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Guardianship in the UK: What International School Leaders Need to Know
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Ben Dolbear
Director at Radius (previously international school leader)
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6 min read
July 2025
Introduction
When advising students on studying abroad in the UK, international school leaders rightly focus on the essentials: the academic programme, the right school, and secure living arrangements. But there’s another layer of support that is often overlooked, and that’s Educational Guardianship. While boarding schools and home stays tend to provide an excellent environment for students to develop, with high standards of pastoral and welfare support, they are not a substitute for parental presence or strategic welfare oversight. That’s where educational guardianship becomes vital, especially for students navigating life in a new country, often far from home, family, and familiar systems of support.
Understanding the Terminology: A Common Source of Confusion
Legal Guardian
This refers to someone who has formal legal responsibility for a child. Formal legal responsibility almost always lies with parents but orphaned children or those in the care of the authorities might have a legal guardian appointed by the courts.
Nominated Guardian (UKVI Terminology)
The UK’s Visa and Immigration (UKVI) framework uses the term ‘Nominated Guardian’ in relation to those coming to the UK on a ‘Child Student’ visa, but it is not a UKVI requirement to have a ‘Nominated Guardian’. UKVI describes a ‘Nominated Guardian’ as:‘
Someone who cares for a child outside of term-time for less than 28 days and/or is the school’s emergency contact in the UK for the child. They must be aged 18 years old or over and appointed by the Child Student’s parent, legal guardian, or school.’
It is important to note:
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There is no legal requirement for a UKVI ‘Nominated Guardian’ for many international students who are living at school throughout term-time and are going straight home to their family during all school holidays.
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However, many schools nevertheless make ‘guardianship’ a condition of enrolment for all international students, and so it is a contractual requirement with the school rather than a legal requirement from UKVI. Schools use a variety of terms: Guardian, Educational Guardian, Nominated Guardian and they always have more stringent requirements than those described above from UKVI.
The Nominated Guardian could be a UK-based relative that the student stays with at weekends or holidays when not living at school or with a homestay, or it could be a professional Educational Guardian.
Educational Guardian (terminology used in UK boarding school regulations)
In general terms, an Educational Guardian supports a child's welfare and educational journey whilst in the UK, providing a parental role in the absence of a parent close by. The Educational Guardian tends not to live with the student, but they offer pastoral, academic, and logistical support as needed. Very often, Educational Guardianship is provided by a Guardianship Organisation. These organisations vary in size and focus. They tend to allocate a named person (Guardian) to a student and will organise accommodation outside of term time if and when it is needed.
Boarding school regulations (standard 22) refer to ‘Educational Guardians’, making it clear that where guardians are appointed, schools must ensure that the guardianship arrangement is suitable. This can be somewhat confusing, as in this context, an Educational Guardian could be an individual person (for example, a family friend) who the student may reside with outside of term time, or it could be a professional assigned to a student by a Guardianship Organisation.
Boarding schools often insist on ‘a guardian’. Schools generally require the guardian to be over 25, not a student, and to be living in their own home. Schools will check the suitability of the proposed living arrangements and the suitability of the adults living there. It can surprise international parents that the schools cannot simply take on trust the arrangements that parents might make for guardianship.
A professional Educational Guardian (usually a person appointed by a Guardianship Organisation) fulfils all requirements both for a UKVI Nominated Guardian and a school’s conditions for suitable ‘guardianship’.
Even where a student is not boarding and instead has independent living arrangements, they will benefit from, and their school may require, an Educational Guardian.
The professional Educational Guardian role ranges from emergency back-up to a proactive, ongoing relationship that supports the student’s wider development and wellbeing.
The Value of an Educational Guardian (EG)
The role of an EG can vary depending on the student's age, living situation, and the level of service agreed upon. Broadly, the spectrum includes:
Basic EG Guardianship
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Acts as an emergency contact
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Arranges homestays or alternative accommodation if the student is suspended, unwell, or needs to leave boarding during a school break
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Communicates with the school in a crisis
Enhanced EG Support
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Regular communication and welfare check-ins
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Attendance at parent-teacher meetings and academic reviews
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Transport arrangements and holiday planning
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Advice and guidance to help the student adjust socially, emotionally, and culturally
For families unable to be physically present, an Educational Guardian becomes their eyes, ears, and voice on the ground - helping the student thrive both academically and personally.
International Students Aged 16 and Over: Do They Really Need Guardianship?
There’s often an assumption that once a student turns 16, they’re mature enough to live and study independently, or that only a minimal level of support is needed. But developmental research suggests otherwise.
At this age, the brain is still maturing, and students are often facing their most high-stakes academic years - GCSEs, A-levels, IB, university preparation, university study. Decision-making, executive functioning, and emotional regulation are still developing.
Consequently, at this age, students benefit enormously from structured, proactive guardianship that offers safeguarding, academic oversight, and pastoral support, without undermining their growing independence.
This is especially true for students not in boarding and students in their first year or on a Foundation course at university.
Radius Education and Welfare Services: Premium Professional Educational Guardianship for these Older International Students
At Radius Education and Welfare Services, we specialise in supporting international students aged 16+ who are living outside traditional boarding school environments, as well as those who are traditional boarding students.
We offer a premium, wrap-around educational guardianship service as standard, tailored to the individual needs of each student and their family. Our mission is to provide outstanding pastoral care, academic oversight, and safeguarding - all while empowering students to grow confidently in their independence.
What sets us apart?
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Experienced leadership: Founded and led by a former Deputy Headteacher of an international school in central London. The Founder is very experienced in safeguarding and inspection systems used by UK government regulatory agencies and chairs the safeguarding committee of a UK charity.
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Highly trained local guardians: Carefully selected for their integrity, empathy and experience. Each receives thorough induction and ongoing training.
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Comprehensive service: Weekly check-ins, monthly in-person welfare visits, academic monitoring, emergency support, and parental peace of mind.
If you’re advising families preparing to send a student to the UK, don’t leave guardianship to chance. The right support can make all the difference.
To learn more about Radius and how we support students and schools, visit https://www.radius-ews.com/ or contact us directly info@radius-ews.com
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