Campus Accommodation

 

What types of rooms are available on-campus?
All bedrooms are study bedrooms, each with a private en-suite shower room. There is a small number of deluxe rooms which are slightly larger, containing a double bed and walk-in wet room. Each flat contains 4 to 6 bedrooms and a fitted kitchen with living area and television.

What is the size of a typical student bedroom?
The typical dimensions of a standard en-suite bedroom are 3 metres by 2.5 metres. The en-suite shower room is 2 metres by 1.35 metres. Deluxe rooms are larger with a double bed and have a wet room rather than a shower room.

How much does an on-campus room cost?
A standard ensuite room costs £95 per week.
A deluxe ensuite room costs £105 per week.

Am I eligible to live in the campus accommodation?
The Accommodation Office no longer accepts applications for campus accommodation from any UK student under the age of 18 years old. This is due to a revision of our under 18 accommodation policy.

Prospective students who live more than twenty miles away from Stratford-upon-Avon College's main campus who are applying for campus accommodation will be given priority over students who live less than twenty miles from the main campus.

We shall, of course, be happy to organise homestay accommodation for any student below the age of 18, or who lives within the immediate 20 mile radius of the college, who wishes to proceed with this option.

Will I need to pay any bills?
All utility bills are included in the rent. There is an additional charge for residential internet subscription. Prices for 2010-11 have yet to be confirmed. However, students should expect to pay approximately £20 per month or approximately £150 for the academic year (September to June).

Will students need to sign a contract for campus accommodation?
Yes. Each residential student is issued with a contract (Short Hold Tenancy Agreement). This is for the duration of the academic year, including holiday periods. This means students do not have to vacate their rooms during Christmas, Easter or half term breaks.

What do students need to supply?
Residential students are required to supply their own bedding and towels for their room and any kitchen utensils and crockery they will use.

There is a supermarket directly across the road from Stratford-upon-Avon College which sells everything a new student will need.  However some students might like to consider pre-ordering their essential items before they even leave home.  All-Unied| (All You Need) is a company that provides a variety of packs of indispensable items to ensure students settle quickly into their accommodation; students can even create their own individually tailored pack.  All-Unied also offers a wide range of popular student products (such as televisions, lap-top computers, bicycles, rice-cookers etc.) that are too bulky and expensive to transport.  And at the end of the academic year they can also help international students with summertime-storage and the homeward-bound shipping of their possessions.  Please visit their website for more information:  www.all-unied.com|

I am an international student and my flight arrives in the early hours of the morning. What should I do?
The campus accommodation is open 24 hours day, seven days a week. That means that if you arrive at Stratford-upon-Avon College at 04.00am (or whatever time of the night), it's not a problem - you can still check in! We also hold bedding packs for students in this very situation to purchase, so that when you arrive, you can collapse into bed and have a good sleep before you have to think about anything else.

Are there any rules and regulations?

 

The philosophy here is that students are treated as adults and the flats are their private property. However, rules and regulations are enforced for their health and safety (e.g. not leaving obstacles in the flat; not cooking in their rooms; ensuring visitors leave at a reasonable time and keeping noise to a minimum after 10.30 pm). There is security and CCTV operating on site at all time for the students’ safety.

 

All students are collectively responsible for the cleanliness and hygiene in their flats and the Accommodation Office conduct monthly flat inspections to ensure that standards are adhered to.  See below for further information.

Who is responsible for cleaning the students’ flats?
It is the responsibility of each student to keep their own room clean and tidy. The kitchen and living areas are the joint responsibility of all the students in the flat. The housekeeping team conducts regular flat inspections to ensure the students are maintaining the expected standards of cleanliness and hygiene and fines are issued to any flat which fails to meet these standards (fines are charged at £20 per student).

Do students need a TV licence?
Cosmopolitan Housing pays for the TV licence for the television in the communal area of each flat.  It is also possible to have a television in a student’s bedroom.  HOWEVER, if a student has a TV in their bedroom or any TV receiving equipment (ie: a laptop or mobile phone which enables the student to view LIVE television broadcasts) then the student is not covered by the licence purchased by Cosmopolitan and the student must purchase a TV licence.

For further information please refer to the TV Licensing website –
www.tvlicensing.co.uk/students| 

Can students have visitors to stay?
Yes, residential students are allowed to have visitors to stay.  Due to fire and safety regulations all students are limited to one overnight guest at any one time.  Overnight guests must sleep in the student’s bedroom and not in communal areas and are allowed to stay for a maximum of four nights.  All guests must be registered with the Accommodation Office or Security staff.

Unfortunately, there is no designated guest accommodation here at Stratford-upon-Avon College.  We recognise that from time-to-time students may wish for friends and family to visit for periods longer than four days, or perhaps have more than one visitor.

With this in mind, you may like to visit the South Warwickshire Tourism| website.  Here you can find full listings and availability of all tourist accommodation in Stratford-upon-Avon.  South Warwickshire Tourism can also help you to book accommodation for any visitors.

South Warwickshire Tourism – www.shakespeare-country.co.uk|

 

Homestay Accommodation

 

Can students applying for homestay accommodation choose where they live?
The Accommodation Office will use the information that a student has provided in their application form to help find a suitable homestay provider or ‘host’ for them. The Accommodation Office will then allocate the student to a suitable host and put the student and host in contact with one another.

All of our homestay providers have been interviewed by the Accommodation Officers and the accommodation that is being offered by the homestay provider has also been inspected to ensure that it meets the standards expected.

Please be aware that, while every effort is made to find a suitable match for any student applying for homestay accommodation, we cannot guarantee to match your requirements exactly.

 
What happens if the student does not like their homestay accommodation?
For many students who move in with a host family, it is a very big step. For most students it will be the first time they have lived away from their own home, family and friends - and for some students it may be the first time they have lived outside of their own country. On top of that, you not only have to adjust to a new home, but a new town, a new college and a new course!

The bottom line is that it will all feel very strange and unfamiliar for a while.  It’s perfectly normal to feel this way in your first few weeks. Everyone has the same feelings of insecurity when they first arrive at their new home and different people take a longer or shorter time to settle into their new life and routine.

However, we advise students to stay living in their allocated accommodation for a minimum of one academic term. It is important that a student tries to make the best of their situation and it may take some students several weeks to adjust and feel settled in their new environment.

Please be patient during this period of adjustment. Any concerns or worries you may have can be discussed with your host family – they want you to be happy and will be only too happy to help you resolve and problems or worries.  You can also discuss any issues you may have directly with the Accommodation Officers at the college who are also here to help you.

I will receive financial support in order to pay for my homestay accommodation. How should I pay my host?
The student is responsible for their rent being paid on the date that it is due (to be paid in advance), as discussed with their homestay provider. In the event of the student being unable to pay their rent by the date on which it is due, it is not the reponsibility of the homestay provider to subsidise the student until such time that the student's finance become available.

This is also true in the event of a delay with any financial support that a student has applied for in order to assist them with their accommodation finances. In such a case it is the student's responsibility to meet the shortfall in rent, which will then be reimbursed to the student once their financial support becomes available to them.

I am an international student and my flight arrives in the early hours of the morning. What should I do?
Many homestay providers work full-time and some may not appreciate you arriving during the night. When you know your travel arrangements (such as flight dates and times), you should pass this information to your homestay provider and consult with them whether it is okay for you to arrive during the night. They may prefer that you arrive during 'normal' hours (i.e. after 08.00am).  

For further details regarding homestay accommodation, please refer to the Homestay Accommodation| section. You can also download our Homestay Guidance Notes|.