In this article you will find a comprehensive list of schools in Brisbane that have international students that may be looking for homestays in Brisbane with your family.
Homestay in Brisbane is considered to be the most important component contributing to the success of an international student’s study program. At times, international students may encounter problems academically, socially or culturally. With the right homestay host who is understanding, patient, kind who cares, international students can achieve academic success and take home some wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.
Homestay Brisbane
These Brisbane schools are often looking for host or homestay families to provide food, accommodation and a family life to these overseas students. These can be short term – a few days or long term a few years.
If you are interested, click on the school name and read more!
Catholic & Independent Private schools:
These schools may have international students looking for a homestay in Brisbane.
Brisbane Boys’ College (Toowong)
Brisbane Christian College (Salisbury)
Canterbury College (Waterford)
Citipointe Christian College (Carindale)
John Paul College (Daisy Hill)
Hillbrook Anglican School (Enoggera)
Lourdes Hill College (Hawthorne)
Mary Mackillop College (Nundah)
Southern Cross Catholic College (Scarborough)
St Aiden’s Anglican Girls’ School (Corinda)
Saint James College (Brisbane)
Saint John’s Anglican College (Forest Lake)
St Margaret’s Anglican Girls’ School (Ascot)
St. Paul’s School (Bald Hills)
West Moreton Anglican College (Karrabin)
State Schools looking for homestay host families:
International homestay students also attend many state schools across Brisbane. Try these schools to see if they your family can provide a homestay Brisbane style!
Alexandra Hills State High School
Balmoral State High School (Morningside)
Cavendish Road State High School (Holland Park)
Centenary State High School (Jindalee)
Cleveland District State High School
Craigslea State High School (Chermside West)
Indooroopilly State High School
Kedron State High School (Wooloowin)
Kelvin Grove State High School
Whites Hill State College (Camp Hill)
Blue Card
Brisbane supports a whole host of International Students who come to study in our great city. From short term visits to long term stays the rewards for schools, students and the homestay families, like you are immense. We talked to 3 schools to find out more…
Why do the schools host students?
Margaret Dagan – Clayfield College Homestay Co-ordinator
Clayfield College has offered a homestay program since 2001. The homestay program is designed to help students experience a different culture and education from their country of origin. Our international student program caters for both male and female students from ages 10 to 18 years old. We offer long-term homestay for students who plan to study in our English Language program for up to twelve months or students who may spend 3 – 4 years in our High School with a plan to graduate in Year 12.
Homestay is also offered for students who want to experience a 4 – 6 weeks English language course during their summer vacation from their respective country – usually around June/July/August time. Our short term Study Tours see us hosting students for 1 – 4 weeks at other times in the year. These students come from Japan, China, Taiwan, and Korea. Other short-term students come from Brazil, Portugal, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Korea and Japan for anywhere from 1 – 10 weeks.
To find out more about the Clayfield International College Homestay Programme click here.
What do the students say about the experience?
Maree Carr – Japanese Teacher – Southern Cross Catholic College
Southern Cross Catholic College (SCCC) has hosted many students who visit from larger cities in Japan and so enjoy the laid-back coastal setting Brisbane offers. Many of them are surprised by the size of their homestay families’ homes and how short the school day is compared to their very busy lives in Japan.
The students from Kyoto found life in Australia particularly different from their lives in Japan with one student saying, “We wash clothes more frequently than Australian people. Australian people cherish water.” Another student also pointed out how nice it was to eat dinner with all family members, something that doesn’t happen often in Japan with the long hours fathers work and the long hours students tend to study.
When asked further about their homestay experiences and how it differed to life back in Japan, students also noted “Going to bed very early and [waking] up very early.” as something they had to get used to. It is not unusual for students in Japan to be up until all hours of the night studying or unwinding after a long day. Students often make up for their lack of sleep during class the following day; something frowned upon in Australia but considered completely acceptable – even complimentary – in a Japanese classroom.
To find out more about the Southern Cross Catholic College Homestay Programme click here
What does it take to be a homestay family?
Debbie Kemish Director of St Paul’s School International School
St Paul’s host families come in all shapes and sizes – from single people with a love of travelling to young couples in a new home to parents and their children (both young and old) to retired couples. At St Paul’s School, our homestays have one thing in common – a wish to welcome someone into their home and to assist them in learning about the Australian way of life and to chat to them in English so that they feel comfortable in their new surroundings and continue to grow in confidence and abilities through their teenage years. As the Guy family says ‘hosting International Students is all about having fun, interacting together and getting to really know each other. Spending quality time with our students doing the things we love.’
Of the over 100 families that are registered with St Paul’s to provide accommodation to international students, some offer long-term placements which means they see “their” student mature from a nervous new arrival to a graduating Year 12, with friends, skills and confidence. Others offer short-term placements to students keen to capture their short stay in Australia with memories of interaction and outings with their host family. These short stays vary from 3 nights to 2 months. The impact of the host family is a big one for these tours as the host families come to encapsulate “Australia” in their memories.
In the over 16 years that host families have been a part of the St Paul’s School community, the strength of many of the relationships continues on – making friendships with the international parents, catching up with students for a coffee or a meal when they leave and continue on at university in Southeast Queensland. The links made sometimes leads to invitations to weddings a number of years after graduation and great holiday destinations.
Families who have the ability to welcome young people into their homes and to engage these youngsters may differ in many ways but they are all able to encourage our students in their journey.
