Your Oxford Homestay
Most CIE students stay in homestay accommodation. This provides you with the unique opportunity to share the daily life of a British family.
During the week you will have breakfast and dinner with your host family. At the weekend all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) will be provided for you. As CIE Oxford is situated in the centre of Oxford, an excellent bus service is available to and from the homes of all our host families. A host family will not accommodate more than four guests.
CIE’s accommodation officer inspects the homes of all our host families regularly to ensure that they meet our high standards, as well as those of the British Council.
Our homestay hosts
Our hosts are British families who speak English in their home and will help you practise your English outside of your lessons at school. The United Kingdom is a multicultural nation with a diverse population, so our host families represent a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. They mirror the United Kingdom as a whole and the various kinds of families that are found here. (E.g.: two parents in family, single-parent family, children living in the home, no children, young family, older and more mature family).
If you would like to ask a question to our accommodation team, they can be contacted directly on
[email protected].
Living with a Host Family
What you can expect from host family accommodation organised by CIE:
Inclusion in family as full member of the household
An appropriate, well-lit and heated, clean room in good repair located in a clean, reasonably-sized house or flat
A bed and storage in the bedroom
Breakfast and dinner every day
Use of family rooms for recreation
Use of bathroom and available shower daily
Meals eaten together with your family, for English-speaking practice
Bed linen and towels changed weekly and washing facilities for clothes made available
No more than 4 international students residing in the house at any time
The host family selected will be appropriate for your age, background, and religion
Host families will cater for any of your dietary requirements, wherever possible, and a balanced diet will be provided
The accommodation is checked every 2 years to ensure suitability
For students under 18, host families will have been police-checked and a responsible adult will always be present at night
