Student handbook

Welcome to Oaks International Education Ltd ( UK Oaks)

Thank you for choosing us as your educational guardian while you are studying in the UK.

Rebecca OH, will serve as both the appointed Educational Guardian and the Accommodation Officer for students placed under the care of UK Oaks. In this combined role, she is the primary representative for parents who reside overseas, ensuring the welfare, safety, and academic progress of each student. She will personally attend all parent–teacher meetings, provide regular and detailed updates to parents, and liaise directly with schools on matters concerning each child’s education and well-being. She also oversees UK Oaks’ supervised accommodation, offering a secure and supportive environment for students during holidays, half-terms, exeat weekends, and in any emergency where school housing is unavailable.

We are here to help you if you have any questions or problems. Please read through this handbook carefully, where you will find useful information about your stay in the UK and how we can help you.

The role of UK Oaks and your guardian

UK schools require all their students whose families live overseas to have an appointed guardian living in the UK, normally aged over 25 years. It is also now a UK visa requirement. Whilst at the school, your houseparent will take responsibility for academic progress and welfare, but there are times during the term and more importantly outside term time, when the school must be able to hand over these responsibilities to a properly appointed guardian. For example, exeat weekends, half terms, medical emergencies, suspensions and exclusions.

UK Oaks’ Role and Responsibilities

UK Oaks is responsible for applying for a place of study at an appropriate UK boarding school on behalf of each student. In addition to arranging school placements, UK Oaks also acts as the official educational guardian for the students throughout their time in the UK.

Role of a Guardian

A guardian is an adult who is legally or contractually appointed to act on behalf of a student while they are studying in the United Kingdom, particularly when the student’s parents live overseas. The guardian’s primary responsibility is to safeguard the student’s welfare, safety, and educational progress.

Key duties typically include:

Pastoral Care: Providing a stable and caring point of contact, ensuring the student’s physical and emotional well-being.

Communication: Acting as a link between the school, parents, and, where necessary, local authorities.

Decision-Making: Authorised to make practical or emergency decisions in the parents’ absence—such as medical treatment or travel arrangements.

Accommodation Arrangements: Ensuring suitable living arrangements during school holidays, half terms, exeats, or when the student cannot stay at school.

Support and Guidance: Assisting with academic or personal matters and helping the student adapt to life in the UK.

In short, the guardian represents the parents’ interests and provides a trusted, responsible presence for the student whenever parental support is not immediately available.

To support this role, UK Oaks provides its own accommodation, which is available for students during school holidays, half terms, exeat, and exeat weekends. This ensures that students always have a safe and reliable place to stay when the boarding school is closed or when short-term accommodation is required.

These responsibilities include:

• acting on behalf of your parents in situations where they are unable to do so due to distance or

timing;

• looking after your welfare in the UK when the school is closed for holidays;

• providing a host family for you to stay with during half term and exeat weekends when the school is closed;

• assisting you with things you may need – school uniform, sports equipment, pocket money, phone

cards, mobile phone, UK mobile sim card, etc.;

• helping you arrange your travel both in the UK (taxi, train or bus) and back home (flight bookings,

transfers);

• helping you if things go wrong:

- if you have a problem at school

- if you get into trouble at school and you are suspended/asked to leave for a short period of time

- if you have problems with immigration or passports (for example, lost or stolen)

- if you get ill and need to go to hospital, or away from school

• being available for you anytime, particularly if you are worried about things like:

- work

- school

- friends

- your own family (it is not unusual to feel homesick when you first start at your school)

- the UK Oaks ( Guardian) you stay with (life in the UK may be very different to your own country and we can

give you some ideas and guidance to help you settle in more quickly and easily).

UK Oaks will be the main point of contact for guardianship issues for you during school terms.

UK Oaks acts as your guardian and will take responsibility for decisions made.

If you have a personal problem, or need some advice or support, you can always contact us.

UK Oaks will ensure all arrangements are carefully put in place, and that confirmation is sent to you, your parents and your school. You may have regular contact with UK Oaks by telephone and email.

You must provide your current mobile number and email to UK Oaks especially if these details change!

It is your responsibility to notify us of any change to your contact details as soon as they are in place.

Designated Guardianship Coordinator

You will be assigned a designated Guardianship Coordinator ( Ms Ni Yun of Shanghai Oaks Border Service Co. Ltd) before you travel to the UK. However when you are in the UK you should contact your Guardian Rebecca Oh on 00+44 7377 926 888 – if you have any questions or problems, you should speak to her. She will be in regular contact with you and will usually visit you in school.

Your Guardian will be available by phone at all times in cases of emergency.

Your responsibilities as a student

UK Oaks has a Student Behaviour Code of Conduct which outlines the positive behaviour it expects from students. Please see the stand-alone code of conduct for further details. Some guidelines are also covered in the relevant sections of this handbook.

Abusive Behaviour

We do not accept any abusive behaviour by students, staff or visitors (this includes unkind words,

messages and actions, verbal, mental and physical abuse, taking or damaging someone else’s things,

violence or anger towards another person, talking to/about people in an unkind way, teasing,

harassment, bullying).

Contact Details

There may be times that you need to contact us. We are always here to assist you with any requests or concerns that you may have. Any concerns you have will be taken seriously. You can contact in the following ways:

General enquiries

Telephone (office hours 9 am to 5 pm)

020 8858 4175

Rebecca.uk@gaec.top

Wechat

Rebecca -QLEE56789

Emergencies 24/7

Telephone- Rebecca Oh

Mobile :07377 926 888

Email : rebecca.uk@gaec.top

Safeguarding concerns

Designated Safeguarding Lead - Rebecca Oh

Mobile:07377 926 888

Email : rebecca.uk@gaec.top

Keeping in touch

We will keep in regular contact with you throughout your stay in the UK to check that you are happy at school and with UK Oaks accommodation arrangements we have made for you. Please do talk to us if you have any questions, concerns or if you simply want to chat. We are here to help.

The process for arriving in the UK

Please remember your passport and any other relevant paperwork. You will need to have access to your eVisa.

UK Oaks will arrange an airport transfer for you, our designated driver will meet you at the arrivals hall and will be holding a sign so you can find them easily. DO NOT leave the airport alone. If you have trouble in finding the driver, please call our office or emergency number and we will help you.

Living in the UK

Living in the UK may be quite different to what you are used to. Every country has its own customs and it may take you a while to get used to the new way of life. Please do not worry, this is most normal. Here are a few examples of British customs to help you understand what is expected:

Meeting people: Sometimes British people come across as being reserved but usually they are kind, helpful and welcoming of visitors. British people usually greet each other with a handshake and use their title and surname, until being invited to use their first names. For example, when meeting a new contact, they may greet saying “Good morning Mr Harris”. Due to the coronavirus, greetings changed, and handshakes were not being used, although many people are starting to use this form of greeting again. If you feel uncomfortable doing this, a verbal greeting is perfectly acceptable, whilst maintaining social distancing.

Queues: The British people love queues! When waiting their turn, for example in a shop, bank or for public transport, people form a line one behind the other so that they are served in turn. It is considered rude to push in.

Please and thank you: British people greatly appreciate politeness. This means when you would like something you would start a sentence with the word “Please”, for example, “Please may I have a sandwich?” When you have received something, you should always reply with “Thank you”.

Sorry! The British people are often heard to say “Sorry!” This word is used if people accidentally bump into each other or make a mistake. Often people say it even if they were not to blame (for example, a person bumped into them whilst walking in the street).

Mealtimes: It is considered polite to wait for all people at the table to have their meals in front of them before you start to eat. Knives and forks are used to eat the vast majority of main courses, although some British families may use other cutlery to suit the cuisine. Knives and forks are placed together on the plate to indicate that the diner has finished. It is not considered polite to eat with your mouth open or speak whilst eating. Similar to the beginning of the meal, diners usually wait until everyone is finished before leaving the table, and often time is spent having a chat around the table.

Keeping Safe

We expect your stay in the UK to be a safe and happy one. The UK has a diverse population and is very welcoming. There is lots to do - from visits to art galleries and museums, to a wide range of outdoor activities. However, as is the case in all countries, you need to be aware of how to keep yourself safe just in case you find yourself in a difficult situation.

Personal safety and the care of valuable possessions and cash / credit cards

When you go out, you should be vigilant of what is happening around you. Keep your belongings close and ideally walk with no headphones so that you can hear traffic and others around you. Try not to use your phone when out and about unless it is necessary as this distracts you and could tempt opportunist thieves. It is best to go out with a friend or adult, rather than alone. Always let your homestay know if you are going out and what time you expect to return. If for any reason you are running late. Please let UK Oaks know. Make sure that UK Oaks has your mobile number, and that you have their number in your phone.

Please take care of your valuable possessions, including any money or credit cards. When out, ensure that money and cards are carefully stored, such as in a zipped pocket or bag. This is especially important in crowded areas, as pick pockets may be in operation.

If you lose your debit or credit cards, or think that they have been stolen, then contact your bank immediately who will be able to stop your card.

In an emergency

In emergencies you can call the police, fire brigade or ambulance on 999. This number should only be called when there is an emergency. The telephone operator will ask you what service you require and will ask you for some details, such as what has happened, and where you are.

For less urgent issues there are two separate numbers you can call, one for the police, and one for medical advice:

Police (non-emergencies): 101

Medical information NHS: 111

You can dial any of the above numbers from a landline telephone or mobile phone.

Safeguarding

If you are ever concerned about your safety, we are here to help. If you have any worries, feel that you have been asked to do something that you feel uncomfortable doing or have been hurt in any way by another student (often called peer on peer abuse) or an adult, you should tell an adult you trust, even if the person has asked you not to tell anyone. Any concern you raise will be treated seriously.

UK Oaks has a designated safeguarding lead (DSL- Rebecca Oh) who can be contacted with any concerns that you have. She is trained to help you. Her contact details are:

DSL: Rebecca OH, Mobile : 07377 926 888, email:rebecca.uk@gaec.top

24 hour emergency number: Rebecca OH- 07377 926 888/ or Minghui Dai 07572 117 999

Alternatively, you can speak to any member of the UK Oaks’s staff or staff in school, and they will listen and help you.

UK Oaks has a safeguarding policy that is available on our website (www.worldoaks.com) This explains our procedures in detail.

List of useful contacts

There may be times when you would like advice from organisations, rather than from us. Whilst we would encourage you where appropriate to share with us any concerns so that we can help you, you could also contact the following organisations:

ChildLine: Childline is a counselling service for children and young people up to their 19th birthday. You can contact them with any problem or concern. They can be contacted on 0800 1111

Local Safeguarding Partnership: The Local Safeguarding Partnership plays a critical role in protecting the welfare of children and young people in the locality. It is often the first point of contact for any non-emergency safeguarding concerns. The guardianship organisation’s Local Safeguarding Partnership is Greenwich Safeguarding Children Partnership and they can be contacted on 020 8921 4477

The Children’s Commissioner: The Children’s Commissioner’s role is to stand up for the rights of children. You make contact via their website, https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/about-us/contact or by telephone: 020 7783 8330.

Prevent / anti-radicalisation

The ChildLine Website explains radicalisation as follows:

“Radicalisation is when someone starts to believe or support extreme views. They could be pressured to do illegal things by someone else. Or they might change their behaviour and beliefs”.

This could happen if they feel:

isolated and lonely or wanting to belong
unhappy about themselves and what others might think of them
embarrassed or judged about their culture, gender, religion, or race
stressed or depressed
fed up with being bullied or treated badly by other people or by society
angry at other people or the government
confused about what they are doing
pressured to stand up for other people who are being oppressed.

Someone who has been radicalised might believe that sexual, religious, or racial violence is OK. They may be influenced by what they see online. And they might have links to extreme groups that preach hate like Nazi groups or Islamic extremists like Daesh, also known as ISIS or IS.

Having extreme views can be dangerous. And this can often lead to harmful and illegal activities involving violence, attacks, discrimination or hate - which the person could be arrested or sent to prison for. This can affect them and their future.”

If you are worried about the behaviour of someone you know, or if you think that someone is trying to radicalise you, seek help. UK Oaks has a member of staff, known as the Prevent Lead, who is trained to deal with any concerns you may have:

Prevent Lead: Rebecca Oh, Mobile : 07377 926 888

Alternatively speak to a trusted adult in your school, such as the DSL, a member of guardianship organisation staff, your parents or your guardian. You could also speak to ChildLine on 0800 1111. If you think someone is in serious danger, you can call 999 for urgent help.

Further information on Prevent, Radicalisation can be found in the UK Oaks Prevent Policy. You can find this on www.worldoaks.com

The ChildLine website has further information that you may find useful (see footnote below). Safe use of the internet, access to Wi-Fi

The internet is a wonderful tool, providing us with a huge amount of information as well as access to our friends and family who can be many miles away. However, we need to take care to keep safe whilst using the internet as there are some people who are trying to trick us, such as into giving them our personal details. Please take great care whilst using the internet. Your school will teach you how to use the internet safely. It is important that you adopt good online safety practice and report misuse, abuse or access to inappropriate materials.

Good online safety practice includes:

Not giving out personal details such as addresses and telephone numbers to strangers, even if they say they are your own age
Not sending digital pictures to strangers
Not responding to unkind messages - tell a trusted adult
Never giving out internet passwords to anyone
Following the online safety guidelines that your school teaches you both in and out of school.

Further advice can be found at https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk or https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/bullying-abuse-safety/online-mobile-safety/

How to report concerns:

Tell a trusted adult, such as UK Oaks DSL, your guardian, homestay, teacher, or parent.
If you are worried about online abuse or the way someone has been communicating online you can report them to Child Exploitation & Online Protection command (CEOP) https://www.ceop.police.uk/safety-centre . CEOP is a law enforcement agency who helps keep children and young people safe from sexual abuse and grooming online.
You can also call ChildLine who will offer advice and listen to any concerns. Their number is 0800 1111

Please discuss Wi-Fi access with UK Oaks. Some families have packages where they have a limit on the data they may use in a month; therefore, streaming films for example would be inappropriate. Please note that UK Oaks accommodation/guardian may have filters on their internet and may use parental controls to prevent access to inappropriate sites.

Bullying / cyberbullying

Bullying is unkind and will not be tolerated by your school or UK Oaks. If you experience bullying during your stay in the UK, please tell a trusted adult as soon as possible who will be able to help you and make the bullying stop. This would usually be a teacher or your house parent if bullying occurred in school, or your guardian, or a member of the guardianship organisation staff if bullying was experienced during your school. Bullies often are unkind because they are unhappy themselves, so by telling an adult they will be helped too.

Bullying may include:

Name calling or teasing
Making unkind comments on social media or sending unkind messages
Hurting someone physically
Stealing items from an individual
Threatening a person
Spreading unkind rumours
Unkindness may happen online - this is called cyberbullying

Your school will provide you with guidance on how to spot and handle bullying. ChildLine also offer some advice for children on bullying and cyberbullying. You can find this here: https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advice/bullying-abuse-safety/types-bullying/bullying-cyberbullying/

Living with UK Oaks

UK Oaks expects all their students to be polite and courteous when staying with UK Oaks. As mentioned previously, it is expected that you say “please” and “thank you” when asking for and receiving items. UK Oaks is not a hotel and the expectation is that you will be included as part of the family. As such, you will be expected to engage with family members, joining them at mealtimes, and possibly helping with chores such as laying the table. UK Oaks will explain their own house rules with you when you arrive. Please do ask them if you have any questions.

Mealtimes

You will be provided with three meals a day:

Breakfast - Typical food includes cereal, porridge, toast, croissants, fruit, or yoghurt. You may be offered a cooked breakfast such as poached, boiled, or scrambled eggs, or bacon and eggs.

Lunch - this is usually a light meal, such as a salad, sandwich, or soup.

Dinner - this is usually the main meal of the day and will usually be a two-course meal. The main course will usually be hot. Dinner is usually served around the table and all family members usually attend.

Snacks - UK Oaks will provide you with snacks and drinks in-between meals if you so wish. Typical snacks include a biscuit, slice of cake or fruit. UK Oaks will explain how you can access these.

You should ensure that UK Oaks is aware of any special dietary requirements or allergies. If you have any special requests, please do let your homestay know.

UK Oaks will prepare meals for you (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). You may want to help the family in their meal preparations or cook something yourself. Please do talk to UK Oaks about this and they will advise you how to use the kitchen and the necessary safety rules. If you have your own food that you wish to eat during your stay, please let UK Oaks know so that this can be stored safely (for instance in a fridge if required).

Use of the bathroom

Students are asked to be respectful of the family routines. If you are sharing a bathroom, please be considerate with the time taken to shower and bathe as others may need to use the facility. Please leave bathrooms tidy. Some families may have limits on the amount of hot water available each day due to their boiler capacity. Please discuss the best times for showering or taking a bath. It is not usually necessary to shower or bathe more than once a day. Please ensure that you lock the door of the bathroom when in use and ensure that you are suitably clothed when travelling to and from the bathroom.

Laundry arrangements

If you are staying with UK Oaks for more than one night, they will provide you with laundry facilities. In most cases the UK Oaks will undertake to do the laundry for you. Depending upon your age and maturity, UK Oaks may give permission for you to do your own laundry if requested and agreed.

Homesickness

When you arrive in the UK, you might miss your home, family, and friends. These feelings of missing familiar surroundings and family are perfectly normal and are called homesickness.

Signs that you may be feeling homesick include:

A strong desire to go home
Feeling lonely
Feeling sad
Feeling anxious
Lack of motivation
Loss of confidence
Feeling depressed
Experiencing mood swings
Feeling insecure
Finding simple tasks difficult
Physical symptoms, such as headaches and nausea

If you feel homesick please do not worry, there are many people who can help you manage your feelings. Talk to your house parent, teacher, parent, guardian, or any member of guardian staff who will listen and will be able to support you and offer advice. School life will be very busy and there will be many activities arranged to enable you to have fun and make new friends.

Electrical appliances and safety

Please be aware that electrical appliances need to be handled safely as they can pose a risk of fire if not used appropriately. Specifically, overseas phone chargers and laptop power devices may pose a significant fire risk so if possible, purchase UK versions. Please do ask us for advice on the best appliances to purchase, we are happy to help!

What to do in a medical emergency

You will be required to register with a doctor whilst staying in the UK. This is usually arranged by the school. If you have private medical insurance, please provide us with the details. Depending on your period of stay, it may also be advisable to register with a dentist.

Please do let your homestay or the guardianship organisation know if you feel unwell. They will look after you. This may include making a doctor’s appointment for you, or in an extreme emergency taking you to hospital. If you feel unwell at school, please let your house parent, matron, nurse or teacher know and they will look after you.

The National Health Service has a helpline that can be used. This number is 111.

In an emergency, an ambulance can be called on 999.

Permission for visiting the local area / travelling further afield

You may need to travel during your time in the UK. This will include travelling to UK Oaks and from school, to the airport or any places that you wish to visit. If you require transport, please let us know.

Transport is usually arranged by your school or UK Oaks. We use trusted drivers who have had the necessary safety checks.

Occasionally guardianship staff may be permitted to provide transport for you.

You will be provided with details of who is going to collect you in advance. You will be given the name of the driver and the time that they will arrive.

Please ensure that you are ready at the stated time. Never go with anyone other than the named person provided, even if they say that this has been arranged with school/guardian. If you are in any doubt ask a trusted adult, such as a member of school staff, or your guardian.

When you are travelling in a car please sit in the back where possible and use the seat belts provided.

If you wish to use public transport, please ask us for permission. We will help you with booking tickets if permission is granted.

English laws

Laws regarding the consumption of alcohol

UK Oaks does not permit their students to consume alcohol whilst under their care, including when they are staying with us. In the UK it is illegal for people under 18 to buy alcohol in a pub, off-licence, shop or elsewhere. In most cases, it is against the law for anyone to buy alcohol for someone under 18 to drink in a pub or a public place.

Laws regarding the use of drugs and illegal substances

UK Oaks prohibits students from using recreational drugs and illegal substances whilst in their care. In the UK you can get a fine or prison sentence if you:

take drugs
carry drugs
make drugs
sell, deal or share drugs (also called ‘supplying’ them)

If you are under 18, the police are allowed to tell your parent, guardian or carer that you’ve been caught with drugs.

Laws regarding smoking and vaping

UK Oaks prohibits students from smoking or vaping whilst in their care. In the UK, it is illegal to buy cigarettes or vapes (also known as e-cigarettes) if you are under the age of 18.

Laws regarding sexual activity

UK Oaks prohibits students from engaging in sexual activity whilst in their care, even if they are over the age of consent. In the UK the age of consent is 16. That means that it is illegal to have sex with someone under the age of 16.

Laws regarding tattoos and body piercings

UK Oaks prohibits students from having a tattoo or body piercing whilst in their care. In the UK, it is illegal to tattoo a young person under the age of 18, even if they have parental consent. There is no legal age of consent for body piercing, and so it is legal for someone under the age of 18 to have a piercing as long as they have consented to it. Children under the age of 16 cannot legally consent to a genital (or in the case of girls, nipple) piercing, as it is considered to be indecent assault.

Mobile phones

The UK has several network providers. We will be able to help you register with a phone provider and help you purchase SIM cards - please contact us for further details.

Mobile phones are extremely useful devices, especially when you are a long way from home and want to stay in contact with your family and friends. However, it is important that you use them safely. ChildLine offers useful advice on their website:

“Use a passcode on your phone: This can help to protect your data if someone tries to steal or access it. Nobody should be able to guess your passcode, so do not set it to something other people will know, like your birthday.
Keep your phone with you: Store your phone in a safe pocket so that it is hidden from sight. Be careful when you take it out in public places and do not let other people use it unless you know and trust them.
Do not use public WiFi: Public WiFi may not always be secure, especially in places like cafés. Connecting to it means that someone might be able monitor the sites or apps you are using.
Check what data your apps can use: Lots of apps will ask for permission to use your data when you install them. They might want to view things like your location, contacts, photos and even messages. Be careful about what you agree to and check what permissions your apps have in the ‘settings’ menu of your phone.
Add an ICE (In Case of Emergency) contact number to your phone: If you lose your phone or something happens, it can be hard for someone to contact you. Add the phone number of someone you trust, like your parent or carer to your lock screen or on the back of your phone with a sticker.
Be careful who you add or talk to: When you talk to someone online, you do not always know who they are or whether they’re being truthful. If you are talking to someone online, be careful about what you share.
Think before you share or save something: Once you share a message, photo or video you lose control of it. Someone else can save or screenshot it, and they can share it with other people. Sharing or saving nudes can be illegal.”

Please also be courteous when using your mobile phone whilst at UK Oaks accommodation. This includes not using it at the mealtime, or when the family are engaging in discussion with you. You should not ask to use the UK Oaks telephone unless there is an emergency, or you have agreed this in advance with UK Oaks.

Travelling around

You may need to travel during your time in the UK. This will include travelling to and from UK Oaks accommodation to and from school, to the airport or any places that you wish to visit. If you require transport, please let us know. Transport is usually arranged by your school or guardianship organisation. They use trusted drivers who have had the necessary safety checks. Occasionally guardianship staff may be permitted to provide transport for you. You will be provided with details of who is going to collect you in advance. You will be given the name of the driver and the registration number of the car, along with the time that they will arrive. Please ensure that you are ready at the stated time. Never go with anyone other than the named person/registration number provided, even if they say that this has been arranged with school/guardian. If you are in any doubt, ask a trusted adult, such as a member of school staff, or your guardian.

When you are travelling in a car please sit in the back where possible and use the seat belts provided. If you are under 12 and below 135cm in height you will be required to use a booster seat. This is a legal requirement.

If you wish to use public transport, please ask us for permission. We will help you with booking tickets if permission is granted.

The British Council has some useful advice for keeping safe on public transport. It can be found here: Safety First

When you are walking or cycling, you need to take care to keep safe.

When walking:

Use pavements to walk on.
Use Zebra or pelican crossings where possible to cross the road, but do not assume cars will stop if they see you waiting. Make sure that it is safe before you cross.
Stay alert and listen for bikes and runners - this means not wearing headphones when out walking
Look both ways to check that it is safe to cross
If there isn’t a safe crossing, find a good place to cross away from parked cars where you can see what is coming on both sides of the road.

The Think! Website provides the following advice for cyclists:

Ride decisively and keep clear of the kerb.
Look and signal to show drivers what you plan to do, make eye contact where possible.
Avoid riding up the inside of vehicles, as you might not be seen. If a vehicle is indicating to the left, hang back at the junction to reduce the risk of a collision.
Always use lights after dark or when visibility is poor. Wear high-visibility and reflective clothing and accessories at all times
Wear a correctly fitted cycle helmet that is securely fastened and conforms to current regulations.
Your local council can help you plan your journey by providing maps showing dedicated paths and routes.
Where possible, try to maintain social distancing when you cycle, for example when waiting at crossings and traffic lights.
When using hire bikes (private, docked or dockless) wash your hands for at least 20 seconds or sanitise your hands before and after cycling.

Managing your money

You do not need to bring too much pocket money to the host family, as your parents will have already paid for your meals and accommodation during your stay with the host family. If you need extra pocket money, we will only issue this to you after we receive your parents’ permission.

We will help you set up a bank account if required. Please contact us and we will be able to make the necessary arrangements.

Keeping your passport and eVisa safe

Your passport and e-visa are important documents. You should ensure that these are always kept safe. Your schools may keep these for you but there will be times when you need to travel with them, for instance, when travelling to and from the UK. Please take care not to lose them as this could result in travel delays.

Religion in the UK and access to places of worship

The population of the UK is diverse, and many religions are practised. You may wish to access places of worship during your stay. If so, please do let us know, and we will make the necessary arrangements.

Learning to drive

If you are over 17 and planning to spend some time in the UK after your schooling, you may want to learn to drive. You must apply for a provisional licence first and then apply for lessons. When the driving instructor feels you are ready, they will suggest that you apply for your test. There is a theory test and a practical driving test, and both must be passed before you will be awarded your licence. Please let us know if you would like to learn to drive, and if your parents agree, we will help you to make the necessary arrangements. Further information can be found on the government website https://www.gov.uk/driving-lessons-learning-to-drive

School rules

Your school will explain to you their rules and expectations of how you should behave. Please pay regard to these expectations when staying at your homestay as well.

Oaks International Education LTD