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Local Coordinator Close to your School
Your local coordinator visits your child, attends parents' evenings on your behalf and stays in touch throughout your guardianship programme.
British Guardianship at Bedford School
Nominated Guardian for Bedford School. Boarding school guardianship for international students.
Are you looking for a Nominated Guardian for Bedford School? UK boarding schools generally require international students under 18 to have an accredited UK guardian in place throughout their studies. British Guardianship provides a fully accredited boarding school guardianship service for Bedford School students, including a dedicated local coordinator, safe accommodation with vetted host families during half terms, exeats and holidays, attendance at parents' evenings on your behalf, and 24-hour emergency support.
Guardianship Fees
Our UK boarding school guardianship services for Bedford School start from £350 per term.
Dedicated Guardianship Manager
As soon as your application is received, a dedicated member of our guardianship team becomes your main contact, managing every aspect of your nominated guardian arrangements.
Local Vetted Host Family
We work with a network of vetted host families across the UK. For exeats and half terms, we aim to place your child with a local host family matched to your preferences, so weekends away from school feel settled and safe.
Our Services
UK Boarding School Guardianship
An accredited nominated guardian for international boarders at Bedford School, with a dedicated local coordinator, vetted host families for half terms, exeats and holidays, and 24-hour emergency support.
Learn More →Boarding School Placement
Our admissions team supports international families through the application to Bedford School, from choosing the right year of entry through to an offer and enrolment, with Child Student visa guidance and guardianship arranged alongside.
Learn More →Bedford School Overview
Bedford School is an independent day and boarding school in Bedford, Bedfordshire, educating around 1,100 pupils aged 7 to 18 across its Prep School, Upper School and Sixth Form. Founded in 1552, it is the oldest of the four independent schools in Bedford run by the Harpur Trust. Historically a boys' school, it is opening to girls in all year groups from September 2027.
After GCSEs and IGCSEs in the Upper School, Sixth Form students choose between the International Baccalaureate Diploma and A Levels, alongside BTEC courses. The school has a Church of England affiliation and welcomes pupils of all faiths and none.
Boarding at Bedford School
Around 250 pupils board, and the school community includes pupils of 27 nationalities. Full and weekly boarding are available from Year 5, and flexi and occasional boarding from Year 3, through to the end of the Sixth Form. Full boarders stay at school at weekends, while weekly boarders go home on Friday evening or after Saturday sport.
Boarding Houses and Accommodation
Prep boarders sleep in dormitories, cared for by Houseparents and a live-in tutor. The Upper School and Sixth Form have five boarding houses, Pemberley, Phillpotts, Redburn, Talbot's and Burnaby, each home to between 30 and 50 pupils, with Burnaby becoming the girls' boarding house from September 2027. Year 12 boarders usually share a double room, and Year 13 students may have a single or double study room. Each house is run by a Housemaster, tutors and a Matron.
Boarding Life
Upper School boarders have free time after lessons, then evening prep until 9pm before time to relax with friends. Saturdays are filled with sport, performances, rehearsals and trips, while Sundays are quieter. Houses organise outings such as paintballing, go-karting and trips to London, Cambridge and Thorpe Park, and Prep full boarders also have weekend trips and activities.
Academic and Pastoral Support
Pupils with specific learning difficulties have individual classroom strategies, and specialist teachers support them in supervised prep sessions. The EAL department teaches English for academic purposes, with an alternative English curriculum in Year 9 and IGCSE English as a Second Language in Years 10 and 11. A counselling service runs five days a week, and nurses staff the medical centre.
Every international boarder at Bedford School must have a UK guardian. British Guardianship provides AEGIS accredited boarding school guardianship for international students at UK boarding schools.
Facilities & Activities at Bedford School
Every accredited UK boarding school offers a range of sport, arts and academic facilities for international students, together with an extended programme of activities in the evenings and at weekends. For full details of the facilities and activities available, please visit the official Bedford School website.
Information for International Students and Parents
Bedford School accepts overseas applicants from age 7, with full boarding from Year 5, so international students can join at prep, Upper School or Sixth Form level. Students entering Year 11 follow a one-year intensive GCSE programme in preparation for the Sixth Form, and from September 2027 girls can join all year groups and board from Year 7. Most international students join in September; entry in other year groups is considered individually. British Guardianship supports international families through every stage of the application with our boarding school admissions service.
English Language Requirements
Applicants whose first language is not English take an EAL assessment, and the school reassesses each pupil on arrival using internationally recognised tests. Sixth Form applicants without an English language qualification need to show an upper-intermediate level, equivalent to CEFR B2, on the EAL admission test. Pupils may be asked to take additional EAL lessons where subject teachers judge it necessary, and the school offers IELTS tuition for university applications.
Child Student Visa
Students coming to the UK from overseas will usually need a Child Student visa. Bedford School is a licensed Child Student sponsor on the UKVI register and issues the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies once a place is accepted, while the visa application itself is submitted by parents. Our Child Student visa guide explains the requirements and process, and families holding a British National (Overseas) visa can contact us for guidance on the BN(O) route.
UK Guardian Requirement
Bedford School requires every overseas pupil to have a UK-based guardian. A relative can take on the role, but the guardian must be over 25, must not live in student accommodation and must hold a British passport or permanent UK residency. Where no suitable relative is available, the school expects a guardian accredited by AEGIS or the Boarding Schools' Association.
British Guardianship is AEGIS accredited and a BSA Certified Guardian, and can act as the nominated UK guardian for Bedford School boarders. Our boarding school guardianship service covers regular contact with the school, travel coordination and safe accommodation with vetted host families during half terms, exeats and holidays, giving parents a single, reliable educational guardian in the UK.
To discuss UK guardianship for Bedford School, book a free online consultation or apply for a nominated guardian.
Frequently Asked Questions
UK boarding schools generally require international students under 18 to have a UK-based guardian, and British Guardianship confirms Bedford School's specific requirements as part of your application. The guardian acts on behalf of parents in the UK, is the school's point of contact in an emergency and looks after the student whenever they cannot be at school. We provide this as an AEGIS accredited boarding school guardianship service.
Whenever your child cannot stay at Bedford School, for example during half terms, exeats or holidays when boarding houses close, they stay with one of our vetted host families. Every host family is visited in their home, provides professional and personal references and holds an Enhanced DBS check for all household members aged 16 and over. British Guardianship remains your child's educational guardian throughout every stay.
We have guardians available and ready to be assigned. The overall timeframe depends on how quickly the required paperwork is completed and communication with Bedford School is finalised. As every case is different, timelines can vary, but we aim to make the process as smooth and efficient as possible.
Boarding school guardianship is charged per term and starts from £350, with host family stays, travel arrangements and other services added as your child needs them. Full details are on our guardianship fees page.
A UK student guardian must be a responsible adult, usually aged 25 or over, who lives permanently in the UK, speaks fluent English and is close enough to the school to respond quickly in an emergency; many boarding schools set a maximum travel time. The guardian must be contactable 24 hours a day and hold an Enhanced DBS check where they or their household host the student. Bedford School may also ask for the guardian's details before the start of term and set additional requirements of its own. As an AEGIS accredited guardianship provider, British Guardianship meets these requirements on your behalf, with vetted guardians, Enhanced DBS checked host families and 24-hour emergency support.
Yes. Our boarding school admissions service supports international families through the application to Bedford School, from choosing the right year of entry through to an offer and enrolment, with Child Student visa guidance and guardianship arranged alongside.
Disclaimer: Logo, images and videos are shown courtesy of Bedford School and remain the property of their respective owners. British Guardianship is an independent AEGIS-accredited guardianship provider, and this page is not published or endorsed by Bedford School. School information is provided as a general guide and may change.
SEN Support Explained: SpLD: specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia, affect particular areas of learning such as reading, spelling, coordination or working with numbers, without affecting overall ability.
