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Your local coordinator visits your child, attends parents' evenings on your behalf and stays in touch throughout your guardianship programme.
British Guardianship at Chetham's School of Music
Nominated Guardian for Chetham's School of Music. Boarding school guardianship for international students.
Are you looking for a Nominated Guardian for Chetham's School of Music? 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 Chetham's School of Music 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 Chetham's School of Music 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 Chetham's School of Music, 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 Chetham's School of Music, from choosing the right year of entry through to an offer and enrolment, with Child Student visa guidance and guardianship arranged alongside.
Learn More →Chetham's School of Music Overview
Chetham's School of Music is an independent, co-educational specialist music school for day pupils and boarders aged 8 to 18 in central Manchester, beside Manchester Cathedral and close to Victoria station. It traces its roots to a charity school founded by Humphrey Chetham in 1653 and became a co-educational music school in 1969. Its 300 or so pupils are admitted on musical ability and potential alone.
Pupils spend around three hours a day on music, including individual lessons, ensembles, aural, composition and supported practice, alongside the full academic curriculum: seven or eight GCSE subjects in Years 9 to 11 and up to four A Levels in the Sixth Form. The school also educates the choristers of Manchester Cathedral.
Boarding at Chetham's School of Music
Around two thirds of pupils board, and about one in ten students and staff come from overseas, with more than 40 languages spoken. Boarders stay in school through the week and on most weekends, when Saturday mornings are given to music, and roughly every third weekend is a free weekend when boarders leave school.
Boarding Houses and Accommodation
Boys and girls aged 8 to 12 live in Victoria House, where six house staff look after around 30 pupils and Sixth Form buddies keep an eye on the juniors. Pupils from Year 9 to Year 13 board in New College House or Millgate House, with at least three staff on duty each evening. House parents provide care around the clock, and the medical centre has on-site nurses.
Boarding Life
Evenings combine homework and practice with activities. Junior boarders can choose swimming, gym, fencing, dance or trampolining, a nightly house activity and Scouts, and boarders across the school join outdoor adventures, sports games, film nights and baking evenings, with weekend outings into Manchester.
Academic and Pastoral Support
The Compensatory Education department supports pupils with special educational needs and disabilities and those learning English as an additional language, in small groups or individually. Each pupil has a personal tutor alongside house staff, and wellbeing provision includes an on-site gym and instrument-specific physical training plans.
Every international boarder at Chetham's School of Music must have a UK guardian. British Guardianship provides AEGIS accredited boarding school guardianship for international students at UK boarding schools.
Facilities & Activities at Chetham's School of Music
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 Chetham's School of Music website.
Information for International Students and Parents
Chetham's School of Music accepts international pupils from age 8. Juniors join the Lower School (Years 4 to 8), Middle School entry is in Years 9 and 10, and Sixth Form entry is in Year 12; entry into Year 11 or Year 13 is not normally possible. Places are offered on musical audition, most students start in September, and overseas students are not eligible for the government's Music and Dance Scheme. British Guardianship supports international families through every stage of the application with our boarding school admissions service.
English Language Requirements
The school expects a very good standard of English before entry, particularly for Sixth Form study, and Child Student visa applicants must show English at CEFR level B1 or above. The Compensatory Education team provides EAL support in small groups or individually. Students need an IELTS qualification to progress to conservatoires and universities, and the school offers IELTS preparation, with one-to-one IELTS tuition available at extra cost.
Child Student Visa
Pupils up to 15, and those aged 16 or 17 mainly studying GCSEs, need a Child Student visa, while A Level students aged 16 or 17 can use the Child Student or Student route. Chetham's School of Music is a licensed sponsor on the UKVI register and issues a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies to eligible students, 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
Chetham's requires a UK guardian for every pupil whose parents live or work outside the UK. The guardian must live within two hours' drive of Manchester, and the school recommends either a close family member or a certified guardian from an accredited agency. A guardian is especially important on free weekends and during half terms, when boarders leave school.
British Guardianship is AEGIS accredited and a BSA Certified Guardian, and can act as the nominated UK guardian for Chetham's School of Music 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.
To discuss UK guardianship for Chetham's School of Music, 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 Chetham's School of Music'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 Chetham's School of Music, 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 Chetham's School of Music 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. Chetham's School of Music 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 Chetham's School of Music, 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 Chetham's School of Music 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 Chetham's School of Music. School information is provided as a general guide and may change.
