What parents should expect from a London homestay

When parents contact us about placing a 16 or 17 year old in London, most are looking for the same things: a safe home, a welcoming household, clear boundaries, and someone responsible nearby if something goes wrong.

A London Homestays placement provides all of that. It is designed to be a family home arrangement, not a fully managed programme. That distinction matters, and getting it clear before booking makes for a better experience for everyone, including your child.

At a glance

A London Homestays placement for an under-18 student provides:

• A carefully checked host home. Under-18 hosts have enhanced DBS checks, and the home is visited in person before any student is placed there.
• London Homestays as the formal point of contact for major concerns and safeguarding issues during the stay.
• A clear curfew for 16-17 year olds, agreed before the placement begins.
• Half board is strongly recommended for under-18s (breakfast and an evening meal in the host home).

It is not:

• A guardianship service or 24/7 supervision programme.
• A transport or chaperone service.
• A managed activities programme.

For full safeguarding detail, please see our Safety hub and Child Protection Policy.

If you only read one thing

Homestay is a family home arrangement with additional safeguarding for 16-17 year olds. It is not guardianship, and it is not round-the-clock supervision. If you think your child needs that level of oversight, tell us before booking so we can advise on what suits them best.

What a homestay for a 16 or 17 year old actually is

Your child lives as part of a London household. They have their own bedroom, and they spend their evenings in a home environment with a responsible adult present.

Most students at this age do well in this model. It gives them genuine support with the right level of independence. The host is someone to come home to, eat with (if meals are included), and talk to, rather than a paid supervisor managing every hour of the day.

Meals and welfare for under-18s

For welfare and routine, we strongly recommend half board for 16-17 year olds: breakfast and an evening meal in the host home.

Other meal plans are sometimes possible, but:

• Self-catering is rarely offered for under-18s. Most hosts will not offer it, for safety and welfare reasons.
• Bed & breakfast can work, but there must be a clear plan for evening food. In some cases parents, schools, or agents confirm that other arrangements are in place, for example meals provided by the school. If that applies, it needs to be agreed before booking so expectations are clear from day one.

If your child has an unusual timetable or specific dietary needs, tell us before booking.

What parents can realistically expect

The host is normally present in the evenings. Under-18 students are not left alone other than for short periods. The home environment has clear routines and boundaries that the student is expected to respect.

A curfew for 16-17 year olds is agreed before the placement begins, and is subject to host and parental approval. As a guide, we suggest students aged 16-17 are home no later than 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 10.30pm on all other evenings, unless the agreed curfew is different.

For everyday matters, parents can speak to the host directly. For major concerns or safeguarding issues, London Homestays is your point of contact, and we keep serious issues handled consistently and by the right person. The host has been met in person, the room has been seen, and the home has been reviewed against our standards before any student moves in.

What a homestay is not

Homestay works best when everyone understands the model from the start.

It is not guardianship or round-the-clock supervision. Hosts are present in the home, but they are not responsible for supervising your child outside it. Students travel between the homestay and school independently.

It is not a transport or chaperone service. London Homestays does not provide transport or chaperoning as part of a standard placement.

It is not a managed activities programme. Some providers offer structured programmes with organised activities, excursions, and language sessions as part of the package. That is a different type of service, usually at much higher cost, and it is not what a standard homestay provides.

It is not a direct management relationship with the host. For everyday matters, parents can speak to the host directly. For major concerns or anything you’d prefer handled formally, contact London Homestays. This keeps serious issues dealt with consistently and by the right person.

Curfews, house rules, and daily life

On arrival, the host will explain how the household works: meal times, bathroom routines, laundry, noise, and any house rules around guests or visitors. These vary by household, and students are expected to respect them.

If a student is not keeping to curfew or house rules, the host tells us and we step in. In serious or repeated cases, the placement may not be able to continue.

Pastoral care during the school day, including anything that comes up at school or in your child’s social life outside the homestay, is handled by the school or agent, not by London Homestays.

If your child needs more structured support

For most families, homestay works well once expectations are clearly set: a safe home, regular meals (half board recommended), a curfew, and London Homestays as the formal point of contact for major concerns or safeguarding issues.

If you feel your child needs a higher level of oversight, perhaps because they are less experienced at travelling independently or because you have specific concerns about their situation, tell us before booking. A more structured arrangement may suit them better, and we can talk through the options.

Contact us before booking

FAQs

Want more detail?

For a longer-form parent’s guide covering DBS checks, what a typical day looks like, in loco parentis, and what happens if something goes wrong, see our parent’s guide to London homestays for 16 and 17 year olds.

In short

A London Homestays placement for a 16 or 17 year old provides a carefully checked home, clear safeguards, regular meals (half board recommended), a curfew, and London Homestays as a support point throughout.

If you have questions about your child’s specific situation before booking, contact us and we will talk it through honestly.