Award winning specialists in providing local host family accommodation for short-stay international student school groups.
Short-stay school trips (typically 3-5 days) to the UK are incredibly popular and staying with local host families is one of the main reasons why. Schools and students love the ‘English Experience’ that staying with a local host-family gives them.
WHF has been hosting international students since 2010 and operates three centres in Trowbridge, Westbury, and Melksham. We welcome four groups of students each week – French, German, Hungarian, Dutch, and Czech - during February to mid-July and September to early December.
Why host with us?
Hosting foreign students or teachers is not only great fun and incredibly rewarding but is also a good source of additional (tax-free) income. You will also have peace of mind that you are hosting for a well-established, award winning, professional company with a great reputation.
The main benefits of hosting
It fits around your work and life commitments
24-hour Host support from our experienced WHF hosting team
Short-stay hosting is flexible
Weekdays only, no weekends involved
Learn about other languages and cultures
Make new friends
Help generate a positive “English Experience” for students
Earn up to £7,500 additional tax-free income
What does a great Host look like?
You will have a friendly, welcoming nature, a clean home with a comfortable spare room, and English will be your first language.
Age, gender, ethnic background, and relationship status is not important. What we base our decision on is, “Would we feel comfortable placing our own children with this host?” If the answer is yes, you are halfway there!
Of course, there’s a simple application process to go through, which includes a questionnaire, a home visit and suitability check. You will then need to be DBS checked and one person will need to complete an online safeguarding course.
Fully supported
Our team members are also experience hosts, so can (and will) provide outstanding support for you and for our student groups including a designated group administrator and coordinator, plus 24-hour help and support throughout the stay.
We carry out an in-depth home visit to give you all the information you will need before, during and after the stay and we exceed the industry standards in ensuring that hosts meet the legal requirements by helping them formulate Home Rules, Fire plans, undertake a Safeguarding Course and by carrying out an enhanced DBS check.
We are extremely proud that we have maintained of our 98% - 100% ‘Excellent’ feedback rating from group teachers, every year since 2016. We have many returning groups because the stay is so well organised and the families so lovely.
How does it work?
The students (aged 12 to 18+ years) arrive by coach with their own teachers. They usually stay between three and five nights and each family hosts two, three or four students who are in a friendship group.
Groups go out every day from around 7:30am to 6:30pm to visit UK tourist attractions, so hosting fits well around most day-to-day commitments. The whole process repeats weekly as new groups arrive to enjoy our “English Experience”.
Our mission
Quite simply, our mission is to give international students the opportunity to immerse themselves in UK culture in a safe and welcoming environment, whilst sharing cultural experiences with their host family.
Become a WHF Host Families Franchisee
Want a business that fits in with your lifestyle?
If you are great with people, have a strong business acumen and would like to run a business that fits around your existing work/life commitments, becoming a WHF Host Families Franchisee could be the opportunity you’ve been looking for.
You will receive all the training and support you could possibly need from a team who really understand the business.
Using our framework of tried and tested processes and resources, we will not only teach you how to effectively run and manage a profitable business, but also provide you with a platform for success. All you need is the determination to make it happen.
Interested? Then please get in touch to find out more.
