Host family accommodation

Abbey College Cambridge host families provide a well-located home for our students, with most families within a 20 minute walk of school. Living in a host family offers you a balance between socialising with other Abbey students, and allowing you to have an ideal place to study and relax outside of the classroom. Your single bedroom in your host family provides high quality accommodation, with access to a shared bathroom. The boarding team at school will offer and run a program of activities to make sure you get the most out of studying and living in the UK. This will include home based study and weekend leisure, sports and cultural activity programs. All students in host families are invited and expected to join in with activities at school.

Room

In your room you will find all items needed to make your stay comfortable, you have a single/double bed, with clean sheets and warm bedding. There is a desk for you to study at, as well as wardrobes and drawers in which to keep your clothes. Your room will be cleaned once per week, and at this time your bed linen will also be changed.

Internet

The wireless facility is available for you to use throughout your host family. Ask your host for the details you need to connect. The internet will be turned off in the evening at 11pm and back on in the morning at 7am. You are not permitted to arrange your own internet/broadband supply.

Meals

All host students are accommodated full board. Your host family will provide you with breakfast and dinner Monday-Friday in term time, and all meals at the weekend. Students will have lunch at school Monday-Friday during term time

Laundry and bedding

Your bed linen will be changed once per week by your host family. Your host family will wash your clothes for you; they will advise you which day of the week your laundry will be taken. If you have allergies to washing powder or wish to use a specific type of washing powder, please speak to your host family or the accommodation team at school. It is usual to have one wash per week, however if you need more or have special requirements, this can be arranged.

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Health and Safety in your host family

Personal Possessions

Please store all valuable personal possessions in your safe/storage box provided by your host family and keep this locked. If you unsure then please speak to your host family or the accommodation team. You should not keep more than £50 cash in your safe/storage box at any one time.

Security and keys

You will be provided with a key to your host family, do not lose this key. If you do lose your key, please inform your host family immediately. You may be charged for a replacement key or your host may wish to replace the complete lock. You will be charged for this (see page 20) Make sure that when you leave your host family that you lock the door behind you and close any gates. Always make sure your bedroom door is closed when you leave for school.

Kitchen

You may be allocated a cupboard in the kitchen in which to store dry food items. Cooking is not permitted in host families, although with supervision, some hosts may allow this. You must be aware of potential burn risks to yourself and other students when using the kitchen, for example steam and hot dishes from the microwave. You will be expected to help keep the kitchen clean by ensuring crockery and glassware are washed after use and loaded into the dishwasher.

Fire Safety

Your host family will test the smoke alarm with you, and will explain what to do if the fire alarm sounds. If a fire alarm sounds, you must leave your host family immediately – do not stop to collect your belongings. Please make sure you understand what you are expected to do, and you are aware of where the exits are in the house. Portable heaters are not allowed in bedrooms. If you are feeling cold in your bedroom your host can provide you with an additional blanket or duvet. Electric bed blankets are not permitted.

First Aid

If you have an accident please inform your host family; they will help you.

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Electrical Safety

If you have bought electrical equipment from your home country, you must use an appropriate adaptor. You must ask permission to use additional extension sockets as doing so may overload the system and present a fire risk. Please only use adaptors bought in the UK. Your host family will look at your equipment and may have to remove items which are dangerous. Rice cookers and kettles are not allowed in student bedrooms. Students should ensure they turn off electrical items such as hair straighteners and laptops when they leave for school in the morning. If these items are found switched on when you are not there, these items may be removed by your host family. Electrical items switched on and left unattended are a fire risk.

Bike safety

All students riding a bike should wear a cycle helmet. Please speak to your host family if you need advice on buying one. Please also make sure you buy a good strong lock, as like any university city, Cambridge suffers from a real problem with bike theft. Graham and Stephanie often stand outside the front of school in the morning and will speak to you if you aren’t wearing the correct equipment for your safety.

Mail

Students should not have parcels sent to their host family – parcels can easily be delivered to school. Reception will notify you via email and text message when the parcel you have sent to school has been delivered.

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