St. Clare's Homestay

When spending a summer at St. Clare's, one of the best ways to learn more about life in Oxford is to stay with one of our local hosts. Our homestay option offers you the chance to immerse yourself in British family life, with your own private space, whilst being able to enjoy every other aspect of the course.

Jessica Black Here are some questions you might ask about about homestay, answered by Jessica, our Accomodation and Welfare Officer.

Where is the homestay located? Is it far?
We have lots of hosts who are predominately located in North Oxfordshire, which on average is between a 10-20-minute bus ride away. In Oxford we are really lucky to have such a regular, safe bus service.

What kind of food will the host cook for me?
Your homestay host will ask you what foods you like and don’t like when you arrive and will base your meals around these requests. In England we eat a lot of meat and vegetable dishes but we also like trying to copy other countries' foods. You can expect to receive a well-balanced, varied diet whilst living in your homestay. I have a host who knows that I love cheesecake so always has one made in the fridge, ready for when I visit!

Will there be other students staying with the host?
Some homestay hosts have more than one spare room so do sometimes have more than one student staying with them. This is something that you can request at the time of booking and we always make sure the other student is from a different country and speaks another language to you so we can ensure you are improving your English at home, as well as in your classes!

How old are the homestay hosts?
Our hosts vary in age but on average most of them are between the ages of 30-50 years old.

What do the hosts enjoy doing at the weekend?
I make sure that we have lots of suitable hosts on our books so that I can also take into consideration their interests when placing students with them. We have host families with young children who enjoy sports at weekends or spending time as a family on day trips; we also have musical and artistic hosts, those who enjoy cooking and gardening! I had a student last summer who really wanted to stay with a Liverpool FC supporting host and, despite being a Tottenham fan myself, I did manage to place this student with an avid Liverpool FC supporting family.

How do you choose your homestay hosts?
I meet all hosts in their homes. I assess their communal rooms (living room, kitchen and dining room) and the bedroom for students and any bathrooms. By visiting our homestay hosts, I am able to make sure that they will provide St. Clare’s students with a comfortable, welcoming, safe and clean environment to live in.
I visit the homestay hosts every year and regularly communicate with them throughout any student’s stay.

What background checks do you do on the hosts?
We DBS check all of our host families and also require references for them. I am quite lucky because I grew up in North Oxford and have a large family, so normally one of my family members knows or has a connection to a family I'm considering!

Will I be able to socialise with the other students?
Yes, at St. Clare’s we offer a wide range of activities which you can join in on but you can also request to be with a host who has another student, so you will be able to socialise with them in your home.

What is the best thing about your job?
Getting to meet lots of new people from all over the world.

And finally, (we've asked everyone this so far!) what is your favourite food?
I can’t pick! I love Thai food but you also can’t beat my Mother’s roast dinner on a Sunday!

Find out more about homestay >>

St. Clare's, Oxford

Accessibility

Navigation

Search

Summer News

Return to Previous Page

Social Media

Further Information