FAQs – What you need to know about guardianship

Here at Academic Families, we understand that guardianship can be a new concept for many of our parents. Families often ask us, "Why do we need a guardian? We are the parents. Can't the school just contact us?"

However, every boarder whose home is overseas or whose parents currently live or are posted abroad must have a nominated guardian for the duration of their stay at boarding school in the UK.

In the event of an emergency, the guardian will be the first point of contact. Parents will, of course, also be contacted, but the guardian will act in their absence with delegated parental responsibility.

Academic Families gives your child the same care and attention that we would want for our own family. Find useful information about what Academic Families will do as your child's guardian below.

What is a guardian?

The guardian should be an adult or company such as Academic Families who takes responsibility for the student and represents the parents in their absence. Guardianship support includes student services such as appointing host families, handling travel arrangements, coordinating academic support, resolving emergencies and more. Guardians must live in the UK.

What is the difference between the guardian and the host family?

Academic Families is your guardian and we take care of matching your child with the best host family, plus all travel and police disclosures and a number of other services.

The host family is the family that your child stays with during holidays or term breaks.

We like to compare ourselves to the parent and the host family are the grandparents who can enjoy the children!

How much are the guardianship fees?

We have a range of packages starting from £432 per term for our Emergency Package through to £1095 per term for our Premium Package, which is a bespoke service including interpretation and translation support.

How can I pay for the guardianship fees?

Payments can be made through Flywire, which allows you to pay in your local currency and by your preferred payment method (such as a credit card or debit card). The Flywire online system guides you through each step of the entire payment process and offers support in many languages.

Can you provide my child with pocket money if they require it?

Yes. Once you sign up with Academic Families we will hold a Student Expense Account (SEA) and from this we can give your children pocket money, pay for taxis, meals out, etc. At the end of the guardianship, the remaining balance will be credited back to you.

If my child needs to visit the dentist can you assist with this?

Yes, we can take your child to the dentist and the orthodontist or other necessary appointments.

Will my child stay with the same host family each time?

We try our hardest to place a child with the same host family but on occasion, the host may be unavailable. In these cases, we will match the child with another one of our fabulous families.

Switching families is often beneficial, as it gives your child more exposure to different lifestyles, British accents and the chance to make even more new friends.

What if my child doesn't like the host family?

We pride ourselves on our host matching and take a lot of time getting to know your child, however, if there is an occasion that your child is not happy we will find an alternative host family.

How does my child get to their host family?

Our fleet of drivers will happily transfer your child from school to their host family and back again. All of our drivers are security screened and police checked.

Can you help my child through the airport?

We have a fantastic Airport Assistance service which is very popular with our younger children. Our chaperone will meet your child at the plane door, escort them through the airport (Passport Control, changing terminals and shops) and then take them to the gate for their connecting flight.

Can you represent me at Parent Meetings?

We are here to support your child academically every step of the way. We have a team of experienced staff members who can attend the meetings and write up a report for you as well as share any concerns you may have about your child's progress with the appropriate school staff.

I want my child to attend University Open Days - can you help?

Attending university in the UK is an exciting decision. Academic Families is delighted to help your child plan which college and university open days and talks they would like to attend as well as accompany them.