Why become a host family?

Host families enjoy welcoming our international students to their homes and showing the students their local area. There are many benefits to hosting and all our families gain a great deal of satisfaction from the experience. 

  • You enjoy meeting people. 
  • You learn about other cultures and counties.
  • Your own children gain a big 'brother' or 'sister'.
  • Your own children may have left home and you have space to welcome a student.
  • You may have attended a boarding school yourself and want to help make the experience a positive one for an international student.
  • You like entertaining guests.
  • You have retired and have time and space to look after student.
  • You receive an income to thank you and cover expenses.
  • You can combine hosting with your normal day to day life.

Cambridge Guardians offer continued help, support and guidance to host families throughout their hosting experience. Host families are a very important part of our service and we do our best to help you too. We match you carefully with our students and provide you will all the information you need.

Becoming a host family

Many of our new host families are friends of our current host families, they see for themselves the benefits and enjoyment that our host families gain from hosting international students. However we are always looking for new people to help: 

We are especially looking for families who would like to host day or boarding students in Cambridge, Hertfordshire and London.

We are also looking for families who would like to host our boarding students near schools in Ely, Oundle, Uppingham, Oakham, Bedford, Canterbury, Holt, Hertford, Ipswich, Norwich and London.

If you are interested in hosting an international student and you live in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Suffolk, Surrey, Sussex, Rutland, Norfolk, Hertfordshire, Essex, Oxfordshire or London please contact us for a no obligation chat. 

Our Commitment To Safeguarding and Child Protection

Cambridge Guardians are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Safeguarding, child protection and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. We understand that everyone who works with or comes into contact with children has a role to play in safeguarding them. Cambridge Guardians requires all staff and host family members to recognise their responsibility towards keeping children safe. All staff and volunteers are expected to have a clear understanding of the rights, needs and views of children and young people and should consider, at all times, what is in their best interests.

Our host families are responsible, kind and welcoming, they provide a clean, safe, home from home for our students.

All host families will undergo safeguarding checks (DBS), a home visit and references will be followed up.