Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some frequently asked questions regarding homestay. If you cannot find what you are looking for, please email us at: international@hobsonvillepoint.school.nz
What is homestay?
Homestay is a form of accommodation provided to our international students. We carefully select homestay families that can give each student the opportunity to experience life in New Zealand as part of a caring family, and help them to develop their English language skills.
Who can become a host family?
We welcome any form of family who is responsible and is able to provide a caring home environment to our students. Some families are single individuals, some are couples with young children, teenagers or young adults, and some families are couples with no children living at home.
If you live in the following areas: Hobsonville, Scott Point, West Harbour and Whenuapai, and are wanting to provide a home away from home for our students, then we would love to hear from you.
How long do students stay for?
This can vary. Some students might come for one term (approximately 10 weeks), some might come for half a year, and some students might come to study for the full year. We will advise how long a student plans to study for while they are at Hobsonville Point Secondary School.
What does a homestay need to provide?
Each homestay student must be provided with his or her own clean, tidy and warm room, which has:
A bed and linen
A heater or fan if required (season dependant)
A desk, chair and reading lamp
Pillows, blankets and towels
At least one set of drawers and a wardrobe
A working smoke detector either inside the bedroom or outside of the bedroom
Students are also provided with full board. This includes breakfast, lunch (packed lunch during term time), after-school snacks and dinner by their homestay host. This also includes weekends and public holidays. If you get takeaways for dinner the host family covers the cost of this.
Student’s are responsible for their own personal belongings.
How much will I get paid?
You will receive $300 (subject to change) per week in homestay payment. This is paid by the school directly into your bank account. Should you go away on holiday, and are unable to take your student with you, then temporary accommodation is arranged for your student. Your homestay payment is stopped for the duration that you are away, and will resume when you return and your student is back home with you.
What are the ages of the students that come?
The age of the student can vary as the school caters for students from Years 9 to 13. On average, students are around 15 years old, but we sometimes get students around 13 or 14 years old.
How do you match a student with a homestay?
We understand the importance of a successful outcome for both the student and host family. Therefore the students’ needs and requests on their homestay application are always considered when making a placement. We also take into consideration the homestay families requests for the type of student they would like to host. By matching both the student and host families requests as closely as possible results in a successful placement.
I have never hosted a student before, what do I do?
Welcoming a new student is exciting, but at the same time, you may find some things the student does is different to what you are used to. This is understandable.
You will be given a Homestay Caregivers Handbook which has guidelines for homestay. The student will also be given an International Student Homestay Handbook which has guidelines for them as a homestay student. It contains a lot of useful information and advice. We recommend that you go over the student’s handbook with them, so that you both understand what the expectations are. The Homestay Coordinator is also here to help and support you and the student as well.
What happens if the homestay or student doesn’t work out?
Sometimes this can happen, although it does not happen very often. The key is communicating with your student from the start. We will work hard to resolve any issues that may arise in homestay, and we will communicate with you as well. If things still cannot get resolved and moving homestay is the last resort, then we have procedures and steps in place which we follow.
I would like to apply to be a homestay, what do I need to do?
That’s great to hear! Please complete our Homestay Query by clicking on the button below and we will get in contact with you.