FAQs
Accommodation
Yes, breakfast and evening dinner every day plus a light lunch or a packed lunch at the weekends. Breakfast is usually cereals and toast and marmalade or jam. Dinner is normally a main course and a dessert. All families cook different foods but English cooking in the home is very good and our students generally love the food our hosts provide.
You can request a homestay with no pets, but many English families like to have a dog or a cat. We never choose homestays where we consider the dogs or cats to be unclean or dangerous.
Usually not – you will probably have to smoke outside in the garden. Very few of our homestay providers smoke. Please tell us if you are smoker – we always try to help.
You can also request to stay with a homestay who do not smoke – very few homestays permit smoking in their houses.
Your host will do light laundry every week but you are expected to do your own ironing.
Your host will clean your room every few days but you are expected to keep it tidy and to leave the bathroom in a clean state. Please make your own bed.
No, because your host will cook for you each evening. However, hosts do enjoy their guests cooking a “speciality” meal occasionally.
Yes, they will come to the bus or railway station and you should give them your arrival information as soon as you can. Don’t leave it until the day before you arrive!
We always try to find homestays within walking distance of the school usually between 10 & 30 minutes on foot. We will give you a free bus pass if your homestay is more than a 30 minute walk to the school.
Your host will provide towels and sheets which will be changed weekly.
Yes, you will be given a key to the front door and you are free to come and go as you please.
Yes, we have some host families who can manage special diets but it is very important that you tell us in advance what your needs are. Even if you are a vegetarian it’s important that we know this before we arrange your host family.
No, so long as you let us know your arrival and departure dates in advance then we will charge you pro rata for the number of nights you book.
No, sheets and towels are provided daily and your room is cleaned every weekday. Bed linen and towels are changed every 4 days.
General
We are a CASHLESS school. Please bring a Debit or Credit card that can be used in the UK – you will need a card for the coffee machine, the vending machine or to purchase any books or activities in school
Don’t worry, more than 50% of our “students” are over 30, 23% are over 50 and many are in their 60s and 70s. Classes are organised first of all according to level and then according to age. You will be fine here at any time of year.
Visit our ‘What to bring’ page for more information
Two good places to go for weather information:
www.englishriviera.co.uk and www.bbc.co.uk/weather
Yes we do – see (our courses) for dates and details. We will assess your level of English before you enrol with us and advise you about which exam is the most suitable for you. Please contact study@ihtorquay.uk for more information on Cambridge Proficiency classes.
Yes we do and we deal with any problems the moment you bring them to us. You will receive a link to our Students’ Handbook with all this information on your confirmation letter – copies of the handbook are available at reception as well. Our complaints policy can be found in our downloads section.
Visit our ‘How to get here’ page for more information
Typically you can expect to spend about £100 per week on food, travel and entertainment in Torquay but, of course, it depends on your personal needs and spending habits.
Yes we do. We take care to see that all students arrive at class on time and take action if they are persistently late. We also have an attendance and exclusion policy which can be found in our downloads section.
Yes it is and we are also members of IALC, Quality English, The English Network and English UK.