Hosting with Foyle: your questions answered

There’s no one “type” of host! Our hosts include families, couples, single people, working professionals, retirees and empty nesters. You don’t need to have children or be at home all day. If you have a comfortable spare room and would enjoy welcoming an international student into your home, hosting could be for you.

Absolutely. Many of our hosts work full-time, part-time, shifts or from home. Students have their own programme during the day and don’t expect their host to entertain them 24/7. What matters most is providing a welcoming home and including them in normal family life when you are together.

Very possibly! Many of our hosts work full-time, part-time, shifts or have busy family and social lives. Students have their own daily programme and don’t expect you to entertain them 24/7.

Hosting is about welcoming someone into your normal everyday life, rather than changing your entire routine for them. A chat over dinner, asking about their day or simply making them feel included can make a huge difference.

Yes! Lots of our hosts have dogs, cats and other pets, and many students love staying in a home with animals. We take this into consideration when matching students and will not knowingly place a student with a pet allergy, or someone who is uncomfortable around animals, in a home with pets.

Not at all. You don’t need a large or “perfect” home to host. What matters is that the student has a clean, comfortable bedroom, their own bed and somewhere to store their belongings, as well as access to laundry and communal areas.

No. Hosting is flexible. You tell us when you are available and we will contact you when we have a suitable student. Some hosts take students regularly, while others only host once or twice a year or during the summer.

We ask you to provide the details of 2 non-related people so we can complete reference checks. We also require AccessNI checks, including a check of the children’s barred list. Please be aware that if there is any legal reason you should not be in contact with children under the age of 18, making an application of this nature could have legal implications.

Foyle International covers the cost of the AccessNI check.

Our Accommodation Officer will visit your home to complete a thorough check during the application process. They will also revisit twice a year, and if they need to follow up with you about something.

Our students are aged 13+. There is no upper age limit, and we take host preferences on age, gender and diet into consideration when allocating students.

From September to June, most of our students are aged between 16 and 30.

In July and August we have mostly junior students aged 13 to 17, because we run our Junior Summer School programme for 6 to 7 weeks during this time.

Our students are mostly European, with varied levels of English within each group. Our three most common nationalities are Spanish, German and Czech.

The majority of our stays are “short stays” of 2 to 4 weeks. We also have a small number of long stays each year, between 3 and 9 months.

We try to make the best possible match for both the student and the host. We take into consideration things such as age, gender, nationality, dietary requirements and any other preferences you have told us about. Once we have a student in a group that you are interested in and available for, we send you a confirmation of hosting.

Yes. Hosts can have up to 4 students per household if they have the space. Each student must have their own bed and enough space to keep their belongings.

There may be limits on the number of students of the same nationality you can host at certain times of the year. For example, during July and August we can place no more than 2 Spanish students per homestay.

Yes. Students can stay in twin rooms where appropriate. Single beds, twin beds, bunk beds, and double beds for one person can all be suitable.

This depends on whether your student is staying full board or half board. Breakfast is generally continental style, and students staying full board also receive a packed lunch. An evening meal should be provided, and we encourage hosts and students to sit down and eat together where possible.

Full board includes breakfast, a packed lunch and an evening meal. Half board includes breakfast and an evening meal. We will always confirm your student’s board basis with you before they arrive.

Don’t panic! Food can be one of the biggest adjustments when living in another country. Have a chat with your student and find out what they like and dislike. You don’t need to cook separate meals; small adjustments can often make a big difference (for example, no onion). If you’re having difficulty, just speak to us and we can help.

Just let us know. We take dietary requirements into consideration when allocating students, so it’s important to tell us what you are and aren’t comfortable catering for.

No. You aren’t expected to become a tour guide or entertain your student every day. Students have their own programme of classes, placements and/or activities. We do encourage including them in normal family life when you can: even a walk, watching TV together or a chat over dinner can be part of their experience.

This depends on the student’s programme. Some programmes include organised activities or excursions, while other students will have free time. Students on a placement may need to work some weekends and will get their days off during the week instead. You don’t need to organise a full weekend of entertainment; simply include them in normal family life where appropriate.

No. Students all have their own local transport cards and travel to and from school, activities or placements by public transport each day. We do ask for these pick-ups and drop-offs:

• On arrival: meeting the student from the bus and going to your home together
• On the first day of their course or welcome meeting: showing the student to Foyle International
• On departure: making sure the student gets to the bus on time and safely, either by driving them or organising a taxi (covering the fare)

You’re not on your own once a student arrives. Our team is available to help with questions, concerns or issues throughout the stay. Our Accommodation Officer is on hand for general queries, concerns and non-emergency issues from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. We also have a dedicated 24/7 emergency line for emergencies outside office hours.

Please don’t feel you have to deal with a problem on your own. Contact our Accommodation Officer and let them know what’s happening. Often a conversation is all that’s needed, and we can support both you and the student in finding a solution.

It’s quite normal for some students to feel homesick or need a little time to adjust to a new country, language and household. A warm welcome, conversation and including them in everyday life can really help. If you have any concerns, contact us and we can speak with the student and provide extra support.