Homestay
Most of our international students stay with a local family – this is called a Homestay.
Homestay Host family
A Homestay experience is a wonderful opportunity for your daughter to further develop her English language skills and experience our Kiwi way of life. Students often comment that their Homestay hosts have enhanced their stay in New Zealand in a way that a boarding house or hostel could not. Our girls often keep in touch with their New Zealand family long after their return home. You can read about two of our homestay families’ experiences (PDF – 2740 KB) and another article here about a homestay experience and how homestay parents are encouraged to be aware of cultural differences and to make their host daughter feel welcome.
We will place your daughter in a safe, comfortable and supportive Homestay, and do our best to match her personality and interests with that of her host family.
You may prefer to arrange for your daughter to live with family or friends – i.e. designated caregivers. As part of our pastoral care (see below) we keep in regular contact with all Homestay families and designated caregivers.
For more information see our latest documents:
- Homestays – a rewarding experience for all (PDF – 2740 KB).
- Homestay Information for International Students (PDF – 6673 KB).
- Accommodation Guidelines for Homestays, Designated Caregivers and Parents (PDF – 499 KB).
- Homestay Application form (PDF – 370 KB).
- Homestay Referee Check form (PDF – 293 KB).
- Homestay Carer Agreement (PDF – 303 KB).
- Police Vetting Form for Homestay families (PDF – 263 KB).
If you have any questions, please contact our Homestay Coordinator, Collette Tuioti: international@shgcham.school.nz
Pastoral care and student support
In New Zealand, we have a Code of Practice for the pastoral care of international students. It provides schools with a framework to care for and support students – to ensure your daughter lives in a safe environment and has positive experiences that support her educational achievements. For more information visit: https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/providers-partners/education-code-of-practice/. We highly recommend that (for safety reasons) each student has a smartphone with a New Zealand Sim card.
Also, NauMai NZ has excellent information on life as an international student in New Zealand.