Homestay

Homestay matches international students with those living within a 60-minute commute of New College Durham, providing these students with a home during their time in Durham.

Students may be visiting Durham for a specific project, or as an integral part of their studies. Homestay allows these students to immerse themselves in life in the UK, as part of your family.

As a Homestay provider, you will welcome aspirational students into your home to enrich your lives and theirs. You will also earn £135 per week of hosting a student.

Enquiry Form

Complete the form below to find out more about becoming a Homestay provider.

FAQs

• How do I become a Homestay provider?

  Initial enquiry: Complete the form above to register your interest. Even if you just want to find out more, please do not hesitate to contact us.

  Telephone interview: We will ask you a number of questions about your experience, work commitments, location etc. Please do not worry if you have never done this before, we are here to support you.

  Home Visit: If you meet all of the basic requirements, we will carry out a home visit to get to know you better, explain the projects in more detail, allow you to ask any questions and for us to see the room you have on offer and a general look around the house. At this stage we will let you know if you are successful or not.

  What next? We will keep in touch and let you know what we have on offer. We always need families who are ready to take students. Once we have a student for you we will send you information including a profile of the student and email addresses to allow you to make contact.

• What's involved?

  We expect Homestay providers to offer a warm, caring home, and offer the support, encouragement and guidance needed to ensure the student gets the most out of their stay. A homestay provider is not expected to replace the student’s family from home. However, the student should be treated as part of the family and may be asked to help around the house, for example wash the dishes after dinner etc.

  A homestay provider is expected to communicate with the student’s parents/ guardians to ensure their best interests are met. You will receive information on safeguarding and
  sign an agreement to ensure these rules are adhered to. The main adults that are responsible for students during their stay must undergo a DBS (police check) that is required for the purposes of safeguarding.

• What are the requirements for my home?
   

  • Homestay providers must live within a one-hour commute of our college.
  • A bed – either single or double bed.
  • Storage – there should be space to store clothes in either a wardrobe, chest of drawers, shelving or a combination of these.
  • Study space – if you cannot provide a desk space in a bedroom, then there should be a large dining table in the home which provides adequate study space.
  • Wi-Fi – all host families must provide Wi-Fi, which is accessible in the student’s bedroom. Students are expected to respect the Wi-Fi and not use it for excessive downloading such as games etc.
  • Bathroom – you do not need to provide a private bathroom, however there should be access to a family bathroom.
  • Students should always have access to the other parts of the home such as the living room, dining room, conservatories etc.

• What do I need to provide?
   

  As a homestay provider, you are expected to provide:

  • A bedroom and place for a student to study (this may be in their own room or another part of the house).
  • Breakfast each day.
  • Home cooked evening meal.
  • Weekend lunches.
  • A snack, toast, cheese, fruit, etc.
  • Laundry facilities – you may want to do this for your students, or you can show them how to use the facilities.
  • Bedding and towels.
  • Wi-Fi internet – this should be provided for the use of study and for the students to be able to contact their family back home.
  • Moral support, local knowledge and a chance to experience life with a family from a different culture.

• What age are students?
   

  Students range from 16 years upwards.

• Will I receive support?
   

  Accommodation staff will give you all the information and advice you need to successfully host a student. The team will also provide you with 24/7 support and a number you can call in an emergency.

• How much will I earn?

  Your weekly income as a host is £135 per student per week. The length of stay varies depending on the project they are part of. This can range from eight weeks, up to one academic year.