About Melton College

The College, founded in 1962) is one of the oldest in the country.  We are accredited by the British Council under a scheme for language schools called ‘Accreditation UK’.  A major part of our accreditation is concerned with the welfare and accommodation we provide for our students.

What is homestay accommodation?

Most of our students choose homestay accommodation.  Homestay is the description used by our industry to describe living with a family.  Many people still use the term ‘Host Family’ but this is thought by some to be misleading as it might lead students to expect mum, dad and 2.4 children!  We place students with families, couples and with single people.  We mainly offer single rooms but we do also use twin rooms, particularly during the summer.  We usually put a maximum of two students per room and four students in any household. We also provide “Executive Homestay” (see below).

What you provide:

• A safe, clean environment (compliance with safety regulations)
• Single or twin rooms as requested with adequate heat and light and space to hang/store clothes
• A reasonable amount of washing (but not ironing)
• A desk to work at in their bedroom or a table elsewhere in the house in a quiet area
• Reasonable access to toilet/washing facilities (bath or shower daily)
• Breakfast and a substantial, cooked evening meal.
• Reasonable mealtimes.  Meals eaten with host(s)
• Lunch at the weekend (or a packed lunch)
• A change of towels and bed linen weekly
• The opportunity to chat and practise English, especially at meal-times
• A household with no other foreign students other than those placed by Melton College

Additional requirements for Executive Homestay

Students over the age of 21 can choose ‘Executive’ accommodation (if available).  Executive describes a number of features of the room they occupy and the service you provide:

• A very large or large single or double bedroom (may contain an unused twin bed)
• Private facilities (WC, basin and bath or shower) preferably ensuite
• A two-course evening meal and a substantial breakfast, taken and eaten at table with the host(s)

When does the College require homestay accommodation?

Melton College, York, is open all year except for two weeks over Christmas.  However, the majority of our students take courses either over Easter or between mid-June and September.  It is most unlikely that the College would use a room during the year that was not available for a substantial part of June, July, August and September.

How much does the College pay for homestay accommodation?

The College pays £14.00 per night from 1 January to 10 June and from 26 August to 31 December.  The College pays £14.50 per night from 11 June to 2 September and for students on our Easter and October Junior Courses.

The College pays £25.00 per night for “Executive” homestay.

Payment is made at the end of the week, directly into your bank account.

Who are the students?

All our students come to Melton College to learn English.  This means that they have an English language ability ranging from very weak to very strong.

Can I choose which type of student to host?

As a homestay provider you can select students on a number of different criteria.  But remember, the more restrictive you are, the fewer students we will be able to place.  The main criteria are:

Age  We divide students into 4 groups: Under 16s (41%) , Under 18s (46%), Over 18s (10%) & Over 50s (3%). Only 10% of the Under 16s are 14 or younger.

Gender  You can choose to host male students (40%), female students (60%) or both.

Diet  You can accept or refuse students with special diets.  You can choose to accept vegetarians (even if you are not vegetarian). Only about 5% of our students are vegetarian.

Smokers  You can choose not to accept smokers. Less than 5% of our students are (officially) smokers.

How do we place students?

As part of their application, our students provide us with a number of pieces of information about themselves.  In addition, we give them the opportunity to make specific requests.  We also ask you about your household and enter the information you give us on the blue ‘about you and your family’ form onto our system to help give us a good match.

The process

At the beginning of the year (or when you start as a new host) you complete some forms.  The blue ‘you and your household’ describes those living at your address and the general features of your property.  It is also the contract between you and the College.  You need to fill in a yellow form for each room you are offering. This form describes the room in terms of its size and facilities.

We will send you a letter saying we would like to place a student with you.  This will give a few details about the student including nationality, whether he/she is vegetarian, has medical problems, etc. together with date of birth and arrival in York date.

If you are happy to take the student, then please telephone the College and quote the four-digit number at the bottom of the letter.  If you wish to decline, the process is the same, but we would ask that you respond quickly so that we can find another suitable host.  If you have to decline because you will be unavailable, please let us know which days will be affected then we can update our system.

Nearer the time of the student’s arrival we will send you another letter giving details of precisely when the student will arrive in York and at your home or where you will be required to collect.

Students arrive and depart on Sundays. The “check-in/check-out” time is 1200

At a later date (probably during the student’s stay) we will send details of the departure point/time/date