Introduction to guardianship in UK schooling

'Guardianship arrangements are an important part of preparation for international students entering into UK schools. There is a wide range of support offered by various organisations to help you find an arrangement that is suitable for your child.'

One of the concerns for parents sending a child abroad to study is that they will not be present to care for them. It is therefore necessary to find a suitable alternative; this may be as easy as putting them into the care of a local relative, or it may take longer to find a suitable guardian, or 'homestay' family.

Schools that are members of the Independent Schools Council (ISC) require an international student to have a UK-based guardian, for care on weekends out of school and any holiday breaks for which the student may not be able to travel home.

There are many guardian families, of various ages, with or without children, in the country or in the city. It is often possible to put forward a request for certain criteria to be met - perhaps the number or age of other children in the family or the religion of the family - so that a child is as happy as possible for the time they need to be with a homestay family. The guardian parents are usually very close to the school and are therefore available to attend school functions, parents' evenings and generally support the pupil's performance.

Guardianship can, however, be difficult for parents living outside the UK to organise, so there are several organisations that can help. A good starting point would be to visit the website for AEGIS, the Association for the Education and Guardianship of International Students, which rings together schools and guardianship organisations to promote the welfare of international students.