Do your research
If you are bringing family members with you, we strongly advise you to travel to Kent alone, in advance of starting your course, to make all the arrangements for housing and schooling and to get a sense of the local area, before bringing your family to join you. Deciding where to live may be affected by a range of factors including the proximity to schools and other family-focused services.
Accommodation
The University does not have on-campus accommodation suitable for families, so you will need to live off-campus. If you will be studying and living in Canterbury, please see our guide to living off-campus. If you are living and studying in Medway, we recommend that you read our housing guide.
When searching online for accommodation, use postcode CT1 for central Canterbury and postcode CT2 for the University campus. The postcode for the Medway area is ME7
Useful links
- University of Kent Accommodation website
- Choosing your housing (UKCISA)
- Visit Canterbury (for short-stay and overnight accommodation)
- Visit Medway (for short-stay and overnight accommodation).
Schooling and childcare
The education system in the UK is divided into four main parts, primary education, secondary education, further education and higher education. Children in the UK have to legally attend primary and secondary education, which runs from about 5 years old until the student is 16 years old.
The UK Government has planned for all pupils, in all year groups, to return to school full-time from the beginning of the autumn term. Please see government guidance for further information.
Finding a school
- A guide to school admissions
- Education and Children (Kent County Council)
- How to apply for a school place in the county of Kent
- Find a school
Childcare
- Local childcare directory
- Typical costs
- Free childcare
- Oaks Nursery (on the Canterbury campus)
- Riverside Children's Centre
- Busy Bees (near to the Medway campus)