Frequently Asked Questions

We work with families in over 40 countries to ensure children are safe, happy and successful during their time at a UK boarding school. There's no question we can't answer! Browse through some of the most popular ones we hear below.

FAQs for Parents

Finding a boarding school in the UK

When should I start looking for a school?

Can you help my child with preparation for their school interview?

What exams will my child need to take?

How do we know which school is going to be best for my child?

When we start looking for a school for your child, we take lots of factors into account. These usually include things like location, size, cost, extracurricular activities, and school specialisms. You might also have preferences regarding the boarding houses, pastoral care and additional learning support. These are some additional things to keep in mind when choosing your UK boarding school.

Our first step is to get to know you and your child. By fully understanding your preferences, we can provide a shortlist of schools that suit your wants and needs. We work with over 450 schools across the UK, so we really do have the perfect school for everyone!

An introduction to guardianship

O que é um Guardian?

Aqui na Academic Families, entendemos que a Guardianship (tutela) pode ser um conceito novo para muitos de nossos pais. As famílias frequentemente nos perguntam: “Por que precisamos de um Guardian? Nós somos os pais. A escola não pode simplesmente entrar em contato conosco?”

No entanto, todos os alunos cuja residência seja no exterior ou cujos pais atualmente morem ou estejam trabalhando no exterior devem ter um Guardian designado durante toda a sua estadia em um colégio na Inglaterra, Escócia, País de Gales ou Irlanda do Norte.

Esse Guardian deve ser residente no Reino Unido. Um Guardian é um adulto ou empresa (como a Academic Families) que se responsabiliza pelo aluno e representa os pais na sua ausência enquanto o aluno está matriculado num colégio no Reino Unido. Em caso de emergência, o tutor será o primeiro ponto de contacto. Os pais também serão contactados, mas o tutor agirá na sua ausência com a responsabilidade parental delegada.

Qual é a diferença entre um Guardian e uma família anfitriã?

A Academic Families é o Guardian do seu filho(a), e nós nos encarregamos de encontrar a melhor família anfitriã para ele, além de cuidar de todas as informações policiais e de viagem, entre outros serviços.

A família anfitriã é a família com a qual seu filho(a) fica durante as férias ou intervalos escolares.

Você pode pensar na Academic Families como pais que cuidam de todas as responsabilidades, e as famílias anfitriãs como avós que aproveitam a companhia das crianças!

Meus amigos ou familiares podem servir como Guardians do meu filho(a)?

Apesar de ser recomendável ter um Guardian profissional, como a Academic Families, compreendemos que você possa optar por contar com familiares ou amigos, caso eles morem perto do internato do seu filho(a).

Isso é possível, mas, para garantir a conformidade com as regras do UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) para vistos de estudante e para fins de proteção, o seu representante terá que passar pelo nosso Serviço de Verificação de Amigos e Familiares.

Como é que funciona?

Mesmo que o seu amigo ou familiar atue como Guardian, terá de nomear uma empresa profissional - como a Academic Families - no pedido de visto de estudante do seu filho(a).

É importante iniciar esse processo com antecedência, pois há vários formulários a serem preenchidos e a Academic Families pode levar de duas a três semanas para realizar nossas verificações.

Você também deve informar seu familiar ou amigo sobre o processo, para que ele saiba o que esperar e se sinta à vontade para interagir conosco.

Preencha o formulário de autorização para começar >

Garantindo que seu amigo ou familiar atenda aos requisitos

Ao escolher alguém para cuidar de seu filho(a), verifique se essa pessoa atende aos requisitos legais estabelecidos pelo governo do Reino Unido:

Ela deve ser cidadã britânica ou ter status de residente permanente no Reino Unido.
O cuidador pretendido deve ter pelo menos 18 anos, embora muitas escolas insistam que ele tenha mais de 25 anos.
A acomodação deve ser uma residência particular.
As condições de moradia devem ser adequadas e passar por verificações de segurança.
Todos os membros da família não devem ter cometido um “crime relevante”, conforme referido nas regras de imigração para estudantes menores de idade.

Qual é o próximo passo?

A Academic Families realizará uma verificação do Serviço de Divulgação e Barramento (DBS) em todos os membros da família com mais de 16 anos.

Também visitaremos a casa para uma entrevista pessoal, verificação de identidade, verificações de segurança e inspeção.

Observe que, para cumprir os requisitos de visto, as verificações e inspeções do DBS devem ser concluídas antes da emissão da Carta de Compromisso que acompanha o pedido de visto do seu filho.

Se seu amigo ou familiar for aprovado no processo de verificação, ele terá acesso total ao nosso serviço de emergência 24 horas por dia, 7 dias por semana, por telefone, WhatsApp e e-mail. Ofereceremos todo o nosso apoio de Guardianship (tutela) se os planos dele mudarem e seu filho precisar alterar seus planos de viagem ou acomodação.

Se o seu indicado não for aprovado em nossas verificações, você poderá indicar a Academic Families como seu Guardian oficial e completo, e nós cuidaremos de todas as necessidades do seu filho(a).

Confira todos os nossos serviços >

Qual é o valor das tarifas de Guardianship (tutela)?

Como posso pagar as tarifas de Guardianship (tutela)?

Quais certificações um Guardian deve ter?

Você só deve usar um Guardian credenciado pela Associação para a Educação e Tutela de Estudantes Internacionais (AEGIS), que inspeciona e certifica rigorosamente as organizações de Guardianship (tutela) em todo o Reino Unido.

Aqui na Academic Families, somos reconhecidos pela AEGIS, pelo British Council, pela Associação de Internatos, pela English UK e pela Youth Mental Health England pelo nosso profissionalismo e experiência.

Saiba mais sobre todas as nossas acreditações e marcas de qualidade.

Guardianship services

Can you help my child through the airport?

What if my child is not performing well or adjusting to UK boarding school life?

We understand that starting school in the UK is a big adjustment. Our team of Guardianship Care Managers are based throughout the UK so that they can meet new students at the start of term and be on hand to solve any issues. We have excellent relationships with the schools we work with and regularly liaise with school staff to come up with solutions for students who may be struggling. We find that students take the first term to fully settle in, but we are here on the ground to support your child all year round.

Can you represent me at Parent Meetings?

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

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

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

Academic Families are delighted to help your child plan which open days and talks they would like to attend. We can also easily accompany them on visits. Given that we are located here in the UK, we have a strong network of British universities and can also advise on which ones might be the best match for your child.

As well as guardianship, we provide admissions services for international students who want to attend UK universities. Please contact us to find out more about our university services.

What is the relationship between Academic Families and English Country Guardians?

In 2024, Academic Families acquired English Country Guardians (ECG), a highly regarded British guardianship company based in the South of England. Both organisations are united by shared values and a student-centred approach, dedicated to providing personalised and high-quality care for international students attending UK boarding schools.

ECG's team has extensive experience supporting students applying to Oxford and Cambridge, with many staff and their children having attended these prestigious universities. If your child aspires to go to Oxbridge, they can benefit from this specialised guidance.

All Academic Families and English Country Guardians students benefit from a wider selection of host families across the UK, providing more opportunities for cultural exchange and travel. From the Scottish Highlands to the South of England, from cities to the countryside, there are new exciting adventures for your child to have while they're here. Academic Families will continue to manage the host-student matching and look forward to fostering new relationships between host families and students.

Read the full story of the acquisition here.

Having a host family in the UK

My child has allergies. Do you take this into account when matching children with host families?

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

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

How does my child get to their host family and back to the school?

FAQs for Host Families

An introduction to hosting

What does a host family do?

As a host, you’ll play an important role in helping our international students feel at home when they are not at school. Academic Families have delegated parental responsibility and take care of all the arrangements (such as transport or going to parent meetings), so our hosts are free to enjoy spending time with the student.

The idea of hosting is to welcome the student into your family life, and to enjoy learning from each other. Find out more about what to expect when becoming a host family...

What are the benefits of hosting an international student?

By hosting an international student, you’ll be opening up a whole world of opportunities where everyone involved can learn something new.

Hosting is a great way to introduce a different international perspective to your home as well as form valuable relationships – many of our students stay in touch with their host families years after they have left the UK.

For families with children, it’s an excellent way to develop your children’s social skills.

Learn more about the benefits for you and the students you’ll host.

How do I become a host family?

The first step is to contact us through our host registration form or by calling our head office on +44 (0)131 331 3317. Once you have registered your interest, a member of our team will be in touch. We usually schedule a call so that we can get to know you a little better and to allow you to ask us any questions too.

If we are both happy to proceed after our call, we will arrange an informal house visit so that we can meet you and ensure that your home is suitable for hosting students.

We require all our hosts to be background checked, so following the house visit we will apply for a PVG or DBS on your behalf. Safeguarding is our priority, so we will also ask you to provide us with two contacts who can provide references for you.

Provided you have a clean background check, you’ll join our network of wonderful hosts from across the country. You’ll be asked to fill out some information to create your host profile, and then we’ll start the matching process to find you a student.

We work closely with our hosts throughout the application process, so if you have questions at any point, we’re always here to provide support.

How often will I host my student?

All of our students are boarding pupils so most of their time is spent at school. Our hosts usually welcome students during exeat weekends – these are occasional weekends where Boarding Schools close. There are generally around 5 exeat weekends per year which take place at the end of September, November, January, March, and possibly in May.

Some hosts also like to have students stay during half term holidays throughout the year. These normally take place in October and February.

Sometimes you might be asked to host your student before or after their home flight. Most foreign students return home over Christmas, Easter and summer breaks.

Each student's situation and travel plans are different, so you might host a student for only one weekend a year, or you could play host once every 2 months.

Important information about hosting international students

Where do international students in the UK come from?

How many meals do I need to provide for my international student?

Will I be paid for being a host?

What if I go away on holiday or am unavailable?

Will I always host the same student?

Finding a good match for both hosts and students is a priority for us, and we will always try our hardest to send hosts the same student to allow you both to form a long-lasting, positive relationship. If a child’s original host family is unavailable, you might have the chance to host a new student, thereby introducing them to your neighbourhood and local community. Likewise, if you can’t host your student, he or she will be matched with another one of our friendly families.

Will we need to have a background check?

How to be a great host

Will we receive any training to help us prepare to be a host family?

All hosts will take part in an online safeguarding course that takes approximately one hour. We also have a detailed handbook which all hosts will receive before they have any students to stay. The handbook covers everything you need to know about welcoming a student into your home.

If you have any concerns or worries about hosting, we are always at the end of the phone to answer any questions and provide support.

What do I do if the international student I’m hosting doesn’t seem to be settling in well?

Many students can take the first term to settle into their new life at Boarding School, however, if you have concerns, our team are always on hand to help so don’t hesitate to contact us.

Our years of experience mean that we’re well qualified to provide guidance to both you and your student. We are trained in providing support for mental and physical health issues, and we offer tutoring services too if they are struggling at school.

If you find that your student is still not settling in, get in touch and we can switch host families and students around until we find everyone’s perfect match.

What do we do if something goes wrong?

How can I be sure Academic Families is matching me to the right student?

We have over 10 years of experience of finding perfect matches. Before we pair any of our host families to a student, we take both parties into consideration. We will ask you about your interests, background and family life to gain a sense of you and your family. Our students also fill out a registration form and we know each student on a personal level, which helps with our matching process.

How much will I know about my international student before he or she arrives?

What kinds of things should I do with my international student as their host?

A great part of the hosting experience is getting to show off your local area. Students enjoy sightseeing and learning more about the UK whilst they are out of school. Getting out and about in nature, baking or cooking, going to the cinema and playing sports are all popular activities for our students and their hosts. One host family even taught their student how to ride a bike! Have a look at our activity blog post which is full of activity ideas for hosts and students to do together.

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Whether you're a parent, student or future host family, get in touch with us today and we will contact you to discuss how we can help.