EnglishBritish Guardianship Host Families
A complete guide to living in a British Guardianship host family: what a host family is, when your child will need one, where our families are located, and how every family is vetted before a student ever stays.
What is a Host Family?
Each child's individual needs, character, personality and hobbies are taken into account when finding them a host family to spend their holidays with. British Guardianship selects families who have been thoroughly vetted and approved through our rigorous safeguarding and recruitment process. These appointed families provide accommodation and care for students, typically for short stays from one to seven days, including weekends, exeats, half term breaks, and the start and end of each term. We visit every family in their home, check their professional and personal references, and run background checks, so that your child is always secure and cared for.
When is a Host Family required?
International students do not live with their educational guardians during school holidays, half terms and weekends. Instead, the educational guardian is responsible for finding suitable host family accommodation. The host family welcomes the child into their home, provides a full meal plan, and makes the student part of family life, from day trips to simply sharing the family table.
Why choose a British Guardianship Host Family?
British Guardianship has been caring for international students since 2010 and operates under AEGIS accreditation and BSA Certified Guardian status, which means our safeguarding, recruitment and host family standards are independently inspected, not just promised. Every stay is arranged and supervised by us as your child's educational guardian, so the host family is never the only adult responsible: parents have a dedicated point of contact throughout, and our 24-hour emergency support line is always available to students, families and schools.
Because we match rather than allocate, your child's age, language, hobbies, dietary needs and your location preferences all shape which family we choose. And because our network spans the UK, we can cover the planned rhythm of the school year, exeats, half terms and holidays, as well as the unplanned moments, from a cancelled flight to an early school closure, at short notice. There is more about what sets us apart on our Why Choose Us page.
Where are our host families?
We work with an extended network of vetted host families across the United Kingdom, from major student cities such as London, Brighton, Cambridge and Oxford to smaller towns close to boarding schools around the country. Families are also located near major airports, which matters most when travel plans change at short notice. Wherever your child's school is, there is a checked and welcoming family within practical reach.
What are our host families like?
Our host families are ordinary British families with an extraordinary willingness to open their home to a young person far from their own. Some are couples with children of a similar age, some have grown-up children and empty rooms, and many have years of experience hosting international students. Recruited families come from different backgrounds and represent a cross-section of cultural groups within Britain, which helps us match each student with a household where they will feel at ease.
Every family is interviewed in person and their home is inspected before they ever host a student. We check that the house is clean, warm and well kept, that the student's room is comfortable and private with space to study, and that the family environment is safe and welcoming. Students eat with the family, three meals a day with dietary needs accommodated, and are invited into everyday family life: outings and day trips, film evenings, walks, helping with the cooking, or simply relaxing in the garden. Many families have a dog or a cat, which for most students is part of the charm, and for those with allergies we simply match a pet-free household.
The aim is always the same: a home from home where your child is treated as a member of the family, encouraged to practise their English, and given both company and the space to be themselves.
What We Expect From Every Host Family
Every family we appoint understands the needs of overseas students and independent education, and takes a genuine interest in the progress and welfare of the student in their care. Before a family joins our network, we make sure that:
The student receives their own comfortable, separate and private room- The student has access to all communal areas of a clean and well kept home
- A full meal plan is provided, accommodating any dietary needs
- The family helps with travel and transport during the stay
- The student's culture and religion are respected with sensitivity
- Students are treated as members of the family, never as paying guests
- Students are involved in family life and encouraged to speak English in the home
Interested in hosting international students yourself? Visit our become a host family page.
Safeguarding comes first
Every host family is personally recruited and checked under our child protection and safeguarding policy, whether a student stays for one night or several weeks. This includes Enhanced DBS checks for all adult household members, in-home visits, professional and personal references, and safeguarding training. You can read more about living in a host family.
Frequently Asked Questions
UK boarding schools close for exeat weekends, half terms and holidays, and boarding houses close with them, so every student needs somewhere to go. For international students who are not flying home, a host family provides a safe, welcoming home for the break, arranged and supervised by us as your child's educational guardian.
Yes. Every student is provided with their own comfortable, separate and private room, with a desk for study. Bathrooms are sometimes shared with the family, as is normal in a British home.
Yes. Host families provide a full meal plan for the length of the stay, and any dietary needs, whether cultural, religious or medical, are accommodated. Tell us about them when you enquire and we will match a family accordingly.
Every family goes through our safeguarding and recruitment process: an in-home visit and accommodation inspection, professional and personal references, Enhanced DBS checks and safeguarding training. Full details are in our child protection and safeguarding policy.
Yes. We can find a suitable family based on your preferences within a selected region or within a chosen distance from the school, and we take the student's age, language, hobbies and needs into account when matching.
We stay in contact with both the student and the family during every stay. If something is not working, tell us and we will resolve it, including arranging a different family where needed. Our priority is that your child feels safe, comfortable and at home.
Host family accommodation is arranged as part of your guardianship package, with stays charged according to length and requirements. See our guardianship fees page or contact us for a quote for your child's situation.
Many British families have a dog or a cat, and for most students a pet makes the house feel like home. If your child is allergic to pets or uncomfortable around them, tell us when you enquire and we will match a family without pets.
Transfers between the school and the host family are arranged at the start and end of every stay, and airport transfers can be included where a stay begins or ends with a flight. Your child is never left to make their own way.
Yes. We share the family's profile with you before the stay and an introduction can be arranged, so both your child and the family know who to expect. Parents also receive a courtesy call confirming arrival arrangements.
British Guardianship remains your child's educational guardian throughout every host family stay. The family provides day-to-day care, we stay in contact with both sides, and parents have a dedicated point of contact for the whole stay.
Clothes for the length of the stay, any schoolwork or revision materials, chargers and personal items. Bedding and towels are provided by the family. For half terms and holidays, casual clothes for outings and something warm are always a good idea.
As early as possible for planned stays, ideally at the start of each term once exeat and half term dates are known, as the best matched families are booked first. For unexpected situations such as cancelled flights, contact us immediately, our network allows us to arrange emergency accommodation at short notice.
Looking for a Host Family for Your Child?
From matching the right family to arranging transfers, we take care of the whole Easter stay. Book a free consultation or contact us, and your child's holiday is in safe hands.
