguarding and Recruitment

As part of our safer recruitment, we ensure that all host family members that are over the age of 16 hold an enhanced DBS check through the Disclosure and Barring Service, before any student is placed with a family. We also have a specialised accommodation team that will come to the property to do a full inspection and go through all the terms and conditions. Regular checks will be carried out at the discretion of the KSC team. During the inspection, each home is also checked for all areas of Health and Safety and Fire Safety. Our accommodation team will work with the host families to ensure adequate procedures and risk assessments are in place. When hosting, students should always receive advice regarding health and safety in the home and particularly the kitchen from the host family. This advice is well intended, and it is important that students understand and take note.

How Does it Work?

KSC Policy Documents