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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 Dover College
Nominated Guardian for Dover College. Boarding school guardianship for international students.
Are you looking for a Nominated Guardian for Dover College? 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 Dover College 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 Dover College 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 Dover College, 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 Dover College, from choosing the right year of entry through to an offer and enrolment, with Child Student visa guidance and guardianship arranged alongside.
Learn More →Student Exchange Programme
Dover College accepts students for short-term boarding. Our exchange programme and short stay guardianship let students experience British boarding before committing to a full placement.
Learn More →Dover College Overview
Dover College is an independent, co-educational day and boarding school in Dover, Kent, for pupils aged 3 to 18, with its Nursery, Prep School, Senior School and Sixth Form on one site. Founded in 1871 on the grounds of the 12th-century Benedictine Priory of St Martin, the college has a Church of England affiliation and is non-selective.
Boarding begins in Year 7. Boarders follow the same timetable as day pupils, taking GCSEs and then A Levels, BTECs or a mix of the two in the Sixth Form, where the Extended Project Qualification is also offered. The college's International Department dates back to 1957.
Boarding at Dover College
Around a third of pupils board, giving a community of about 100 boarders. Roughly two-thirds of boarders come from overseas, with around 20 nationalities represented at any one time. Most boarders are full boarders, a few UK pupils board weekly, and international students can also join for half a term, one term or a full academic year.
Boarding Houses and Accommodation
Houses mix day and boarding pupils and compete in house music, drama and sport. St Martin's, a girls' house, accommodates boarders from Year 7 to Year 11 alongside day girls, and the house system also includes Duckworth for girls, Leamington for boys and School House, the core of the original school. All boarders have a single room, and Upper Sixth boarders usually live separately from younger pupils. Each house is led by a Housemaster or Housemistress with tutors and a Matron.
Boarding Life
Boarders complete prep in their houses each evening at their own desks, with house staff supervising anyone who needs closer guidance, and three hot meals a day are served in the medieval Refectory. A weekend programme of activities and excursions adds to weekday options such as sailing, horse riding, drama, volunteering and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.
Academic and Pastoral Support
The Individual Needs Department gives one-to-one lessons for pupils with mild dyslexia, literacy difficulties and dyscalculia, and the college is accredited by CReSTeD. A Medical Centre with registered nurses, a school counsellor and an independent listener support wellbeing alongside the house teams, and Sixth Formers have their own Sixth Form Centre.
International boarders at Dover College 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 Dover College
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 Dover College website.
Information for International Students and Parents
Dover College admits international boarders from Year 7 to the Lower Sixth, with places in Years 7 and 8, Years 9 to 11 and Year 12. Most students join in September, and as a non-selective school the college sets no entrance examinations. British Guardianship supports international families through every stage of the application with our boarding school admissions service.
English Language Requirements
The college does not publish minimum English levels, and English is assessed as part of the application. New international pupils are tested on arrival, and the International Study Centre then sets an individual programme of small-group or one-to-one English lessons until pupils are ready for full mainstream study. Pupils work towards Cambridge English qualifications, IGCSE English as a Second Language and IELTS. EAL lessons are included in the first year and charged after that, and Lower Sixth entrants with lower English may be advised to take a three-year Sixth Form route.
Child Student Visa
Students coming to the UK from overseas will usually need a Child Student visa. Dover College is a licensed Child Student sponsor on the UKVI register, 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. Dover College is an AEGIS member school.
British Guardianship is AEGIS accredited and a BSA Certified Guardian, and can act as the nominated UK guardian for Dover College 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.
Short-Term Stays and Exchange Placements
The Short Stay Programme places international students in a boarding house for half a term of around five weeks, a full term or an academic year, in Years 7 to 12. Lower Sixth students choose three A Level or BTEC subjects, every short-stay pupil receives English support, and places can be extended. Families considering a shorter placement can explore our Student Exchange Programme and short stay guardianship.
To discuss UK guardianship for Dover College, 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 Dover College'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 Dover College, 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 Dover College 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. Dover College 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 Dover College, 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 Dover College 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 Dover College. 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.
