Guidelines for guest students
and host families

Revised and approved October 2024

The host family is prepared to offer a home to the guest student for an agreed period. The student is prepared to integrate into the host family’s daily life, bearing in mind that this might be quite different to their home culture.

Accommodation

The student should be able to have their own space. If they are asked to share they should be made aware of this before they arrive.

Food

The student is offered breakfast, a large packed lunch, and a snack after school and a cooked meal at supper time. If the family is vegetarian but not the student, then occasionally some meat should be included in the packed lunch. If the student is vegetarian but not the family, the student is offered eggs, cheese, nuts, pulses, or beans instead of meat.

Laundry

Clothes are washed or access is given to the washing machine.

Transport to and from school

The host family offers free transport by car or pays for the bus ticket to and from school. If the student cycles to school, the parents must have given their permission.

Help with homework/housework

Each student needs some help with their homework and the family must be able to do this on a daily basis: communication with Upper School teachers is helpful and often necessary. The host family is strongly advised to attend any parents’ evenings which occur during their student’s stay.The student – as part of the family – must be prepared to do reasonable household chores. The students must keep their room tidy and vacuum the floor when needed.

Telephone and internet usage

The host family bears the cost of the student’s short telephone calls to local friends – telephone calls to further afield and to the continent must be paid for by the student.Some people have unlimited national or even international calls, so each host family may agree with the student what is acceptable to them. The same goes for access to the internet or emails.Experience has shown that it is a healthy arrangement if the student’s parents phone their son/daughter regularly once a week but not more often.

Money

Students should be provided with pocket money from their own family for spending on personal grooming, hobbies and leisure pursuits as well as any class trips or class outings which may arise.

Cultural and social life

As a guideline, the host family should offer to take the student on family outings or make it possible for the student to go off on their own to see the area, at least a few times over the course of their stay.The host family is encouraged to discuss and come to a mutual agreement with the student’s parents in the following matters:

• Going out during the week.

• Time of return in the evenings

• Behaviour both in and out of the host home

School rules

These are the same for home and guest students. Please see the Parents Handbook on the website for further details. A Code of Conduct is available on enrolment.

British pub licensing laws and the sale of tobacco

In Britain it is forbidden by law to sell alcohol to people under the age of 18. You are allowed to enter a pub if you are between 14 –18 if the publican allows this, but not to consume alcohol, only to play pub games and drink non-alcoholic drinks.

It is also now illegal to sell tobacco products to people under 18, and if you try to buy cigarettes, and look under 25, you will be asked for identification documents.

It is important that guest students abide by these laws and customs despite differences there may be in their home culture.

All our host families undertake to welcome their student into their home, making them feel comfortable and cared for. We hope that ongoing communication and trust will make it an enjoyable time for student and host family alike!For further information, please contact the school office or email info@holywood-steiner.co.uk

For further information, please contact the school office or email info@holywood-steiner.co.uk