Pastoral Care & Accommodation

All enrolled students & their parents are invited to virtual meetings, educational sessions & Q&A prior to the tour

• Educational sessions around your subject area
• What to expect
• Itinerary details
• Health and safety measures
• Arrival & departure
• Emergency contact information
• Cultural acclimation tips (e.g., British customs, safety norms)
• What to pack
• How best to prepare
• Workshop for students around mitigating and managing homesickness with our in-house psychotherapist
• Answers to parents’ & students’ questions

One of the exciting aspects of our tours is that you’ll stay in multiple towns and cities across the UK. For the most part, we stay in university student accommodation, allowing you to fully experience student life and the campus atmosphere. These accommodations are single or twin room flats, with shared facilities, common areas and kitchens-exactly how UK university students live!

When university accommodations aren’t available at the universities on our tour, we arrange twin rooms in well-known 3-star hotels like Holiday Inn, Premier Inn, Ibis, Travelodge, or similar independent hotels and serviced apartments.

In line with our safeguarding policy, students are always accommodated in gender-separated arrangements.

Exceptional tour leaders are integral to the success of our tours as they ensure safety, cultural enrichment, academic guidance, and overall student happiness and satisfaction

• We have a designated emergency contact person available 24/7 who can be contacted by phone or email
• In addition, we have an experienced Level 3 trained safeguarding lead available 24 hours a day
• We adhere to safer recruitment procedures to guarantee the suitability of all our staff members working with under 18s. This involves conducting thorough background checks and obtaining references. All staff receive comprehensive safeguarding training & hold a professional first aid certificate
• All staff must complete and pass a written assessment to ensure they understand our high standards, rigorous safeguarding policies, communication systems & best practice.
• All our group leaders are selected for their experience, maturity, and expertise in leading groups or working with young people. They are also chosen for their strong knowledge of higher education in the UK, further enriching the students’ learning and experience
• We have a dedicate person on the ground monitoring all of our tours and in constant communication with tour leads to ensure everything is on track and on schedule and to support the tour

When managed, risk assessed and safeguarded properly, educational tours are statistically one of the safest environments for students to be in.

• Every element of our tours is planned & risk assessed in detail to ensure the safety and welfare of everyone
• All students are given a safety briefing during registration
• All students are given a wristband which they must wear throughout the tour. This is printed with the emergency phone number & the phone number of their tour leader
• During semi supervised time students aged 15-17 can be in groups no smaller than 2.
• There will always be a designated meeting point at a set time
• All tour guests are registered throughout the day, several times a day at the start & the end of the day and at the start of each new activity or meal
• Our modern systems align with our policies to ensure clear & constant communication 24 hours a day
• We only work with reputable companies & individuals
• All our accommodation has been approved for school groups and children under 18

Easy & fast access to healthcare.

• All risk assessments detail the closest hospital, and all staff are trained in case of an emergency
• On-tour first aid kits and staff trained in first aid
• We require our guests to provide details of any medical conditions, medication prescribed, food allergies, mental health diagnosis, dietary requirements and other essential health information prior to arrival
• We will contact parents in the event of any medical issue or hospital visit

On-tour access to mental health support & resources

• We have a qualified psychotherapist and counsellor with experience working with international students and supporting emotional issues, including homesickness, available for all our guests throughout the tour
• In addition, all tour leads, and support staff are also trained to spot the signs of a young person who may be struggling with social anxiety and homesickness

Our summer tours are full board. Students enjoy restaurants, university eateries and world food courts

• We ensure meals are balanced and we cater to dietary preferences and needs (e.g., vegetarian, halal).
• Our guests carry a water bottle with the opportunity to refill throughout the day
• Under 18s are supervised during mealtimes to ensure they are eating well

We provide regular health & wellbeing updates for parents

• We provide parents with daily updates via a secure app, sharing information about activities, wellbeing, and any health/safety matters.

All guests on our tours engage in cultural adjustment sessions to help support their happiness and wellbeing once they arrive to study in the UK

• We have thoughtfully and sensitively designed a cultural adjustment session to help students understand cultural differences to avoid culture shock and feelings of isolation. The sessions cover topics such as social norms, understanding the British education system, academic & social support systems, academic integrity, diversity & inclusion, dealing with culture shock and British traditions and celebrations
• Students on our tours meet international students already at university in the UK

UniYou supports you long after your tour has finished

• Access to free, regular virtual sessions around your subject area, applying to a UK university, impartial advice on university options and meets with guest’ speakers so that you can continue building your knowledge and experience after your tour
• A post-trip personalised character reference & certificates for completing the program
• Reflect on their experience & feedback to us-Surveys & feedback sessions ensure our guests had a positive experience which help us to feed into a cycle of constant improvement