COURSES > ACCOMMODATION

Life in Hebden Bridge

Hebden Bridge is a charming place to stay. It is not as expensive as Leeds and Manchester. It is very much less expensive than living in London. It is a pretty town with lots of Yorkshire character. In the area there are many interesting places to stay.

Accommodation

Your accommodation will be one of the most important parts of your life in Hebden Bridge. When you are away from home, we want you to feel safe and comfortable. Rands will make sure that your accommodation provides this. Rands can help you find appropriate accommodation before you arrive. We will also support you during your stayas best we can with any welfare issues.

There are a number of accommodation options that you can choose from:

Homestay (staying in a house with a family)

Reduction in the homestay fees!
Rands likes to listen to students’ requests. It is with pleasure therefore that we can help students this way and announce our dramatic reduction in homestay fees.

Homestay means staying with a British family. This way, you will have the best chance to experience British culture and lifestyle. You will be able to practise the English that you learn in the classroom. You have your own bedroom with a table, chair and lighting for private study. For the new price of £105.00 per week you get breakfast and evening meal during the week, plus lunches at the weekends. Towels and bed linen are provided and are cleaned weekly. This is option is sensible and inexpensive. Most of our students choose to stay with a family like this.

If necessary, we can provide Halal meat for our host families to cook for you. Our host families’ homes are very close to Rands. You will be able to walk or take a short bus journey (no more than 20 minutes) from your homestay house to school.


Furnished rented flats
Rands has furnished apartments for students to use and rent short-term. They have a fully-fitted kitchen, complete with all cutlery and crockery. Also included is internet access (WiFi throughout the building), TV with Sky and DVD player, an iron and ironing board, and even an alarm clock! These extras will make your stay feel like a real home from home. There is secure parking too. We have a selection of accommodation from luxurious Penthouse through to Superior and Standard Apartments. It is possible to rent these from just one night or for the longer term.

Furnished rented houses

We can help you find a rented house in the area. This option is suitable for people who are confident enough to live independently. You will be responsible for paying your own bills including electricity, gas, heating, and council tax. Prices for rent are from £450.00 up to £1000.00 per month depending on the size of the house and its location. Some students rent a house together and share the costs. These houses are rented for a minimum of 6 months.

Hotels, Guest Houses and Bed and Breakfast
Rands can arrange for students to stay in serviced accommodation in Hebden Bridge or the surrounding area.

Halls of residence

Rands does not have halls of residence.

Transfer to your accommodation

We can arrange a collection service from the local airports. The prices are as follows for one person for one journey:

Leeds & Bradford Airport £70.00

Manchester Airport £80.00

Host family profiles

Family H. have mother, father, two sons and one daughter. They live in a large house on the edge of Hebden Bridge in beautiful countryside. They are welcoming and friendly and love having a busy home.

Miss W is a single woman with many interests. Her home is decorated with her own artwork. She loves to talk and is a great cook!

Mr E. is a semi-retired professional man. He is a great chef and cooks great food. He loves to spend time talking with his homestay students. He has an interesting and comfortable home. His grown up son and grandson join him for dinner every night, so there is plenty of opportunity to chatter and practise your English. This is our nearest homestay host – just one minute walk from the school!

Miss T and daughter A live beside the canal in an interesting part of the town. Their house is only 5 minutes walk from the school. There house is warm and comfortable and they are very friendly and helpful. The daughter loves to talk with our students.

Mr and Mrs W. and young daughter T. live in a typical Hebden Bridge, country, terraced property. They are surrounded by peaceful countryside and have beautiful views of a lovely valley from their home. They are warm and welcoming and keen to make sure that Rands’ students feel comfortable and at home and have plenty of chance to practise their English!

Miss F has a comfortable, terraced home in a very friendly part of town. She is very kind and helpful and has neighbours who welcome our students and who want to talk with them. This is a great place to practise your English. It is within 10 minutes walk of the town centre.

Mrs R has a large, detached house with plenty of room, including a pool table. There are three sons in this household who are at school and University in the area. This part of town is very friendly and there is plenty of opportunity to practise your English with the family and neighbours.

General

It is important to make sure that you have enough money to live on and to complete your studies while in the UK. You will need to budget for the following in addition to your tuition fees:

Living costs in home stay accommodation

Students living in their own accommodation - average spend

Students who choose to live in their own accommodation will need to budget for these expenses. (These costs can be reduced if you are sharing a house):

Students living in hotel accommodation - average spend

Information is correct at time of going to press and may alter after without notice.

Some students feel that the advantage of living alone is that you get more freedom. For example, you can use the shower and cook whenever you. However, the disadvantages are that you have to pay all the bills. You do not have the opportunity to practise your English with English speaking people.

Additional costs

All students will also need money for every day items. Here is an idea of these costs:

Homestay Host Testimonial
I recently became a Homestay Host. I thought that I would give it a try and if it didn’t work out then I wouldn’t have lost anything.

It has, however, turned out to be a very positive experience. ‘My’ language student is 18 years old and from Qatar. He is charming and courteous and great company. He has rapidly fitted in to the routine of my home. He is appreciative of the food that I prepare (very simple) and what is especially great is that he comes for a walk each evening with me and my dog!

Abdullah wants to chat over dinner and get to know the names of everything. He is so hard working and he spends every evening doing homework.

I would recommend the Homestay experience to anyone who is tentatively considering it – it could change your life!
Miss F, Hebden Bridge.

Homestay hosting is an exciting and rewarding way to meet people from other countries and cultures, while helping them to understand our own British, indeed Yorkshire, culture. Of course, it helps earn and bit of brass too!

For six months I have been a Homestay Host and it has been one of the most enjoyable and rewarding experiences of my life.
I have hosted two young Saudis, two Germans of similar age, and a middle-aged Italian man whose family also came to stay.

What have been the benefits? Well, too many to list, but amongst them:

• the pleasure and understanding of other cultures, even with fellow Europeans.
• new friendships.

What have been the problems?
None!

Mr E, Hebden Bridge.

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