Half Term Host Family Stay

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A quick guide to our Half Term Host Family stay: what happens when UK boarding schools close for half term, who needs half term accommodation, and how we place international students with a welcoming host family for the week.

Half Term at UK Boarding Schools

Most UK boarding schools close for a week at half term, once in the autumn term around late October, and again in the spring term in February. Boarding houses close too, and every student needs somewhere to go. For international students who are not flying home, a half term host family stay is the most popular solution: a week of family life, home cooking and rest, close enough to school that the return to term is simple. Half term dates differ between schools, so tell us your student's school when you enquire and we will plan around the exact dates.

When is a next half term?

There is no single national date: each school sets its own half term, so always check your school's official calendar. As a general guide, autumn half term falls in late October, usually one to two weeks, and spring half term falls in mid February, usually one week. Some schools also take a short break in the summer term around late May. Dates for the current school year are published in each school's term calendar, and our blog carries a full guide to half terms, holidays and exeats for the year ahead.

Who needs a Half Term Host Family?

• Students whose home country is too far for a worthwhile visit during a one week break
• Students whose parents are travelling or unable to host them at short notice
• Students preparing for exams who need a quiet week of revision with meals and routine taken care of
• Students at schools that require all boarders to leave the site during half term
• Younger students for whom long-haul travel twice in a term would be tiring and disruptive

What is arranged

• A host family placement for the full half term week, matched to the student's age, language and needs
• Transfers between the school and the host family at the start and end of the week
• All meals, a comfortable room, and time to rest or catch up on schoolwork
• A dedicated point of contact for parents while the school is closed

Additional services

We can find a suitable host family based on your preferences within a selected region or a chosen distance from the school, arrange all transfers, and repeat the arrangement each half term so the pattern of the school year takes care of itself. October half term, February half term and exeat weekends can all be covered under the same guardianship arrangement, one enquiry sets your child up for the whole year.

Safeguarding comes first

Every host family is personally recruited and checked under our child protection and safeguarding policy. This includes Enhanced DBS checks for all adult household members, in-home visits, professional and personal references, and safeguarding training. British Guardianship remains your child's educational guardian throughout the stay. You can read more about living in a host family, or about becoming a host family yourself.