Homestay accommodation has been suspended currently. We hope to be able to offer this again from 2022 onwards.
INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS WHO WANT TO STAY IN HOMESTAY
Important information for students who want to stay in homestay accommodation:
ELH can provide students with homestay accommodation to
The student should pay for their accommodation in full in advance.
Students must apply for homestay accommodation 14 days before they arrive in the UK and must pay for the maximum period of time they wish to live in homestay. We cannot guarantee that students will be able to extend their accommodation beyond their initial request dates. Students who request less time in homestay than they intend to take up risk having to vacate their homestay accommodation at the end of their request date.
Students can only book homestay through ELH and are not allowed to make their own private arrangements with ELH homestay families.
Students who agree to ELH homestay accommodation agree to abide by the ELH terms and conditions governing homestay. This includes appropriate behaviour in homestay accommodation.
ELH reserves the right to remove a student from homestay accommodation if the student behaves inappropriately or does not abide by the terms and conditions agreed. No refund will be available in this instance.
What is homestay?
Homestay is accommodation for ELH students with an English speaking family. Students sometimes like to stay with an English-speaking family when they study at ELH because they can practice their English at home after class.
Homestay is not a “hotel” and homestay host families are not “hotel staff”!
Homestay families agree to take ELH students into their home and they treat them like a friend or a member of their family. In the homestay family there may be children and/or pets (dog(s), cat(s), fish, etc).
Homestay families are interested in the ELH students who stay with them, and want to make them feel comfortable and welcome in their homes. ELH students who want to live in homestay accommodation must feel happy about being part of an English family during their stay and must make an effort to participate in their homestay family’s life. Homestay families like to find out about the student’s life and country and the student can find out more about their homestay family’s life and habits and about life in England.
ELH homestay hosts are flexible and understanding with ELH students, and we expect our students to be the same. Students behave with their hosts as they would within the homes of their own friends and families. This means they are polite (say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’; very important in England) and happy to follow the rules of the family about meal times or using the kitchen for snacks, laundry (washing clothes), and watching television.
For example, if a student is planning not to eat with the family one evening, then students need to tell their families in advance.
Students should expect to spend at least 30 minutes or more each evening talking to their host family. Students may like you to watch television with their family; this is a good way to improve your English language skills. Students can discuss the programme with their family or ask the family to explain things which they don’t understand.
The weather and living in the UK may seem a little strange to students at first. If you are cold, you can ask for extra blankets for your bed or ask for extra heating in your room. You should not leave lights and electric heaters on when you are out. You should not hang clothes over electric heaters; this could be cause a fire. If the house has central heating, the radiators will come on and off automatically.
Students must be on time for meals with the family. You should not use the kitchen, or take food from the kitchen, unless you have agreed this with the family. After meals, it is polite to offer to help with clearing the table and washing up.
Students should try to keep their rooms tidy and should make their bed in the morning before they leave the house. They should clean up after themselves and leave the bathroom clean and tidy after using it. If there is a shower over the bath with a shower curtain, please make sure you put this inside the bath before you have a shower. And it is polite to ask whether you can have a shower, as the water may need to be heated first.
We expect students to be careful with the furniture and property in the house. If an accident happens and you break or damage something in the house you should inform the school immediately and please let the family know. Be prepared to pay to replace anything you damage.
Your hosts will try to make your stay in England pleasant and enjoyable for you and they may become your friends. However, you should not make any private arrangements to stay with them. You should only stay with them through ELH. We can then help you, or them, if there are any problems.
Computers and internet use in homestay:
Not all families have internet access and some only have a limited number of hours per month when they can use the internet. They may be concerned about internet security and may, or may not, limit your use of their computer connection. Please talk to the ELH office if you would like to use a computer at the homestay. Remember that you are at the homestay to help you learn English and, if you are able to use your computer in the homestay, you should minimise its use, and spend as much time as possible practicing your English!!
Applying for homestay through ELH:
Please make sure you read and understand Homestay information and the terms and conditions for students in homestay before you apply for homestay through ELH.
Payment for homestay:
You will need to make full payment in advance before ELH can source homestay accommodation for you.
You need to pay both the Accommodation placement fee (£45) and the Weekly Charge for accommodation.
ELH will try to find accommodation as quickly as possible but sometimes we may need 2 to 3 weeks to arrange your homestay accommodation.
If you need accommodation very quickly you may want to consider staying in one of the many hotels or B&Bs in Milton Keynes. See accommodation in Milton Keynes for more information if you prefer this.
ELH Checks on homestay:
All homestay accommodation offered by ELH to its students has been checked as suitable according to the criteria set our by the British Council, EnglishUK and ISI oversight.
Homestay providers who accommodate under 18s will be DBS checked.
Number of students per host family:
We usually place just one student in a host family. However, some families may have a big house with more than one spare bedroom. In this instance a maximum of two students may be placed in the same family. Each student will have their own bedroom and students will usually be of different nationalities so that they need to use their English to communicate.
However if students who are friends or family members prefer to share a host family we can take this into account.
Parents of students who are under18 can request for their children to share accommodation with their friends. This is possible, but only if:
Host family address and contact details:
After students have paid for their homestay ELH will send them the contact details and address of their host family.
Payment of the full accommodation fee means that a student has agreed to stay with a host family during the agreed dates.
Students who change their mind and (i) do not arrive to stay in their homestay accommodation or (ii) leave their homestay accommodation early will not get a refund. If you believe there are "exceptional circumstances" why you cannot use your homestay accommodation you must put this in writing and we will do our best to help.
If there is a problem with your homestay accommodation you must speak to the ELH Office immediately. We will always try to help. If the problem is a serious one, ELH may place the student in alternative homestay accommodation. If there is an accommodation emergency and you need to contact ELH out of office hours, students should use the 24 hour emergency mobile number : +44 (0) 794 671256 to contact ELH immediately.
Leaving homestay early:
We hope students will be happy in their homestay accommodation and we hope the host family will be happy to have you to stay with them. In the exceptional situation that you want to leave early, you should give one week’s written notice to the hosts and to the ELH Office. If the hosts want you to leave early they too must usually give one week’s notice but, if there is an accommodation emergency they may have to ask you to leave immediately – in this case, please contact the ELH office for help.
Before arriving at your homestay:
As soon as ELH have given you the details of your host family you should contact the host family to introduce yourself and give them some information about yourself eg:
Example email:
Hello,
My name is ...............(your name) and I am a student from ............. (your country). I will arrive in Milton Keynes on ................... (date you will arrive) and I will travel to your home on the same day. I think I will arrive to your home at ....... (say what time you think you will be there) but if I am going to be late I will let you know. I look forward to meeting you.
Best wishes,
....... (your name)
You should cc this email to the Elh Office also so we can confirm your arrival and any changes that may occur.
It is very important that you arrive at your homestay accommodation on the day and time you agreed. If you going to be late, you must text or WhatsApp the Elh Office mobile +44 (0) 748 6868211 to let us know and also try to contact your homestay family either by telephone, text or WhatsApp to tell them why you are going to be late and what time you expect to arrive.
The day before you travel to your homestay you should confirm your arrival day and time with your host family; this is especially important if you think you may be arriving later or earlier than you planned initially.
Please do not just go to the house without first contacting your host family.
Please do not send a friend or colleague to look at the host family accommodation before you arrive unless you have agreed this with the ELH office in advance.
Exceptional circumstances:
In exceptional circumstances ELH may be able to grant a refund of part of the accommodation fees. Students who wish to request a refund due to exceptional circumstances must put this in writing before or on the day that they leave their host family accommodation.
Exceptional circumstances are usually circumstances out of the student's control eg an illness in the family, accident etc which may require the student to leave the homestay accommodation earlier. The student must sent a written email to the Elh Office to explain why they need to leave their homestay accommodation early. The student must send this email before they leave their homestay accommodation if they want Elh to consider this as an "exceptional circumstance".
ELH can provide students with homestay accommodation to
- Adult students who are 18 years old or over
- Students who are under 18 years old whose parents have requested homestay
The student should pay for their accommodation in full in advance.
Students must apply for homestay accommodation 14 days before they arrive in the UK and must pay for the maximum period of time they wish to live in homestay. We cannot guarantee that students will be able to extend their accommodation beyond their initial request dates. Students who request less time in homestay than they intend to take up risk having to vacate their homestay accommodation at the end of their request date.
Students can only book homestay through ELH and are not allowed to make their own private arrangements with ELH homestay families.
Students who agree to ELH homestay accommodation agree to abide by the ELH terms and conditions governing homestay. This includes appropriate behaviour in homestay accommodation.
ELH reserves the right to remove a student from homestay accommodation if the student behaves inappropriately or does not abide by the terms and conditions agreed. No refund will be available in this instance.
What is homestay?
Homestay is accommodation for ELH students with an English speaking family. Students sometimes like to stay with an English-speaking family when they study at ELH because they can practice their English at home after class.
Homestay is not a “hotel” and homestay host families are not “hotel staff”!
Homestay families agree to take ELH students into their home and they treat them like a friend or a member of their family. In the homestay family there may be children and/or pets (dog(s), cat(s), fish, etc).
Homestay families are interested in the ELH students who stay with them, and want to make them feel comfortable and welcome in their homes. ELH students who want to live in homestay accommodation must feel happy about being part of an English family during their stay and must make an effort to participate in their homestay family’s life. Homestay families like to find out about the student’s life and country and the student can find out more about their homestay family’s life and habits and about life in England.
ELH homestay hosts are flexible and understanding with ELH students, and we expect our students to be the same. Students behave with their hosts as they would within the homes of their own friends and families. This means they are polite (say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’; very important in England) and happy to follow the rules of the family about meal times or using the kitchen for snacks, laundry (washing clothes), and watching television.
For example, if a student is planning not to eat with the family one evening, then students need to tell their families in advance.
Students should expect to spend at least 30 minutes or more each evening talking to their host family. Students may like you to watch television with their family; this is a good way to improve your English language skills. Students can discuss the programme with their family or ask the family to explain things which they don’t understand.
The weather and living in the UK may seem a little strange to students at first. If you are cold, you can ask for extra blankets for your bed or ask for extra heating in your room. You should not leave lights and electric heaters on when you are out. You should not hang clothes over electric heaters; this could be cause a fire. If the house has central heating, the radiators will come on and off automatically.
Students must be on time for meals with the family. You should not use the kitchen, or take food from the kitchen, unless you have agreed this with the family. After meals, it is polite to offer to help with clearing the table and washing up.
Students should try to keep their rooms tidy and should make their bed in the morning before they leave the house. They should clean up after themselves and leave the bathroom clean and tidy after using it. If there is a shower over the bath with a shower curtain, please make sure you put this inside the bath before you have a shower. And it is polite to ask whether you can have a shower, as the water may need to be heated first.
We expect students to be careful with the furniture and property in the house. If an accident happens and you break or damage something in the house you should inform the school immediately and please let the family know. Be prepared to pay to replace anything you damage.
Your hosts will try to make your stay in England pleasant and enjoyable for you and they may become your friends. However, you should not make any private arrangements to stay with them. You should only stay with them through ELH. We can then help you, or them, if there are any problems.
Computers and internet use in homestay:
Not all families have internet access and some only have a limited number of hours per month when they can use the internet. They may be concerned about internet security and may, or may not, limit your use of their computer connection. Please talk to the ELH office if you would like to use a computer at the homestay. Remember that you are at the homestay to help you learn English and, if you are able to use your computer in the homestay, you should minimise its use, and spend as much time as possible practicing your English!!
Applying for homestay through ELH:
Please make sure you read and understand Homestay information and the terms and conditions for students in homestay before you apply for homestay through ELH.
Payment for homestay:
You will need to make full payment in advance before ELH can source homestay accommodation for you.
You need to pay both the Accommodation placement fee (£45) and the Weekly Charge for accommodation.
ELH will try to find accommodation as quickly as possible but sometimes we may need 2 to 3 weeks to arrange your homestay accommodation.
If you need accommodation very quickly you may want to consider staying in one of the many hotels or B&Bs in Milton Keynes. See accommodation in Milton Keynes for more information if you prefer this.
ELH Checks on homestay:
All homestay accommodation offered by ELH to its students has been checked as suitable according to the criteria set our by the British Council, EnglishUK and ISI oversight.
Homestay providers who accommodate under 18s will be DBS checked.
Number of students per host family:
We usually place just one student in a host family. However, some families may have a big house with more than one spare bedroom. In this instance a maximum of two students may be placed in the same family. Each student will have their own bedroom and students will usually be of different nationalities so that they need to use their English to communicate.
However if students who are friends or family members prefer to share a host family we can take this into account.
Parents of students who are under18 can request for their children to share accommodation with their friends. This is possible, but only if:
- the parents request this
- the students are the same sex
- the students are a similar age. English law states that we are not allowed to place students who are under 18 with students who are 18 years old or older and we are not allowed to place students who are under 16 with students who are 16 years old or older.
Host family address and contact details:
After students have paid for their homestay ELH will send them the contact details and address of their host family.
Payment of the full accommodation fee means that a student has agreed to stay with a host family during the agreed dates.
Students who change their mind and (i) do not arrive to stay in their homestay accommodation or (ii) leave their homestay accommodation early will not get a refund. If you believe there are "exceptional circumstances" why you cannot use your homestay accommodation you must put this in writing and we will do our best to help.
If there is a problem with your homestay accommodation you must speak to the ELH Office immediately. We will always try to help. If the problem is a serious one, ELH may place the student in alternative homestay accommodation. If there is an accommodation emergency and you need to contact ELH out of office hours, students should use the 24 hour emergency mobile number : +44 (0) 794 671256 to contact ELH immediately.
Leaving homestay early:
We hope students will be happy in their homestay accommodation and we hope the host family will be happy to have you to stay with them. In the exceptional situation that you want to leave early, you should give one week’s written notice to the hosts and to the ELH Office. If the hosts want you to leave early they too must usually give one week’s notice but, if there is an accommodation emergency they may have to ask you to leave immediately – in this case, please contact the ELH office for help.
Before arriving at your homestay:
As soon as ELH have given you the details of your host family you should contact the host family to introduce yourself and give them some information about yourself eg:
Example email:
Hello,
My name is ...............(your name) and I am a student from ............. (your country). I will arrive in Milton Keynes on ................... (date you will arrive) and I will travel to your home on the same day. I think I will arrive to your home at ....... (say what time you think you will be there) but if I am going to be late I will let you know. I look forward to meeting you.
Best wishes,
....... (your name)
You should cc this email to the Elh Office also so we can confirm your arrival and any changes that may occur.
It is very important that you arrive at your homestay accommodation on the day and time you agreed. If you going to be late, you must text or WhatsApp the Elh Office mobile +44 (0) 748 6868211 to let us know and also try to contact your homestay family either by telephone, text or WhatsApp to tell them why you are going to be late and what time you expect to arrive.
The day before you travel to your homestay you should confirm your arrival day and time with your host family; this is especially important if you think you may be arriving later or earlier than you planned initially.
Please do not just go to the house without first contacting your host family.
Please do not send a friend or colleague to look at the host family accommodation before you arrive unless you have agreed this with the ELH office in advance.
Exceptional circumstances:
In exceptional circumstances ELH may be able to grant a refund of part of the accommodation fees. Students who wish to request a refund due to exceptional circumstances must put this in writing before or on the day that they leave their host family accommodation.
Exceptional circumstances are usually circumstances out of the student's control eg an illness in the family, accident etc which may require the student to leave the homestay accommodation earlier. The student must sent a written email to the Elh Office to explain why they need to leave their homestay accommodation early. The student must send this email before they leave their homestay accommodation if they want Elh to consider this as an "exceptional circumstance".
House Rules and Advice:
Students who stay in homestay will need to agree and follow the house rules and advice of your host family.
House rules and advice may include but not be limited to:
If there is something you do not understand you can ask your host or your teacher to explain. Be considerate and respectful of the things that belong to your host family and always ask if there is something you are not sure about.
Remember that it is always polite to check with the host first before you: (i) finish the last bit of milk in the fridge, (ii) use the washing machine to wash your clothes, (iii) use the kettle to make a hot drink (iv) help yourself to the washing powder, coffee, biscuits, cake that the host has bought etc.
To check if it's ok you can say " Is it ok if I......?"
Students who stay in homestay will need to agree and follow the house rules and advice of your host family.
House rules and advice may include but not be limited to:
- use of the kitchen, tv, garden, garage etc
- clothes washing
- change of linen in your bedroom
- keeping your bedroom tidy and safe
- how to use the shower, bath etc
- use of computers and IT
- visits from friends
- overnight stays elsewhere (this is not permitted for under18s, unless parental request for this has been received and granted by ELH and the host family knows about this)
- times of breakfast, lunch and dinner
- what to do with used plates, cups, plates etc
- quiet time and bed time
- use of keys and locking and unlocking the house; very important for safety and security
- what to do if there is an accident and you break something in the house
- travelling to ELH every day
- curfew times for under 18s
- staying safe in the area
- what to do in an emergency
If there is something you do not understand you can ask your host or your teacher to explain. Be considerate and respectful of the things that belong to your host family and always ask if there is something you are not sure about.
Remember that it is always polite to check with the host first before you: (i) finish the last bit of milk in the fridge, (ii) use the washing machine to wash your clothes, (iii) use the kettle to make a hot drink (iv) help yourself to the washing powder, coffee, biscuits, cake that the host has bought etc.
To check if it's ok you can say " Is it ok if I......?"
