Accommodation policy of ACS(International) 2017

ACS(International) requires all our international students who are residing here without their parents to be in approved accommodation.

The policy consists of the following:

  1. Types of approved accommodation
  2. Registration process of homestay/hostel provider
  3. Appointment of homestay/hostel provider
  4. Duties expected of homestay/hostel provider approved by the school
  5. Monitoring of accommodations
  1. Types of approved accommodation

The approved accommodation are:

(a)Oldham Hall

(b)ACS(Independent Boarding)

(c)School approved hostels

(d)School approved homestay providers

The school screens potential homestay providers and conducts periodic checks on our approved homestay providers.

The price for homestay ranges from an average of $1600/month for double sharing to $2500 for single room. Homestay providers provide meals, laundry and cleaning services, wifi and supervision of school work within a home setting.

For enquiry on available vacancies and locations of hostels and homestays, please contact the International Student Pastoral Care coordinator at

  1. Criteria for homestay and hostel provider
  2. Must be 30 years old and above
  3. Must be Singapore citizen/Singapore Permanent Resident/Employment

Pass Holder

  1. Must not exceed ratio of 1 adult:10 students
  2. Must be willing to comply with school expectations
  3. All adults who live in the homestay must not have current or history of

criminal or mental illness record. From 2017 onwards, ALL homestay providers of ACS (International)are to submit official document to prove that they do not have criminal records

  1. Must be willing to take on guardianship of students within
  2. Must be willing to disclose particulars of all the supervisors/helpers in the homestay/providers
  3. Must be willing to be open to visits by ISPCC on regular basis
  4. Must be willing to have single gender homestay OR separation of gender via floors/CCTV (in which case both male and female residents MUST have different bathrooms)
  5. If a male homestay provider is providing homestay, he can only accept male students
  6. Homestay providers are not to solicit students on their own and all requests to stay at the homestays must be made through the guardians and/or the parents. The ISPCC should be informed of all changes.
  1. Registration process for homestay or hostel provider
  2. Fill up registration form on a yearly basis (see Annex A)
  3. To sign completed registration form with declaration component duly completed. Homestay/hostel provider would have to declare that he/she

-Does not have a criminal record or under criminal investigation

-Does not have history of or existing mental illness

-Is free from financial embarrassment

  1. ISPCC to visit the homestay/hostel
  1. Sourcing of accommodation

From 2017 onwards, all new international students who are residing without their parents are to commit to staying in either Oldham Hall or ACS(Independent) Boarding for a minimumperiod of ONE year in order that they enjoy the rich benefits that come from boarding experience while studying in an overseas country.

For students who are going to Oldham Hall or ACS(Independent) Boarding, they are to fill up the application form and submit it according to the boarding regulations.

For students going to approved hostels or homestay, the guardians or parents are to get in touch with the ISPCC regarding availability and are encouraged to view a few places before they commit.

Questions the ISPCC will ask when approached regarding homestay availability:

1) Where is the preferred location?

2) Is the student willing to travel? What is the maximum distance the student is willing to explore?

3) What kind of rooms is the student looking at? E.g. Single, double

4) Does the student prefer a smaller homestay or more community based?

5) What is the student’s budget?

6) Any preference of type of homestay providers e.g. strict, of a particular religion?

It is in consideration of these criteria that the ISPCC propose the homestays to look at and key recommendation is that students be brought to see at least 2 before they commit.

Parents, guardians and students are to note that they need to examine and agree with the terms of the homestay contract before they sign it.

(See Annex B for things to include in homestay contracts)

5. Duties expected of hostel and homestay providers

If the homestay provider is not providing guardianship

a)Check in with the student everyday with regards to physical, socio-emotional well-being. To alert the guardian if matters arises.

b)Provide food – weekdays: breakfast and dinner. Weekend: all meals

c)Ensure that the ward is properly attired and reports to the school on time

d)Keep communication lines open through email, SMS or telephone

e)Monitor ward’s computer and internet usage

f)Monitor ward’s weekend activities

g)Monitor ward’s observance of curfew time

(See Annex C for information homestay providers should know)

If the home stay provider is also the guardian

a) Alert the school on medical issues/absences/late-coming of wards

b) Assist with ward’s overseas travel arrangements

c) Liaise with the school on ward’s discipline matters

d) Monitor ward’s progress in school: both in academic and co-curricular activities

e) Monitor ward’s expenditure

f) Acknowledge receipt of communications from school through email

g) Update address and contact information when there are changes

h)Read the newsletters

i)Attend all Parent-Teacher Meetings with their wards

  1. Monitoring of hostels and homestay providers
  2. Mid-year review to be conducted by ISPCC on satisfaction level of parents and ward with regards to care and duties carried out by the providers

5.2End-year review to be conducted by ISPCC on satisfaction level of parents and ward with regards to care and duties carried out by the providers

5.3ISPCC to investigate any complaint lodged against providers and where necessary, to discontinue the homestay services provided by the said homestay provider

Note:

-The school does not, in any form, take monetary reward for matching of homestay providers to students. No member of the school staff is to be paid commission for recommending or matching of providers nor should any be offered, whether in cash or in kind, to any staff in exchange for favours. The $495 fees collected by the school for international students with student pass goes to a generic school pool of funds and not as payment for the work of the ISPCC directly.

-The monetary aspect is a private arrangement between the parents and the hostel and homestay providers, of which the school does not concern itself with in anyway

Annex B

What to include in contract with parents

1. Full legal names of guardian, parent and ward

2. Duration of contract e.g. 31/12/2016 – 31/12/2017. The school’s recommendation is a yearly contract as it allows room for mutually agreed changes to terms and clauses

3. What the homestay covers. The expectations covered in the policy guide must be in the contract, in addition to any other terms proposed by the individual guardian

4. Payment matters e.g. mode of transfer, date of transfer

5. Amount of deposit to be collected

6. Emergency contact numbers

7. *Termination of contract. Essential points to include for this:

a) Under what circumstances

b) Notice period

c) Any refund of homestay fees and how it is calculated

*Parents and students must be fully aware and comfortable with the clause for termination of individual homestay contract with regards to refund procedure and amount before they sign the contract

Annex C

Essential information homestay providers need to know about student.

  1. Any food allergy?
  2. Any medicine allergy?
  3. Any medical condition?
  4. Blood type
  5. Does ward already have international student insurance?
  6. Any relative in Singapore
  7. Who to contact in cases of emergency other than the parents should parents be uncontactable?
  8. How would parent want guardian to discipline student? E.g. grounding, reduction of allowances
  9. What are the subjects the students are weak in?
  10. What are the subjects the students require tuition in? *
  11. Any other matters that arise from conversation with parents and ward

*Homestay providers are to note that teachers of ACS (International) are not allowed, under school policy, to tutor any of our students even if they are not teaching the students directly

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