Get In Touch!

As we grow, we've found that people are using a variety of ways to contact us and keep up to date with our news. So we're making the most of the internet, and sharing our news with you!

For Twitter fans, become a Bright World "Tweep" and follow us on @brightworldnews

If Facebook's more your thing, come and visit our Facebook Page - but dont forget to LIKE our page or you won't receive all our updates and news!

Or our main website page www.brightworld.co.uk is always a great place to read up on what we're up to. Here you can do so many things - fill in an online application form for Guardianship services, apply to become a Bright World host family, or just Contact us simply to find out more about us!

We are always glad to hear feedback so please pay us a visit online and send us a message!

Happy Half term to all our students and host families

The first wave of our guardian students who have a two week half term broke up last Friday. The second wave will be going during this week and most break up on Friday this week. We wish all our students who are flying home a lovely week at home and a safe journey.

All those staying here, we hope you enjoy the comforts of your host family and home cooking. For those who are going to their Bright World Host Family for the very first time, we hope you enjoy it. Of course, it will be strange the first time but we plan for you to stay with this family every time you have a school break and you don't go home so the idea is that gradually it really does become your home from home and you actually look forward to going there!

Thank you to all our lovely host families who take such good care of our guardianship students.

Volcanic Ash!

The recent Flight ban due to Volcanic Ash from Iceland coincided with the return of 80% of Bright World students returning from their Easter holiday. All arrangements that Fiona, Jane and Carol had made with our drivers were null and void. The skies were clear and all was silent.

All of our students are now back in the country except for just two so the exeat weekend this weekend is going ahead.

What next!??? If it doesnt snow a volcano blows.

The team at Bright World Guardianships were brilliant, as usual, and all went smoothly.

Summer days at Bright World

We hope all our students are having a good summer back in their home country with their parents. Life certainly changes here at Bright World in the summer. The windows are open all day (when it is not pouring with rain) and we are busy getting readying for the next academic year, enrolling new host families to take care of our newly arriving students, answering nervous emails from new parents and students in an attempt to reassure them that all be in place by the time the summer term starts.

It is really a different time of year and we do enjoy it. That is not to say we are not looking forward to seeing all our students back in September.

We are still chasing nearly all our students for flight details - please hurry and give them to us as soon as possible. Our drivers get really booked up at the beginning of term and it does help for us to be able to book your airport transfers as soon as possible.

Have a lovely August, and looking forward to seeing you all again in September.

The Bright World Guardianships Team

Can I go to London?

Here we are mid half term and if I was given a pound for every time I had been asked already this week 'can I go to London?' I would be so rich I could give up working forever!!

Before I blog on about our rules and regulations and why in many cases I have to answer NO to the above question, let's just look at some statistics. First of all let's look at London - it is that big thing next to this text. It is HUGE.

It covers 241 square miles.

So when I am asked can I go to London it is like asking 'can I go to Hong Kong? - what do you mean? Are you going to Mongkok, New Territories? Kowloon? Disneyworld? Tsuen Wan? - see what I mean?

All those parents out there take note - London is not a small green village - it is a huge cosmopolitan city full of all types of people, good and bad. Our underground system is very complicated. I even get lost all the time on it. No-one has time to stop and help you if you are lost.

I know that half term can be boring in your host family - just staying in and studying but I am afraid we all had to do it. I can remember my half terms were boring when Mum and Dad didnt take me out every minute of the day but you make your own fun, watch TV etc. I was not allowed to go to London on my own until I was at least 17. My parents kept me safe and sound and that is what I am trying to do to you, our guardianship children.

So here are the answers to the question 'can I go to London'

If you are 15 or under - absolutley NO - unless you are with a responsible adult who is 25 or over and who has been approved by us and your parents. A signed permission to travel form needs to be sent to us from your parents.

If you are 16 or over - yes you can in the daytime and only if you are with other friends.

17 plus yes - but you must be back by 11pm.

You cannot under any circumstances, regardless of your age, stay out overnight unless permission has been granted by your parents and we have details of where you are and the adult of 25 plus who will be looking after you.

These rules have been set using Child Protection guidelines, after much consultation with parents in the UK and after much thought and consideration. We urge our overseas parents to listen to us and support us in our rules.

Our host families are the best you will find in the UK and with them our main goal is to keep overseas children here without their parents safe and sound. We dont want them to have bad experiences, just positive ones.

Anyway I wish a great half term to all and hope you enjoy the rainy weather! Apparently it will be warm at the weekend.

Lana Foster

Managing Director

Bright World launches new Summer Programme

Bright World Summer Homestay Programme

Learn English Naturally.........

Well, we have all these lovely host families who care for our students during the academic year for their exeats and half terms then we don't work with them all summer.......

This is why we have launched this new programme. Students can stay with one of our elite host families and spend a few weeks with them in the summer - no classes or lessons - just hanging out with a British family and doing the stuff they do.

We think it is one of the best ways of gaining exposure, learning about our culture and learning English.

Have a look at our leaflet on the website by clicking on this link.

New Online Booking system for Guardianships

Bright World Guardianships
new and easy online booking form now available

We are very pleased to let you know that you and parents can now book online for Bright World Guardianships. We hope this will make life very much easier for you all round. There is a section to tell us that you are the agent for the student so there is no danger of leaving you out of the loop.

Click here to try it out.....

Easter greetings

We wanted to take this opportunity of welcoming all our guardianship students back from their Easter holiday. Apart from a few delayed flights all our students have arrived back safe and sound with no glitches. This is due to the fantastic team of drivers that we have and also Jane Forester and Carol Gill's hard work.

Communication with our students and their parents and agents is vital for the smooth running of our guardianship programme, especially if there are delays or flights change.

Thank you to all our students, parents and agents for their help in making this Easter holiday departure and arrival back a huge success.

We are now gearing up for the summer term, host families in place and all arrangements made.

Happy Easter and here's to a lovely warm summer.

First Term News

The gap in our blogs shows just how busy the Bright World Team has been since the start of term. I can hardly believe that all students arrived well over a month ago and already they are on half term this week and next, all safely with their host families or going home to see their families back home.

We are already making plans for all of our students' return at Christmas. Sometimes I think that people don't think there is much to this guardianship job but I can tell you that Jane, Carol and I have been flat out here in the office taking care of our guardianship programme and students.

In addition to that our Local Coordinators have been busy visiting all the students and are now poised to visit them all at half term where they are in new host families.

We do, however, feel that what we do is worthwhile as we have had some lovely comments from our students, parents and our overseas agents as to what a great job we are doing so although it is a hard and challenging job it is a very rewarding one.