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 Hurtwood House
Nominated Guardian for Hurtwood House. Boarding school guardianship for international students.
Are you looking for a Nominated Guardian for Hurtwood House? 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 Hurtwood House 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 Hurtwood House 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 Hurtwood House, 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 Hurtwood House, from choosing the right year of entry through to an offer and enrolment, with Child Student visa guidance and guardianship arranged alongside.
Learn More →Hurtwood House Overview
Hurtwood House is an independent, co-educational boarding school for students aged 15 to 18 in the village of Holmbury St Mary near Dorking, Surrey. Founded in 1970 in a rented National Trust house, it is still owned by its founding family. The school specialises in the sixth form.
Most students take two-year A Level courses chosen from more than twenty subjects, with particular strength in drama, film, media, art, textiles, dance and music. The Extended Project Qualification and GCSE English and maths resits are also offered. A one-year GCSE foundation course in Year 11, aimed mainly at overseas students, leads into the A Level programme.
Boarding at Hurtwood House
Hurtwood House is predominantly a boarding school: more than 200 full boarders make up the large majority of the roll, and day places are limited. Around half of the school is new each year, so new students join a large group settling in at the same time.
Boarding Houses and Accommodation
Students live in country houses and lodges, two on the main site and the rest a short distance away. Houses are for girls or mixed, and each is led by a resident Housemaster or Housemistress with a team of House Tutors. Most students share a study bedroom with one other student, a few rooms take three, and some singles are available for second-year students. Each house has a kitchen, games and television rooms and wireless internet.
Boarding Life
House staff accompany students back to their houses after supper each evening. Sport is optional, but a full programme runs every afternoon, from football, hockey, netball and swimming to horse riding, climbing, dance and polo, with fixtures against other schools. The Enigma extra-curricular programme adds further options, and trips include theatres, galleries, museums, outdoor education weekends and subject-related European visits.
Academic and Pastoral Support
Progress is tracked through a monitoring system shared by students, staff and parents, and academic tutors meet their tutees every week. A learning support coordinator works with students, most often those with dyslexia or ADHD, through individual education plans, one-to-one sessions and subject workshops. A wellbeing and health centre has a full-time nurse and regular visits from a doctor.
International boarders at Hurtwood House 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 Hurtwood House
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 Hurtwood House website.
Information for International Students and Parents
Hurtwood House admits international boarders at two main points: Year 12, for the two-year A Level programme, and Year 11, for the one-year GCSE foundation course designed for overseas students who need UK qualifications before starting A Levels. Students on the foundation course can take up to five GCSEs, typically chosen from English Language, maths, science and drama, combined with an English programme set at the right intensity for each student. The main intake is in September. British Guardianship supports international families through every stage of the application with our boarding school admissions service.
English Language Requirements
English is assessed as part of the application, and British Guardianship confirms the level required for each year of entry during placement. The school's ESOL department prepares students for IELTS, the English test most widely used by UK universities and often included in university offers. Around 100 students at Hurtwood House speak English as an additional language, so language support is an established part of the school's provision. Students who need to retake GCSE English or maths can do so alongside their A Levels, with retake classes held several times a week.
Child Student Visa
Students coming to the UK from overseas will usually need a Child Student visa. Hurtwood House is a licensed Child Student sponsor on the UKVI register, which allows it to issue the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies needed for the visa, 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 Hurtwood House boarders. Our boarding school guardianship service covers regular contact with house staff, travel coordination, including transfers to and from London Gatwick and London Heathrow, 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 Hurtwood House, 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 Hurtwood House'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 Hurtwood House, 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 Hurtwood House 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. Hurtwood House 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 Hurtwood House, 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 Hurtwood House 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 Hurtwood House. 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. ADHD: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder affects concentration, attention, impulse control and activity levels.
