Find a Guardian through Best Schools
Parents of boarding pupils who do not live in the UK (or regularly find themselves overseas) will usually need to appoint a legal guardian locally for their child(ren). If you need help in finding a trustworthy guardian close to your chosen school, please ask us for recommendations.
Just complete an enquiry form and specify that you would like to be introduced to some guardianship companies.
We will introduce you by email to a handful of trusted guardianship companies, with varying levels of service, style and fees. They will let you know the details of their service, and you can speak to them further to discuss suitability.
What is a Guardian?
A Guardian is an adult or company in the UK who is appointed by a parent to be their representative while their child studies here. There is no UK law that relates to international students at UK boarding schools. However, in order to satisfy Tier 4 Visa regulations, the majority of UK Boarding Schools and Colleges insist on guardianship for all their international students. Most UK Universities also ask that a UK-based guardian is appointed if a student is under the age of 18.
If you have trustworthy friends or family, you can ask them to agree to be your child's guardian. For those without sufficient support in the UK, the guardianship role is usually undertaken by a professional guardianship organisation who will arrange for safe transport to and from school and accommodation during school holidays as well as being there in an emergency situation on behalf of parents.
Guardianship Services
Guardians often perform the following services:
• Liaising with the school on academic or pastoral problems
• 24-hour emergency assistance
• Airport transfers and travel to and from host families
• Host family accommodation before or after terms and during school holidays or exeats
• Accompanying child to dentist, doctor or optician (if the school does not)
• Attending Parents Evenings and provide general support and mentorship, independent of the school
There are numerous guardianship companies with differing reputations and offering variable degrees of service levels and fees. We can introduce you to some trustworthy firms to discuss your requirements
How we can help?
Best-schools.co.uk will put you in touch with some guardianship companies operating in the area near your target school. These are all independent, experienced firms and they are not owned by us. Each will provide different levels of service and suit different budgets. They will contact you immediately to explain their services and terms. There is no obligation on you until you decide to retain their services.