Yes, if you both want to share.  Normally Young Learner students will share a twin room with one of our homestay hosts. The other person is normally someone of a similar age but different nationality so you have to speak English.  If you want to share with your friend, please tell us the name of your friend at the time of booking.  We still expect you to try to speak as much English as possible with your host.

Yes.  Jodie does a marvellous job of matching the right student to the right host but sometimes the connection might not be there – either from the host or from the student.  If you have any concerns about living with your host, please talk with Jodie to see if the situation is normal or whether something needs to be changed.   If you request to move, you may have to give one week’s notice before the move.  Please be aware that living with a homestay host is not the same as living in a hotel.  You are living in someone’s house, as part of a family.  With this in mind, please realise that cleaning and laundry aren’t done every day but normally once a week, hosts won’t tidy up after you and we have one shower or bath a day.  As, with your own family, we’re sure that the offer of helping to lay or clear the table for dinner – although not expected - will be much appreciated.

Your host will do one load of washing once a week. 

Sometimes, it depends on availability.  Most houses in this area are unsuitable for wheelchair access but it depends on the student and whether they have any mobility, limited or none.  For example, very few homes have bathrooms on the ground floor.  In the UK, most homes have their bathrooms and bedrooms upstairs.  Sometimes, if they have them on the ground floor, they still have a hill to get up their drive, or maybe steps to get into the house.  We would recommend contacting us about your individual situation and proposed dates so we can see whether we have a suitable host available.

If your host has asked you to leave their home, we will discuss the reasons why you have been asked to move and look at how this will not happen again.  If it is due to unacceptable behaviour by you, you will need to behave differently so that you do not cause offence or inconvenience to your new host.  

If it happens on more than twice, we cannot guarantee that we can find another host for you and you may be expelled.  You will be refunded any of your remaining homestay fee.

You are responsible for any accidental damage you may cause in your homestay or at the residence.  You, or your parents, are expected to pay compensation to the host if any damage is caused.  However, please always tell us if anything happens so we can help you.

You may use your telephone and tablets in your free time.  However, we will take your phones away from you on some activities.  After 10pm nobody should be using their electronic devices.

The residence, and most hosts, have Wi-Fi nowadays and this does not cost you anything.  Please be aware that that you should not download any inappropriate or illegal material.

There are so many ways to keep in touch with your family and friends.  Please be considerate about the timing of your calls, playing music or computer games.  Nobody should be making calls or listening to music loudly after 10pm.  

English people generally go to bed earlier than in other parts of the world so please don’t talk too loudly when they, or their children, are asleep.

Keep your bedroom tidy!  Your host can’t clean your bedroom if your clothes are on the floor.

It’s nice to offer to help around the house – to set the table, clear the dishes after dinner.  It’s important to speak English as much as possible so ask your hosts questions about living in England, food, holidays, family or homework.

Most people in the UK have heating on between October and April.  All forms of heating are expensive in the UK, especially electricity.  Please do not leave heaters or lights on when not required.  

In the UK the heating is not left on all the time.  Usually we put on the heating on a timer to come on between 6 and 8.30am. Then it will turn off and come on again for the afternoon and evening, often between 5 and 10pm.

No.  As in your own country, families come in all shapes and sizes.   Our hosts may have no children, young children, teenagers, adult children who live at home or no children living at home.  Some may be young, middle-aged or retired.  Some are single parent families, or living with a partner or husband/wife.  If you have a particular request, please let us know on your booking form so we can see whether we can help with your request.  Often, our best hosts are retired as they have more time to spend chatting with you, hosts with younger children can be busy with work and their own children’s lives.  However, in the same way that all our hosts are different, so are all of our students.  Some students want to stay with a family that will be chatty and part of their lives, other students want a host who will be happy with you going out late at night or a host who will let you be more independent.  The more information you give us about you, the easier it is to find the right fit.

After the school activities in the evenings, you go home straight away.  Your hosts have a copy of your programme and what time you should be home.  They will call you if you are late.  If you don’t answer, they will call the school emergency phone.

Always make sure you come in quietly so that you don’t wake any small children when you return.

If you have ‘Free evening with your hosts’ on your programme, you must stay at home.  You are not allowed out to the park/shops/Brighton etc.  Please don’t ask your host to allow you to go out as they have to say no.  It’s a school rule to keep you safe.

Some of our students have family or friends who live in the UK.  Your parents may want you to visit them whilst you are in the UK for your course or your family friends may wish to visit you in Brighton for an afternoon and take you out for dinner.  

This is fine for teenagers but please follow the procedure below outlined on page 42 of your handbook. 

Please note that if Loxdale is not confident that you can travel by yourself, we will not allow this trip even if you have your parent’s permission.  Your safety has to come first.

In most houses, you will share the bathroom with your hosts and/or other students.  English people usually shower once a day, a 5-10-minute shower. You should hang wet towels up when you have finished. 

An English bathroom is not a wet room – you must not get water on the floor.

Yes.

Sometimes your host may have other students staying in their home.  They will be a different nationality to you.  You will always be the only student guest from your country unless you have asked to share with a friend.  

Your homestay and the residence cannot be responsible for your money.  We recommend you use the school’s ‘Bank’.  See page 43 of your student handbook for more details.

The cost of utilities (gas, electricity and water) is expensive in the UK.  It is expected that you will be allowed one bath or one 10-minute shower each day.  Please ask your host about the best time for you to have a bath or shower.  Always leave baths, showers and toilets clean after use.

Your host will normally change your bedding and give you clean towels every week.  However, for environmental reasons and to save water, many people prefer to have this done every two weeks instead.  Please discuss this with your host.

You may be given a key to the house, but you will not have a key to your bedroom as it is not usual to have locks on bedroom doors.