Carole has one husband, three sons, looks after 15 children in the day and still finds time to house students.

CAROLE Holliday is a people person - a 21 people person, to be precise. First there is her husband Kevin, then her sons, Oliver, 13, Carl, 11, and William, nine, then no less than 15 children, aged four months to 12 years, who she looks after while their parents work, and finally two York College students, who share her home during term time.

To say she is busy is something of an understatement.

"I have my hectic days," she said, while taking a much-needed break at her home in Bellhouse Way, Foxwood. "My life has to be very organised - everything has to be on a very tight schedule. I used to be a hairdresser, which was good training because it taught me to work in 15-minute segments.

"I have a chart on the wall so I know who I'm looking after every day, and I stick to a rigid routine. We have lunch at the same time, naps at the same time and snacks at the same time. Luckily, kids thrive on routine."

For most people, 18 children would be enough to keep them on their toes, but Carole also finds time to be a surrogate mum to students, some of whom are living thousands of miles from home.

She started taking in students 18 years ago as a way of making a bit of extra cash. Her first charge was from Skipton, but since then she has opened her home to young people from all around the world, including Saudi Arabia, China, Japan, Holland, Norway and South Korea.

Like so many of her previous house guests, her latest student lodgers Didrik Kjoenaas from Norway and Myung Jin-Chung from South Korea quickly became a part of her extended family.

"When I first started taking in students, I was on my best behaviour all the time," said Carole. "After a while though I learned to relax and make it feel more like home for them. I take my cues from them. Some students like to get involved with the family and some keep themselves to themselves.

"I have a very strong motherly instinct, but I try not to mother them too much. If they want to spend time with us, that's fine. But if they want to stay in their room and maintain their privacy, that's fine too."

But what about the privacy of her own family - her husband and her boys?

"My kids have never known any different," she said. "Some of the students have become like big brothers to my boys and we are always on their list of people to see when they come back for a visit.

"It's a two-way process: my sons welcome a student into their home and they get a glimpse of another culture, another way of life."

Kevin is her second husband. He was married before, but had no children, so it was a bit of a culture shock for him when he took on Carole's three boys, the 15 children she child-minds every week and two live-in students.

"He is a very shy person and was worried at first that he wouldn't be able to cope," said Carole. "Now he says he wouldn't have it any other way. My boys love him to bits - I have definitely had my nose pushed out."

The family has had to make some practical changes in order to squeeze everybody in. Numerous extensions and conversions later, they now have a substantial seven-bedroom home, so everyone has a room to call their own.

York College insists that students have a private room with basics like a wardrobe and a bed, but hosts - single people as well as families - can choose what level of care they provide.

"The college asks lots of questions when you first start to gauge exactly what you are prepared to do," said Carole. "Some people just like to offer a room with cooking facilities, while others provide bed, breakfast and an evening meal with the family.

"You have to set out exactly what you will and will not do from the start, then everyone knows where they are. Most people draw the line at letting the students use the phone - especially if their family is in China."

In the past 18 years there have only been two students she has asked to leave. One was down to a simple clash of personalities, while the other started using drugs.

"In both cases the college and the students' families supported my decision," she said. "Everyone else has been wonderful, a real joy to have around. If you ask me, that's a pretty good track record."

If you are looking for a way to make a fast buck, this is not it. But if you have a spare room and a bit of spare time to spend with a young person living away from home for the first time - often thousands of miles away - you could be the sort of person York College is looking for.

"You feel responsible because you are, in effect, taking over the role of parent during term time," said Carole. "But you get back as much as you give. I have learned such a lot from my students over the years. I think I probably now know everything there is to know about South Korea - and Skipton."

Finding room for a student lodger

Do you have room in your home and your life for a student?

York College is expecting a large number of international and home students in September looking for accommodation with meals provided or on a self-catering basis.

In return for a reasonable rent (£220 a month for self-catering), you would have to provide a spare room with a bed, chest of drawers, wardrobe, desk and chair, use of a bathroom and a clean and welcoming environment.

The most important thing to remember is that student accommodation is very flexible: what you offer is up to you. Placements can be long or short term, they can involve catering or be self-catering, and they can be offered to foreign or local students.

For more information, call Carrie Avetoom or Ulricke Casterton in the accommodation office at York College on 01904 770401 or 770436.

Updated: 10:46 Tuesday, July 08, 2003