Other information

Accommodation & Welfare	Individual tutorials
Home stay rules We are very proud of our standard of home stays. We have taken time to find the best possible families to welcome you and look after you during your stay. We hope that you will have a happy and memorable time with your host family. They have a responsibility to try and make you feel welcome. You also have a responsibility to be a good guest! What to expect from your host family accommodation: It is very polite and useful to telephone your host family before travelling to Bolton The house will be kept clean at all times Bed linen and towels will be changed every week Breakfast will be provided daily Evening meal will be provided and eaten together with the family at the table Note: Every family is different and so each family will have different food on offer. However, please feel free to tell the family if you have any particular dietary needs. Please remember, if you are going to miss, or be late for mealtimes unexpectedly please try to inform your host family. Your family will do your laundry once a week (you will be shown how to wash your sports clothes yourself more frequently) You will be given a key to allow you to enter and leave the house when you want to. (Please do not keep this with your host’s address in case it gets lost) Your family will give you their day time telephone number Your bedroom will contain a desk on which you can study or you will be provided with this facility for your use in another part of the house Your family will negotiate the best times to use the bathroom with you on your arrival In the host family, students must not: Smoke in the house Keep food in your room Wash your own clothes and try to dry them in your room Use the telephone/computer without permission Damage or vandalise any property in any way Have visitors without permission Stay out overnight   Please note: in cases of damage or vandalism, students are held responsible for any damage caused, and will have to pay for damage accordingly Making the most of the host family experience Your local host family has been carefully selected to ensure that you get the maximum benefit from this unique English language and football experience. However, please remember that you are going to be living as a guest in another family’s home. You will meet all members of the family and will be living alongside them for the duration of your visit. The information below is designed to help you integrate as easily and quickly as possible, make you into a super guest and so make the most of this experience. Remember, most host families and their students form a genuine friendship that can last for the rest of their lives! Take some photos from home to introduce you and the rest of your family to your new guest family. They will be delighted to learn where you are from. Maps, photos and brochures of your neighbourhood and home town are also really useful to break the ice at the start of your stay. Make an effort to ask about your new family, their interests and hobbies. Find out when you are allowed to use the bathroom in the mornings and evenings and when are the regular family mealtimes. Volunteer to take your turn helping with family chores e.g. washing up, setting and clearing the table etc. Always use a pre-paid international telephone card (available from local shops) to phone home. Always remember to ask your host father or mother before using the phone. Keep your room and bed tidy Your host family will make sure you get your breakfast and dinner every day (lunch too on Sundays). Your host family will also either do your washing for you or show you how to do this yourself. Remember! You’re not living in a hotel!   Finally, you must remember that English people will do things quite differently than in your country. It’s also easier to misunderstand a situation when communicating in a foreign language. If you are unsure about something, ask your host family. Hide Packing check list Current Passport with Student Visa Stamp Copy of Passport & Birth Certificate (to be kept separately) Return Plane ticket (kept safe for your return) All original school enrolment documents Travellers checks, ATM card Health insurance card/policy info Notebooks (for school) / Journal / Writing Utensils (pens & pencils) Laptop Computer, Mini-DVD player, CD player, etc. (optional) Language Dictionary / Language Learning CD/Tapes (optional) Camera / film (optional) Soccer Boots (2 pairs- Hard Ground and soft ground) Soccer Flats or Indoor soccer shoes Tennis Shoes or Cross Trainers (for road work) Shin guards, tape, soccer shoe polish, shoe brush, etc. Flip-flop sandals & Bathrobe (showering) Soccer gear for personal training Swimsuit / 3-4 Bathing Towels Casual wear for school (slacks, jeans, dress shirts, shorts, tee-shirts, etc.) One or two nice outfits (for social activities) Winter Wear - Shoes, Heavy Jacket, Sweaters, Hat, Gloves, etc…… Personal toiletries (tooth brush/paste, deodorant, comb, after shave, etc.) Alarm Clock Medication for any existing medical conditions List of personal contacts back home (emails/addresses/telephone numbers) Black Permanent Marking pen * Hide Soccer-specific equipment Soccer Boots, 2 pairs – hard ground (moulded studs) and soft ground (metal/long studs) Soccer flats or indoor soccer shoes Running shoes Shin guards & tape (players will not be permitted to train/play without them) Soccer gear for personal training (minimum 5 sets, due to the nature of English conditions during the season we require all players to bring a full change of kit each day) Soccer shoe polish, shoe brush, etc (players are expected to maintain high standards at all times) NB – please do not arrive with brand new boots as this could create injury and cause you problems in the first few sessions. Please ensure you have worm in your footwear prior to arrival. Hide Students are accommodated with local host families in the Bolton Area. All host families are carefully selected and experienced with long term international student care. Hide
Each student will meet with a senior staff member twice per term. This will provide the perfect opportunity to obtain the specific and individual feedback necessary to ensure the welfare, safety and satisfaction off all students. This procedure will ensure a happy stay and continued improvement in all aspects of the course. These meetings will also provide course leaders the opportunity to set the students personal targets and feed information and progress reports back to Head Office and so to parents. Towards the end of the course these sessions will also provide the perfect opportunity by which to assist each individual player to progress from the course and assess the best ongoing career opportunities available to them. Hide
Activities & Excursions	Tickets to matches
Team cohesion and spirit is important when playing football or any team sport, therefore on a regular basis the group will be brought together under the leadership for various social activities. These may include: 10 pin bowling Film nights Evening countryside walks Cycling Quiz Nights Sports nights (other than football) These sessions will be conducted once at the beginning of the program, once at the end of the program and an additional minimum of once per term. As part of the course we also endeavour to introduce the students to all places of historic and social importance in the northwest of England, the spiritual home of English football. So once every term the students will be brought together at the weekend for a full or half day excursion or activity to see more of England and once again to aid their bonding as a team. These activities may include: Countryside walks in the Lake District Blackpool Pleasure Beach trip The football museum Stadium tours Premiership/Football league fixture Manchester city centre shopping Through the duration of the course these trips will vary to give the students a variety of experiences. Hide
As part of the course all students are guests of BWFC International academy at all home Premiership matches. Attendance to these games is mandatory. Hide
Check in & registration	UK border agency & visa
Check in & registration Each morning the students will be greeted and registered by the Course Leader. These daily meetings will ensure efficient and effective communication of all program information; regarding fixtures, trips and changes to timetabling, directly to the students. Similarly, these sessions also provide the students with a regular and timetabled opportunity to feedback to the course leaders any concerns they might have or any ideas they would like to put forward. This will enable the course leaders to monitor client satisfaction and welfare issues and take timely and appropriate action. These brief meetings will allow course leaders and coaching staff to feedback information and progress reports to Head Office and so to parents on a regular basis. During the first month of the programme these sessions are of great importance in assisting students to settle in to life in England and the changes they may have faced. They also enable an informal meeting of other students to develop friendships and camaraderie amongst the team. Hide
NB – the information given below was correct at the time of writing – please check the UK Border Agency website for up to date advice and information Who will need a visa? Any student who is not a citizen of a country in the European Economic Area must apply for a visa to be granted entry to the UK to study. Types of student visa Type of student visa Who can apply? Child student You can apply as a child student if you are between 4 and 17 years old. If you are between 4 and 15 years old, you must be coming to the United Kingdom to be educated at an independent fee-paying school. Child visitor You can apply as a child visitor if you are 17 years old or under and you want to come to the United Kingdom to do a course of study for up to six months. You will not be able to switch and apply for a child student visa while you are in the United Kingdom as a child visitor. If you want to apply for a child student visa, you must apply from the country you live in. Adult student You can apply as an adult student if you are coming to the United Kingdom for your post-16 education. Student visitor You can apply as a student visitor if you are 18 years old or over, you want to come to the United Kingdom to do a course for up to six months, and you do not want to work while you are here. You will not be able to switch and apply for an adult student visa while you are in the United Kingdom as a student visitor. If you want to apply for an adult student visa, you must apply from the country you live in. Prospective student You can apply as a prospective student if you want to come to the United Kingdom to help you decide which course to study or if you plan to start a course of study within six months. You will be able to switch and apply for an adult or child student visa while you are in the United Kingdom. 16 and 17 year old students applying to come for more than six months You and your approved education provider should agree whether you need to apply for an adult or child student visa. If you will be studying a course below National Qualification Framework level 3, you must apply as a child student. If your course is at National Qualification Framework level 3 (or equivalent) or above and is longer than two years, we recommend you apply as an adult student. If you want to study for an English language qualification at Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) Level A2 or above, you must apply as an adult student. How to apply? Please see the Border Agency website for up to date application advice: http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/ Hide