Frequently asked questions

Our day students will stay with their host family every day throughout each term usually just going home for the longer Christmas, Easter and Summer holidays.
Our boarding students usually stay with host families for exeat weekends and half terms. These dates differ slightly from school to school. Some students choose to stay with their host family over Easter while others may go home for half terms.
Recently we have also hosted students over Christmas and Summer holidays.

We will place a maximum of three students in one family.

Yes we will need a DBS check for everyone in the house aged 16 and above. If you have registered for the update service we can check there otherwise we need to carry out our own checks. The DBS will need renewing every three years.

We aim to place the same student with you for each of their holidays. We really want the host family to become their home from home. Many host families and students become friends for life.

Ideally we like to place the student with the same host family so if you know you are frequently away at a certain time of year then we can discuss to see which student might suit you. We recognise that sometimes families are unavailable to host and we will make alternative arrangements for your student to stay elsewhere.

Our boarding school students could be as young as 11 years old. They could arrive to start year 7, 8, 8, 10 or sixth form. Our oldest are 18 years old by the time they leave school.
Our day students are all 16 when they arrive and attend sixth form schools or colleges.

No, Heather is the student's guardian and Cambridge Guardians is the Guardianship organisation. You are the student's host family or homestay.

Yes, we pay in advance of your student's visit. We recognise our host family's importance to our students wellbeing and reimburse you accordingly. We will discuss fees and expenses with you when we our initial meeting.

Yes, of course. Our host families all have the same values and provide a responsible, caring home from home for our students. However, our families are all very different, we have single parents, families with small children, families with older children and parents whose children have left home. Our families are also of many different nationalities and backgrounds.

Our students come from all over the world and we welcome students of every nationality. Many of our students are from China or Hong Kong but we also have regularly have students from countries as diverse as Russia, Italy, Spain, Vietnam, Japan, Malaysia, South Africa, Ukraine, USA and even UK.