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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 CATS Cambridge
Nominated Guardian for CATS Cambridge. Boarding school guardianship for international students.
Are you looking for a Nominated Guardian for CATS Cambridge? 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 CATS Cambridge 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 CATS Cambridge 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 CATS Cambridge, 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 CATS Cambridge, from choosing the right year of entry through to an offer and enrolment, with Child Student visa guidance and guardianship arranged alongside.
Learn More →CATS Cambridge Overview
CATS Cambridge is an independent, co-educational international boarding school for students aged 14 and over, based on a single campus at Chesterton in central Cambridge, within walking distance of the city centre. The school is part of CATS Global Schools, an international group of independent schools.
Students can take a two-year GCSE programme from age 14, a Pre-A Level programme, two-year A Levels or a University Foundation Programme, with average classes of around 11. Oxbridge and Medics programmes support applicants to competitive courses, and the UK High School Term offers one to three terms of British schooling.
Boarding at CATS Cambridge
CATS Cambridge offers full boarding for international students; current boarder numbers are available on request. All boarding accommodation is on the school campus, alongside outdoor sports areas, a canteen and laundry rooms.
Boarding Houses and Accommodation
Boarders aged 14 to 17 live in Elizabeth House, a purpose-built residence attached to the main school building, where every student has a single en suite bedroom and meals are fully catered. Darwin House, less than 50 metres from the teaching building, has 99 en suite rooms for up to 125 students aged 16 and over and is reserved for continuing students. Both houses have common rooms, and premium rooms with more space are available. Live-in House Parents look after welfare, Elizabeth House has a House Parent awake through the night and 24-hour security, and Darwin House is supervised around the clock.
Boarding Life
Evenings include supervised study time, and the school runs a weekend programme of activities and trips for boarders. Students are encouraged to join clubs and societies, compete in house events such as Sports Day and Mastermind, and contribute through a student council with committees for events, sustainability and wellbeing.
Academic and Pastoral Support
Each student belongs to a tutor group of around 15 and sees a Personal Tutor every day, who monitors attendance, progress and wellbeing and guides university applications. Extra subject support can be arranged outside lessons, and teachers watch for learning difficulties so that additional help can be put in place. An on-site health centre, a trained counsellor and a welfare team support physical and emotional health.
International boarders at CATS Cambridge are generally expected to have a UK guardian. British Guardianship provides AEGIS accredited boarding school guardianship for international students at UK boarding schools.
Facilities & Activities at CATS Cambridge
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 CATS Cambridge website.
Information for International Students and Parents
CATS Cambridge welcomes international students from age 14 into the GCSE programme, from 15 and a half into A Levels, and into the Pre-A Level and University Foundation programmes. Courses start in September or January, with A Level applications accepted on a rolling basis between those dates, and students aged 13 are occasionally considered for GCSE entry. The UK High School Term also lets students spend one, two or three terms in Pre-A Level or A Level classes matched to their age and English level, with a report for their home school. British Guardianship supports international families through every stage of the application with our boarding school admissions service.
English Language Requirements
CATS Cambridge publishes minimum English levels for each programme, expressed as IELTS scores or equivalent:
- GCSE (age 14 and over): IELTS 3.5
- Pre-A Level: IELTS 4.0
- A Level (age 15.5 and over): IELTS 4.5
- University Foundation Programme: IELTS 4.5
School life is conducted entirely in English, giving students daily immersion in the language, and offers may be conditional on meeting the required English level.
Child Student Visa
Students coming to the UK from overseas will usually need a Child Student visa. CATS Cambridge is a licensed Child Student sponsor on the UKVI register through Cambridge Arts and Sciences, part of CATS Global Schools, and issues a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies once offer conditions are met, 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
UK boarding schools generally require international boarders under 18 to have a UK guardian, and British Guardianship confirms each school's specific requirements as part of placement.
British Guardianship is AEGIS accredited and a BSA Certified Guardian, and can act as the nominated UK guardian for CATS Cambridge boarders. Our boarding school guardianship service covers regular contact with the school, travel coordination and 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 CATS Cambridge, 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 CATS Cambridge'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 CATS Cambridge, 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 CATS Cambridge 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. CATS Cambridge 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 CATS Cambridge, 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 CATS Cambridge 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 CATS Cambridge. School information is provided as a general guide and may change.
