Arriving in the UK
Many students arriving into the UK currently have to quarantine for 10 days. The good news, however, is that you can stay with one of our quarantine homestay hosts and you can study with us online, before joining us for face-to-face classes.
Aubane from Belgium did exactly this. We spoke to her and Moira, her homestay host during quarantine, to find out about their experience. For Aubane, it had some unexpected benefits.
“It was amazing because it was step by step, so first it was online lessons, and just after, it was at the school. The teachers were very friendly; they help you to feel more confident, and my host made me feel good too.”
What Happens During Quarantine in a Homestay?
Quarantine hosts provide a private bathroom and follow strict hygiene and social distancing rules, while online lessons give students a purposeful routine and extra social contact.
Contact with the homestay host is limited during the self-isolation period – a distance of 2m must be observed at all times, and the student has all meals in their bedroom (the host leaves food, snacks and drinks at the door). However, it’s still possible to interact at a distance, as Moira recalls.
“She would stay in her room and I would stand on the stairs while we chatted. The weather was good too, so she could enjoy the sun in the garden. I thought two weeks would really drag, but because of the routine, it didn’t. She had breakfast, classes, lunch, classes and then dinner, with free evening time to video call family and friends, watch films or read. Before we knew it, the quarantine period had passed.”
A Very Positive Homestay Experience
Aubane spent a final day with Moira before moving to her originally-booked host and joining face-to-face classes at the school, meeting new students and former online classmates. Moira and Aubane remain in contact, meeting up on her birthday, and Aubane continues to enjoy the homestay experience: “it’s the best because all the time you need to speak English and it’s the kind of English you use every day.”
More about Homestay Accommodation >
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