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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 Dean Close St John's
Nominated Guardian for Dean Close St John's. Boarding school guardianship for international students.
Are you looking for a Nominated Guardian for Dean Close St John's? 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 Dean Close St John's 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 Dean Close St John's 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 Dean Close St John's, 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 Dean Close St John's, from choosing the right year of entry through to an offer and enrolment, with Child Student visa guidance and guardianship arranged alongside.
Learn More →Dean Close St John's Overview
Dean Close St John's is an independent, co-educational day and boarding prep school for children aged 3 to 13 at Tutshill, Gloucestershire, on the English bank of the River Wye overlooking Chepstow Castle. With around 130 pupils, it has been part of the Dean Close Foundation since 2015, and most pupils move on at 13 to Dean Close School in Cheltenham.
The school is organised into a Pre-Prep for ages 3 to 7, a Preparatory section for ages 7 to 11 and a Senior Prep for ages 11 to 13, where pupils are prepared for the move to senior school. It runs its own minibus routes and is registered for the Continuity of Education Allowance, so it is used by military families.
Boarding at Dean Close St John's
Boarding is available from Year 3, at age 7. Families can choose full-time boarding, part-time boarding on one to four set nights a week booked for the term, or occasional nights at short notice. The boarding community is small, with fewer than 20 places, and most boarders stay on a flexible basis. The boarding house is open seven days a week during term, closing only for exeat weekends and school holidays.
Boarding Houses and Accommodation
Boarders live in one boarding house with its own outdoor spaces and a games room. Resident Houseparents live on site with their family, supported by graduate assistants who stay in the boarding house flat when on duty, so care is provided around the clock. Room allocation is confirmed by the school on entry.
Boarding Life
Evenings follow a relaxed routine of clubs and activities, homework time, dinner and evening events such as games and film nights, and devices are not allowed in bedrooms. Selected Friday evenings and weekends bring special activities, from sport and outdoor adventures to creative workshops and seasonal events.
Academic and Pastoral Support
Two full-time specialist teachers in the SEN department provide one-to-one and small-group sessions, including support for dyslexia, and the Good Schools Guide lists provision for needs including autism, moderate learning difficulties, speech and language needs and social, emotional and mental health needs. EAL lessons are available for pupils who need help with English.
Every international boarder at Dean Close St John's must have a UK guardian. British Guardianship provides AEGIS accredited boarding school guardianship for international students at UK boarding schools.
Facilities & Activities at Dean Close St John's
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 Dean Close St John's website.
Information for International Students and Parents
Dean Close St John's accepts international boarders from Year 3, so pupils can join between the ages of 7 and 13. Most international students start in September, and entry in other year groups is considered individually. Because most pupils continue to Dean Close School at 13, international families have a route from prep school through to the Sixth Form within the same foundation. British Guardianship supports international families through every stage of the application with our boarding school admissions service.
English Language Requirements
A reasonable level of English is expected so that pupils can follow the curriculum, although a few join with no English at all. These pupils receive intensive English as a Foreign Language lessons during their first couple of years, and EAL lessons continue where needed, including after the move to Dean Close School. No IELTS or CEFR minimum is published, and British Guardianship confirms the level required for each year of entry during placement.
Child Student Visa
Dean Close St John's sponsors Child Student visas through the Dean Close Foundation, a licensed Child Student sponsor on the UKVI register. 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
Every international pupil must have a guardian based in the UK, who is the school's point of contact and arranges accommodation during exeat weekends and holidays, when the boarding house is closed. The school can suggest guardianship agencies but does not arrange guardianship itself.
British Guardianship is AEGIS accredited and a BSA Certified Guardian, and can act as the nominated UK guardian for Dean Close St John's 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 Dean Close St John's, 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 Dean Close St John's'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 Dean Close St John's, 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 Dean Close St John's 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. Dean Close St John's 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 Dean Close St John's, 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 Dean Close St John's 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 Dean Close St John's. 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. ASD: autism spectrum disorder affects how a student communicates, interacts with others and experiences the world around them. SEMH: social, emotional and mental health needs include anxiety, low mood and difficulty managing emotions or behaviour. MLD: moderate learning difficulties mean a student finds most areas of learning harder than their peers and benefits from adapted teaching and additional support. SLCN: speech, language and communication needs affect how a student understands language, expresses themselves or communicates with others.
