Host Responsibilities

What makes a good host? 

Our homestay community is made up of families of all ages or stages. You don't need to have a child attending college - we have hosts that are young families, single parents, empty nesters, or childfree. We also have families with special diets or allergies who are able to accommodate a student with similar requirements.  

Host families will need to provide:

• Private, fully furnished, warm bedroom for each student

• Adequate nutritious meals

• Care, empathy and social support

• Access to school either by pedestrian, public, or private transit

• Opportunities to practice conversation skills in English

While there is a weekly stipend to cover the costs involved in having a student in the house, homestay hosting is not suitable as an income stream - fees are paid by the natural parents to support their child, and placements are not guaranteed or may change at short notice. 

Your role as a homestay host family 

Having an international school student in your home is not the same as having a border. While the student is in your home as a paying guest, the host family has a duty of care for the student during their placement, and must provide adequate nutritious meals and consider their emotional and physical needs. 

Speak English at home

International students enrol to enhance their English speaking skills, and it is vital that they are in an immersive English language environment during their stay. Students feel excluded if placed with a host family that speaks another language amongst themselves. 

Provide three meals a day and snacks

Host families must provide enough food to cover breakfast, lunch, dinner and some snacks in between. Hosts do not have to prepare a packed lunch or cooked breakfast, but they must provide enough food to meet their student’s daily needs. Students may opt to buy food from the canteen or dairy at their own expense, but sufficient food should be available to them. The weekly stipend is provided to cover all meals, including if you take them out to dinner. 

Include the student and make them feel welcome

Spend quality time with your student. Encourage the student to share meals with you, participate in your household routines - including any chores, and include them in outings or trips. This is essential for their emotional wellbeing. Students who feel ignored or unliked by their homestay are able to request a transfer.

Ensure school attendance 

International students are required to attend classes, even if they are not on academic pathways. Truancy is a breach of their visa conditions and may result in a termination of their enrolment.

Absence due to illness is the same as domestic students, and must be reported. To notify the school of a student absence via telephone, please dial 04 902 5121 and select extension 1 when prompted. Alternatively, text to 022 507 6950 with the student’s full name, form class and reason for absence. 

Support learning

Host families are expected to value education, show interest in what their student is doing at school, and encourage their efforts, especially with English language practice in the home. You will receive their reports, newsletters, and weekly attendance records and you will need to support their education in the same way as your own child. 

Support extra-curricular activities

Some students may participate in extracurricular activities, such as equestrian, sports, aviation, or performing arts. Participation is at their expense, however your support and facilitation is required. Similarly, making friendships is an important part of college life, and students should be encouraged to participate in social events. This will look different for each family, but support may include lifts around town or advice on public transport, and being flexible with mealtimes and curfew when appropriate.

Provide appropriate guidance and boundaries

The needs of international students are unique - while you are not a legal guardian, host families have a duty of care to their students, and host families need to provide appropriate guidance and boundaries for the students in their care. Each household may have different rules. This may include setting reasonable boundaries about sleep routines, curfews, chores, having friends over or how and when you want to be contacted. Communicate your expectations with your student, expect to repeat this a few times and be gentle. Do be mindful that the students are on the other side of the world from their families with no support network so they will feel especially vulnerable to conflict in the household. 

Privacy needs and devices

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to devices. Student devices are their own private property and should not be confiscated, and students should have private accesses to their devices in their home. Kapiti College is a BYOD school, and student devices are crucial for study and assessments, and students should be given the freedom to do school work as necessary - submission deadlines are often 12am, and some students find it easier to study for exams late into the night. Students also rely on their devices to communicate with their family and friends at home, and time zones will limit when students can make calls. 

Some students will self-manage their time well, others might spend all night chatting or gaming if they can get away with it, so this needs to be managed on a case-by-case approach. If their online habits are affecting the household, please raise it with the International Department so we can support you. 

Provide a house key

Students should have their own key or access code so they are able to come and go as needed. 

Code of Practice

Kapiti College is bound by the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students published by the Minister of Education. 

The Code sets standards for educational providers to ensure that:

• High professional standards are maintained

• The recruitment of international students is undertaken in an ethical and responsible manner

• Information supplied to international students is comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date

• Students are provided with information prior to entering into any commitments

• Contractual dealings with international students are conducted in an ethical and responsible manner

• The particular needs of international students are recognised

• International students are in safe accommodation

• All providers have fair and equitable procedures for the resolution of international student grievances.

Copies of the Code are available on our website or from the New Zealand Ministry of Education website at:  https://www2.nzqa.govt.nz/tertiary/the-code/

As a signatory to The Code, Kapiti College has a responsibility to ensure the welfare of its international students. A major part of this responsibility consists of ensuring that they are in appropriate, safe and welcoming homestays.

Homestay monitoring

Kapiti College is required to monitor each international student placement and check that their homestay situation is satisfactory for the student's physical and emotional needs. This will happen in a variety of ways. 

• Direct interviews with the student

• Indirect observation through regular reflection sessions

• Feedback from the student’s agent or natural parents

• Concerns raised by a third party, such as a friend or teacher or other homestay.

The homestay co-ordinator also undertakes twice-yearly home visits to active homestays, and will communicate directly with homestay providers to see how the students are settling in. We have an open door policy for students to raise any concerns with us.