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Accommodation & Welfare2023-12-20T20:29:36+00:00

Accommodation & Welfare

Comfortable and secure accommodation for your children

English host families

We regard our English host families as playing an extremely important role, we do not use agencies. We choose our homestays for the warm friendly family atmosphere and comfort of their homes.

Our aim is to provide students with a comfortable and secure environment. Our families understand that the main reason for the visit is to improve their guests’ English by being immersed in an environment where English is the only means of communication.

Our school’s Welfare Staff are always on hand to liaise with students and families should any misunderstandings arise.

All of our families sign a fire home risk assessment, a Code of Practice, and their details are cross checked with the local social services and police records.

“All host families are carefully selected, visited and inspected by our professional Welfare Staff”

The best way to improve your language skills

The family environment has proved to be an extremely effective way of learning by providing relaxed and social surroundings where guests acquire language naturally. Channel School families always provide full-board accommodation, including a packed lunch on school days care for students as one of the family.

Students may share a room with other students or children of the host family. We never put two students speaking the same language within the same host family unless specifically requested, this gives students a good chance of practicing spoken English.

Frequently Asked Questions

We give details of the host family as soon as we have had the £150 registration fee per student with the enrolment details and have found a suitable family for the student. If for any reason the student would prefer a different family then we will look for an alternative at that stage. Please note that host families can sometimes change due to changes in circumstances and in these instances we send the new family details as soon as possible.

We have been working with some of our families for more than 30 years. We keep a database of the feedback that students give us about them and visit them regularly. We normally find that it is the contrary. Some students treat their host families as hotels. For example, they do not help the family when preparing meals, do not keep their bedroom tidy, do not follow the instructions that the family have given them, come home in the evenings later than expected, do not spend any time at home, are not interested in communicating with the host family, etc. However, some families may be worried that being away from their parents is all too overwhelming for the student and may just be giving them space, which is easily resolved by our experienced welfare staff.

In Ilfracombe we have a bus operating to school in the mornings and home again for those not within easy walking distance. For Mini Learners (6-10 years old) there is a bus to and from school and evening activities. This is included in the course price.

If you have any special requests for the care of any of your students during their visit then these should be detailed at the time of enrolment and we can make sure that we can meet your requirements. Most teenagers find comfort in spending time with their peers. Agents sometimes request that their students are not allowed out in the evening, which can be really isolating and seem unfair if those students are sharing accommodation with another student who is allowed out.

Yes, therefore there is no need to bring such big suitcases! Normally once a week.

One of our staff will arrange a doctor’s appointment and, if no leader is available, will take the student. STUDENTS MUST SHOW THEIR EHIC CARD before consultations are booked. For children under 16 with an EHIC card there is usually no charge for consultation, nor for medicines. Similarly emergency dentistry is generally free to under 16s with an EHIC Card. Dentists will usually only perform emergency procedures that will last until the student is back in their own country where they can receive full and permanent treatment. Please note that work on dental braces is not free, but attracts an initial charge of approximately £50 and the costs escalate depending on the level of work required. Please note that we will require permission from you to administer paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin to your students. There is a space on the individual and group booking forms for this.

On occasion, we may get requests for students to change host families, often without good reason.  We have found that the majority of requests arise from misunderstandings, so we will first try mediation with our Welfare Team, if this does not resolve the issues then we will arrange a move.

You should be aware that in these circumstances there is a cost of £210 and the student is expected to pay before they are moved because we pay host families before the arrival of the students.

Unlike other schools, we pay our host families upfront for the entire student’s visit on arrival of the student. Therefore, we will not change a student’s host family without a genuinely good reason, so please make sure your clients check all of the details in the students’ host description letters to make sure they feel the family is acceptable. At this stage, we can try to find an alternative host family at no extra charge.

Every year we have problems because students are sent to the school with problems such as diabetes, hearing problems, severe allergies, asthma, bed-wetting, dyslexia, ADHD and emotional issues yet the parents/agents have not informed us of these matters. We need to know if students are on regular medication, have any health or dietary problems and also any behavioural or learning issues, or it can result in complications with the host family, lack of knowledge should a student become ill, or the student simply not getting the best out of their classes or excursions. Also, if there is a situation at home that may be affecting them emotionally (recent death of a family member, parents getting divorced, illness of a family member, etc.) it is helpful if you can inform us.  Students must complete the DISSABILITY AND LEARNING SUPPORT QUESTIONAIRE

Country Cousins
Bicclescombe Park
Ilfracombe, North Devon
EX34 8JN, England

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