English
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 Durham School
Nominated Guardian for Durham School. Boarding school guardianship for international students.
Are you looking for a Nominated Guardian for Durham 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 Durham 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 Durham 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 Durham 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 Durham 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 →Student Exchange Programme
Durham School 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 →Durham School Overview
Durham School is an independent, co-educational day and boarding school for pupils aged 11 to 18 on Quarryheads Lane in the city of Durham, County Durham. It traces its roots to the Cathedral schools formalised in 1414 and received its Royal Charter in 1541. The school is part of the Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation, which also runs the Chorister School for pupils aged 3 to 11 on the Cathedral site.
Pupils take GCSEs in Years 10 and 11, and the Sixth Form offers A Levels alongside BTEC Nationals and the Extended Project Qualification. International students can also follow a One Year GCSE course as a bridge into A Level study.
Boarding at Durham School
Boarding is offered from Year 7 to Year 13 to pupils from more than 28 countries, and most full boarders have families living overseas. Options include full, weekly, flexi and occasional boarding, and a Short Stay Programme takes international pupils for between half a term and a full academic year.
Boarding Houses and Accommodation
Girls board in Pimlico, which has more than 20 boarders among around 80 pupils, and boys board in School House or Poole House, all on or near the main campus. Most boarders share a room with one other pupil, a few rooms take up to three younger pupils, and single rooms are generally kept for the Sixth Form. Housemasters and housemistresses live in with their families, supported by a resident matron and house tutors, and two qualified nurses staff the Medical Centre.
Boarding Life
After registration at 6.30pm, boarders complete supervised prep until 8.30pm, followed by activities such as swimming, basketball and football. Saturdays bring sports fixtures and film evenings, and each weekend includes a trip or special activity, from local outings to visits as far as Edinburgh.
Academic and Pastoral Support
The Learning Support department screens every new pupil and offers one-to-one lessons with qualified teachers for needs including dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, ADHD and Asperger's syndrome, along with exam access arrangements and study skills programmes. New boarders are paired with a mentor during their induction, and Sixth Form students receive guidance on Oxford, Cambridge, medicine and dentistry applications.
Every international boarder at Durham School must have a UK guardian. British Guardianship provides AEGIS accredited boarding school guardianship for international students at UK boarding schools.
Facilities & Activities at Durham 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 Durham School website.
Information for International Students and Parents
Durham School considers international boarders for entry at any stage from Year 7 to the Sixth Form, and most students join in September and begin with an autumn induction. A One Year GCSE course leads into A Level study, and short stay pupils may start in any term. British Guardianship supports international families through every stage of the application with our boarding school admissions service.
English Language Requirements
International applicants to the Sixth Form need IELTS 5.5, and the school aims for students to reach IELTS 7.0 by the end of Year 13. All new overseas pupils whose first language is not English are assessed by the International Pupils Department and receive English as an Additional Language support until they reach IELTS 6.0.
Child Student Visa
Students coming to the UK from overseas will usually need a Child Student visa. Durham School is a licensed Child Student sponsor on the UKVI register through the Durham Cathedral Schools Foundation and works with an immigration partner to support families, 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
Durham School requires overseas pupils to have a UK guardian aged at least 25 who lives within two hours' travel of Durham and provides accommodation during holidays and half terms. Guardianship agencies must be AEGIS accredited or BSA Certified.
British Guardianship is AEGIS accredited and a BSA Certified Guardian, and can act as the nominated UK guardian for Durham 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.
Short-Term Stays and Exchange Placements
The Short Stay Programme accepts international pupils for half a term up to a full academic year. Short stay pupils live in a boarding house and join the weekend activity programme alongside full boarders, although Years 11 and 13 are closed to short stays in the spring and summer terms because of public examinations. Families considering a shorter placement can explore our Student Exchange Programme and short stay guardianship.
To discuss UK guardianship for Durham 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 Durham 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 Durham 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 Durham 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. Durham 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 Durham 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 Durham 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 Durham 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. ASD: autism spectrum disorder affects how a student communicates, interacts with others and experiences the world around them. ADHD: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder affects concentration, attention, impulse control and activity levels.
