For partners 
Summer school in England is not just English lessons, excursions, and postcard-perfect photos from an old campus. For parents, one of the most important questions often sounds like this: where will my child live, and will they be comfortable?
Most often, the choice comes down to host families or residences. Both options look great:
- A host family promises lively communication and an introduction to ordinary British life,
- A residence provides a more structured routine: children live near the school, attend classes, eat together, go on excursions, and spend evenings under supervision.
There is no universal answer: one child will quickly settle in at someone else's home, while another will feel more at ease on campus where everyone follows the same schedule, so the choice should be based on the child's age, temperament, and the purpose of the trip.
What is a host family?
A host family stipulates staying in the home of a local resident or family. The child is given a room, either private or shared with another student; usually the cost includes breakfasts and dinners, while lunch is at school or during an excursion.
A host family is not always a mom, dad, two kids, and a dog by the fireplace: it can be an elderly couple, a single adult host, a family without children, or even a home where several foreign students already live.
The main idea of this format — the child sees everyday life outside the studying center, hears English spoken at the table, gets acquainted with the local way of life, and gets used to a different daily rhythm. Also he helps around the house, shares in the host family's events, sorrows, and joys.
Advantages of a host family
The main advantage is real English outside of lessons. In class, the child speaks on academic topics, but at home the conversation is different: what happened on the excursion, what's wanted for dinner, how the day went, what time to be back. Simple phrases often do more to overcome fear of the language than yet another exercise in a textbook.
The second advantage concerns targeted immersion in English daily life. The child sees how the home, neighborhood, transport, food, and communication with neighbors works, etc.
The third is quiet evenings. In a residence, there are constantly people around you: roommates, kids in the corridor, evening activities. In a family it is usually quieter, so this option is good for children who tire quickly from noise and need breaks.
Disadvantages of a host family
The main disadvantage is less supervision. The child lives outside the campus, so they need to leave home on time, get to classes, and follow the rules of both the family and the school. For an independent teenager this is normal, but for a child traveling abroad alone for the first time, this can turn out to be too difficult.
The second disadvantage concerns the commute. Sometimes the family lives near the school, sometimes the journey takes 30–45 minutes. For adults this seems ordinary, but for a child in a new country even the commute can become a source of stress.
The third disadvantage is daily life. The child may not like the food, the routine, the pets, or the roommate. This, by the way, does not mean the family is bad! It's simply that someone else's home is someone else's home.
The fourth disadvantage concerns the risk of silence. A shy teenager may come home, eat dinner without saying a word, and retreat to their room with their phone: formally they are living with an English family, but there is almost no real communication.
What is a residence
A residence means accommodation on the campus of a school, college, or university. Children live in rooms individually or (more often) with several roommates, attend classes, eat in the dining hall, do sports, go on excursions, and spend their evenings on a schedule. The bathroom can be en suite, shared between a block, or shared per floor. So the word «residence» on its own guarantees nothing — you always need to look at the specific conditions: the age of the children, rules for leaving the grounds, night supervision, meals, and the group composition.
The main strength of a residence — predictability. The child lives within the program, they don't need to travel from an unfamiliar neighborhood to school every day — everything is nearby: lessons, the dining hall, sports, friends, evening activities.
Advantages of a residence
The first advantage is supervision. In good programs, children are under the supervision of school staff: during classes, in the residence, on excursions, and at evening events. Parents are usually more at ease when the child is not traveling every day between an unfamiliar home and the study center.
The second advantage concerns socializing with peers. The child makes friends more quickly, because everyone lives nearby and follows the same program. For active children this is a big plus: after lessons they continue to socialize.
The third advantage is convenience for a first trip. If the child has never lived away from parents before, a residence often goes more smoothly: the day is scheduled, adults are nearby, issues are resolved through program staff.
Disadvantages of a residence
The main disadvantage concerns cost. A residence often costs more than a host family, especially if it is a good campus, a private room, or an en suite bathroom. An inevitable bonus to all this is a packed program.
The second disadvantage is less actual English life: the child sees the campus, the dining hall, the classroom, the excursion bus, and a group of fellow students. This is convenient, but there is little everyday interaction with British people.
The third disadvantage concerns noise. In a residence it is hard to have complete alone time. Corridors where neighbors are always walking around, mandatory evening activities and group gatherings — all of this is tiring for children who prefer a quieter routine.
The fourth disadvantage is weak language immersion in some groups. If there are many children from the same country nearby, they quickly switch to their native language, especially in the evenings when there is less supervision than in lessons.
What to choose based on the child's age?
- For children aged 8–12, a residence is more often preferable: at this age, supervision, routine, clear rules, and quick access to adults are important. It is hard for a young child to live in a stranger's home every day and deal with everyday matters independently.
- For teenagers aged 13–15, both options are possible. If the child is active, sociable, and wants to be among peers, a residence usually suits better. If they are calm, independent, and ready to talk with adults as an equal, you can try to find a suitable host family for them.
- For ages 16–17, a host family often becomes an appealing option: the teenager can already get to school independently, understand household rules, and consciously benefit from everyday English.
What to choose based on the purpose of the trip?
If the main goal is conversational English and everyday life in the country, a host family offers more opportunities. The child will have to speak not only in class, but at home too: to ask, clarify, explain, and come to agreements.
If the goal is a first trip without parents, new friends, sports, excursions, and a safe routine, it is better to consider a residence.
If the family is considering a British boarding school in the future, a residence is also more useful: it shows how the child handles life away from home and the general rules of a campus.
Don't forget about additional expenses!
The brochure usually displays the program price in large print. But this is not the full amount you will have to pay, since the child is not going to an ordinary camp near home, but to England.
With a host family the first catch — the commute. The accommodation itself may cost less than a residence, but the family does not always live near the school, and then the child will need to travel by bus, metro, or train every day. For a teenager this may be fine, but for a younger child the issue will need to be resolved, and it's good if there is a bus. In some programs children below a certain age are not allowed to travel alone, so an escort/transfer is paid for separately.
A residence can also have additional expenses. The base price, as a rule, includes the most basic accommodation: a room for several people, a shared bathroom, standard excursions, and ordinary meals. Everything beyond this package is paid for separately: a more comfortable room, a private bathroom, additional trips, laundry, clubs and activities, and transfer at separate times.
The same applies to meals. With a host family, breakfast and dinner are usually provided, while the child receives lunch at school or during outings. Residences more often promise full board, but this term can cover a range of conditions. A separate question — diet: gluten-free, lactose-free, halal, or vegetarian meals are sometimes arranged at no extra charge, and sometimes for an additional fee.
Therefore, you need to compare not just the course price, but the full budget. Don't forget to put laundry, pocket money, and possible surcharges for conditions that matter specifically for your child into the «basket».
