Why Host?
Hosting an international student is a rewarding, fun, and educational experience for the whole family. It’s a unique opportunity to build lasting friendships while embracing new cultures and languages.
As a host family, you become a home away from home for our students, playing a key role in their time abroad. By providing a safe and welcoming environment, you help them make the most of their experience while gaining a deeper understanding of British culture.
Hosting also allows students and teachers to fully immerse themselves in local life, improving their English and creating meaningful connections.
If you’d like to welcome international students into your home, meet new people, and make a difference, we’d love to hear from you! We welcome hosts from a wide range of professional backgrounds, including teachers, nurses, administrators, retail workers, sales, marketing…and retirees!
For more information or to ask any questions, feel free to contact us:
📧 homestay@opportunity-education.com
📞 07511 800119
Host Roles & Responsibilities
We ask that families can provide each student or teacher with:
- A warm and friendly welcome
- A clean, comfortable, well-lit room, with sufficient heating, ventilation, natural light and storage
- Bed linen and towels, washed on a weekly basis
- Regular access to the bathroom
- A nutritious breakfast and dinner every day
- A lift to and from the host school
Both hosts and students are given guidelines explaining what is expected of each of them.
As a first time host family we cannot thank you guys enough for making the whole process, from the start, so straight forward and clear, and we are enjoying every minute of it! I can honestly say we are all super glad we took the plunge!
We can see the immense benefits hosting can give our family as a whole. Opening your home to strangers can feel daunting but also rewarding, and when you can see your own children thriving from the new relationships they have made, regardless of the language barrier, it is a wonderful sight to behold.
Kirsty & Family
The Application and Screening Process
Ensuring that our students and teachers feel safe and welcomed is our top priority. All prospective hosts undergo a thorough screening process, including in-home interviews conducted by our staff. Once approved, families receive regular visits and ongoing monitoring to maintain our high standards of care and hospitality.
- Explore our website and review the Homestay Host Family Guide.
- Submit an enquiry or complete our online application form.
- A member of our team will follow up to arrange a home visit and inspection.
- A DBS check is required for all household members over the age of 16 who may have unsupervised contact with students.
- Once approved, hosts are added to our database and receive a copy of our Homestay Family Guide.
- Hosts are notified well in advance of upcoming opportunities to welcome students.
We’ve hosted with other companies but opportunity Education are by far THE best! They are very organised, helpful and friendly, and the sign up process is very smooth, we’ve even recommended our neighbours do it!
Host in Gosport
Top Tips For Successful Hosting
- Welcome them into your home – Give your visitors a tour of the house, introduce them to family members, and explain any house rules to help them settle in.
- Explore British food together – Take them grocery shopping to introduce them to British cuisine and let them choose something they’d like to try. Treat them to classic meals like a Sunday roast, fish and chips, or a summer BBQ.
- Enjoy a movie night – Watching a British film, whether at home or the cinema, is a great way to immerse them in the culture and language (subtitles can be helpful!).
- Show them around – A walk in the park or around your local area will help them get familiar with their surroundings.
- Make learning fun – Board games provide a relaxed and enjoyable way for students to practise their English.
- “The best thing about Opportunity Education, is that you can get hold of someone very quickly if you need to, that includes teachers as well. Also because we are all friends with other host families it makes it so much easier to cater for after school.”
- “A wonderful experience, I really don’t think it could be better. The support received was perfect.”
- “The most rewarding aspect of being a host is learning about another culture with children the same age as ours.”
- “They were lovely ladies and we had some great conversations about different cultures and countries. They were willing to try all foods and very appreciative of everything. Lovely guests.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Host families are typically paid per night, per student. This is meant to support your family in the costs of hosting a student. Families can earn up to £840 a week this way.
Yes, we do not place restrictions on single occupancy households.
Yes, we encourage you to host 2 or more students if you have the space to do so. Some families like to host more than one student as it gives the students a companion. Up to 2 students may share a room, but all must have their own bed.
Yes, we welcome a diverse range of hosts including single parent households, empty-nesters, and families with small children. Our key requirement is that homestay providers provide a safe, clean, and comfortable environment for our students / teachers.
Yes, in instances where there is only one double bed available, we can provide an additional foldable bed for a second student. Alternatively, a double room can be used to host a teacher who can stay alone with a host family.
Students are usually between the ages of 12 and 16, although can be as young as 9 and as old as 18.
Families must provide a bed, breakfast, an evening meal (some hosts may provide a packed lunch), and most importantly provide a safe, stable, friendly environment. Hosts must submit an application, references, and will have a home visit by one of our staff. Students bring their own spending money for souvenirs and entertainment
Further information on suggested meals will be provided, as Chinese guest typically enjoy certain foods. However, there should be no need to alter your daily routine too much. Breakfast might be a simple meal of cereals, eggs, bread and fruit, while dinner could be a meat and rice based dish, pizza or noodles!
Our friendly team will provide all of the support and advice you need. Our students must comply with all programme rules and our staff will ensure they follow these while with your family. If a student has an accident, or is ill, our staff are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.