Family Support Information

Its important to have a realistic view of the UK rental market and understand the costs of living in the UK.

For information on accommodation available within the University for families please visit the University's accommodation webpages.

If you are travelling alone, please make sure you contact the accommodation team to secure your room in halls ASAP. Places for single students on campus are now limited. Contact details for the team are at the top of the page.

If you are travelling with family you MUST have made your own arrangements to house your family before you leave for the UK. If you are unable to secure the accommodation before you travel, we recommend you travel to the UK first and bring your family to join you when you have secured suitable and affordable accommodation.

For information on how to find privately rented family accommodation please visit our Private Sector Accommodation webpages.

There are also a number of local letting agents in the areas around the University who provide private rental property to students and their families.  We have a list of contact details in our Drop In room on the Treforest Campus and can provide this by email if requested.

Schooling

UK state schools are run by the local education authorities and are free up to the age of 16. If your child is under 16 and will be with you in the South Wales area as your dependant for more than 6 months then they should be able to go to a state school free of charge.

The state system is divided into 3 types of school:

• Nursery school (3-5 years of age)
• Primary school (5-11 years of age)
• Secondary school (11-16 years of age)

Find a school

For further information and a list of the state schools in and around the Rhondda Cynon Taff area, visit the Rhondda Cynon Taff Council website or phone +44 (0) 1443 744000.

For further information and a list of the state schools in and around the Cardiff area visit the Cardiff Council website or phone +44 (0)29 2087 2087.
For further information and a list of the state schools in and around the Newport area visit the Newport Council website or phone +44 (0)1633 656 656 or Email [email protected]

Children for whom English is a second language

If you think your child will need support with their English Language, then this is available through Rhondda Cynon Taff Council and Cardiff Councils’ Ethnic Minority Achievement Service and children are supported in their own school. Your child’s school teacher should be able to access this additional English language support for your child.

More information about the scheme in Rhondda Cynon Taf can be found on their website .

GEMS (Gwent Education Minority Ethnic Service) also supports Newport pupils whose first language is not English. Further information can be found on their website.

The cost of childcare in the UK is relatively high. International students should undertake research on the costs of child card in the local area they intend to live in and budget accordingly.

On Treforest Campus, the Acorns Nursery provides childcare for babies and children. The nursery management team have had over 20 years experience working within Acorns. Staff and student children from USW as well as children from the wider community are welcomed into the picturesque nursery setting. Each group has their own base room and access to the tree-lined garden area enabling them to freely move between stimulating activities in the indoor and outdoor environment.  All our equipment is of the finest quality, chosen for its play and learning potential and is age appropriate to ensure that babies and children are learning through play.

The outdoor environment means that the children can hear the waterfall behind the nursery and the birds singing all day long.  The pre-school children enjoy a woodland trail walk to the dedicated forest school area  The covered outdoor area and open garden ensure that learning and fun continue whatever the weather.

Acorns at USW Tel: 01443 407 815.  Nursery Opening Times: 7.30am – 6pm

Cardiff University also offer a Day Care Centre service for children aged 10 weeks to 5 years. More information can be found on the Cardiff University website.

Cardiff Council's Family Information Service is designed to make it easy for parents to find all of the information they need about a broad range of services for children including a searchable childcare database.

The Family Information Service Team are on hand to provide additional information, advice, guidance and support if you cannot find what you are looking for on their website or you need more detailed information. You can contact them on +44 (0)3000 133 133 or email contact [email protected]

Newport Council also have a Family Information Service and can call on +44 (0) 1633 210842

There are circumstances relating to students which may lead to a Council Tax exemption:

• students aged 20 or under taking a qualifying course of education which is not higher education
• other full time students included in the above categories who are undertaking a course of education lasting for at least an academic or calendar year
• foreign language students appointed as a foreign language assistant at a school or college and registered with the Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchange.
• Properties occupied only by students
• Property left empty by a student who owns the property

To apply for Council Tax exemption, you can do so on the websites for the Rhondda Cynon Taf, Cardiff and Newport

If you live with your spouse (husband or wife), civil partner or an adult dependant and there are no other non-student adults in the house, the house in which you live should still be exempt as long as the immigration permission these people hold as a "no recourse to public funds" condition.  This should cover most Student Route and Tier 4 Dependants.