GUARDIANSHIP
Guardianship is not a legal requirement but is often required by each school for any child under the age of 16 in the UK. Boarding schools will look after their students during term time, while the child is on-site, under their care. However, during exeat weekends, half terms, or end of term holidays, the School will pass over responsibility to the child's educational guardian.
Our Lead Guardian and their team will always be on hand in case of an emergency. In addition, because we value excellence in pastoral care, we have a network of Area Parents, who are spread around the country to ensure that there is someone close to your child at all times. This helps you to feel comfortable knowing that your child will always have someone to call, should any emergencies arise.
APPOINTING BELGRAVIA GUARDIANS
Belgravia can do as much or as little as you would like. Almost all schools require their non-UK based students to have a guardianship company on board, even if there are close family living nearby.
However, many of our children prefer us to help not just with the legalities of studying abroad, but with the practicalities and logistics. This could be anything from ordering amenities for your child's arrival, to meeting them at the airport when they land in the UK, to helping them buy school uniform or sports equipment.
The duties of guardians are many and varied. The simplest way is to say a guardian will do anything for your son or daughter which you as parents would do, and as you will be thousands of miles away, it is necessary to appoint a responsible guardian to act on your behalf. The choice of educational guardian is crucial.
If you aren't sure what to go for, please just speak to a member of our Hong Kong team and we will be able to assist you and explain what's included in each package.
"They have always tried their best to provide swift assistance and the best solutions whenever we are in need, especially in these tough and uncertain times. Overall, it has been a pleasure having Belgravia as my son’s guardian, thank you all for your help and support."
- Kelly Li (Parent)
OUR PACKAGES
All of our guardians and host families have extensive hosting experience. Many have children of their own, or a background in pastoral care and residential provision for oversees students. At Belgravia, we welcome you and your child into our family and wider network of expertise.
Contact us to find out which of our guardianship packages would best suit you and your child.
Every student is unique, and every situation is different, so we have options to suit everyone. We support enrolment throughout the academic year though many join us in June and summer months before starting in September.
Our guardianship services offer value for any family and we invest our time into making sure that this is the case. Our approach is based on research and listening to the students that we look after to ensure that their experience is the best it can be.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT EDUCATIONAL GUARDIANS
Finding a suitable and reliable educational guardian is an important decision for parents sending their children to UK boarding schools. Unlike schools, there is no league table or indication that a school guardianship provider is suitable for your child. The only guarantee is to choose a student guardian who is accredited by the Association & Education of International Students (AEGIS) as there is no law that states who can and can’t look after children studying in the UK.
AEGIS is an independent organisation inspecting and accrediting reputable guardianship organisations throughout the UK. To belong to this body and qualify as educational guardians, Belgravia underwent a rigorous inspection by Government qualified inspectors, who looked at all aspects of our work, to ensure honesty, safety and integrity. AEGIS monitors our activity, and we must submit an annual re-assessment. Our staff are also trained in Safeguarding and Child Protection and have Disclosure and Barring (DBS) Certificates. These are certificates that disclose any criminal convictions.
Our Area Parents look after the students, schools and host families within their area and this ensures local and immediate support. Each area has a selection of DBS-checked host families that can be used for holidays by boarding school students or long-term by our day students. Having a local guardian will give you peace of mind that your child is being cared for appropriately.