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 Loretto School
Nominated Guardian for Loretto School. Boarding school guardianship for international students.
Are you looking for a Nominated Guardian for Loretto 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 Loretto 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 Loretto 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 Loretto 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 Loretto 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 →Loretto School Overview
Loretto School is an independent, co-educational day and boarding school in Musselburgh, East Lothian, on the eastern edge of Edinburgh. Around 450 pupils aged 3 to 18 are educated on a secure 85-acre campus shared by the Pre-School, the Junior School for ages 5 to 12 and the Senior School for ages 12 to 18. Founded in 1827, Loretto describes itself as Scotland's oldest boarding school, and it has been fully co-educational since the 1990s.
Although based in Scotland, Loretto follows the English curriculum, with around 18 GCSE subjects and 24 A Level subjects, BTEC courses and the Extended Project Qualification. Its Golf Academy, founded in 2002, trains on local links courses.
Boarding at Loretto School
Boarding starts in Year 7. Roughly a third of pupils board full time and a further third are flexi boarders, with pupils from around 30 nationalities. Families can choose full boarding seven days a week, weekly boarding from Monday to the end of Saturday's fixtures or enrichment, flexi boarding for three nights a week or occasional overnight stays. In the Sixth Form of around 150 students, more than three quarters board and around a third come from overseas.
Boarding Houses and Accommodation
Every pupil belongs to one of five boarding houses, and day pupils also use the houses to relax, study and socialise. Sixth formers have single or double study bedrooms. Each house is led by a Housemaster or Housemistress, and every pupil belongs to a small tutor group that meets daily.
Boarding Life
Boarders follow a structured routine with set times for daily prep. On Saturdays, pupils from Form 3 upwards play in sports fixtures or join an Enrichment Programme of more than 80 activities. Sundays are more relaxed, starting with brunch in the Dining Hall and followed by optional activities, and older pupils can take a short bus ride into Edinburgh for sightseeing, the cinema or dinner.
Academic and Pastoral Support
The Good Schools Guide notes that Loretto supports pupils with specific learning difficulties, usually dyslexia, with up to four Support for Learning lessons a week in the lower forms and timetabled support through GCSE and A Level where possible. The ESL department gives individual help to overseas pupils.
Every international boarder at Loretto School must have a UK guardian. British Guardianship provides AEGIS accredited boarding school guardianship for international students at UK boarding schools.
Facilities & Activities at Loretto 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 Loretto School website.
Information for International Students and Parents
Loretto School accepts boarders from Year 7, and international students join both the Senior School and the Sixth Form, where around a third of students come from overseas. Most international students join in September; entry in other year groups is considered individually. British Guardianship supports international families through every stage of the application with our boarding school admissions service.
English Language Requirements
Loretto School does not publish a minimum IELTS or CEFR level. English is assessed as part of the application, and British Guardianship confirms the level required for each year of entry during placement. The ESL department offers individual support, including help with prep and coursework, and is often the first point of contact for overseas pupils. Students who need an English qualification for university study intensively for IELTS over one year, with three lessons a week in small groups.
Child Student Visa
Students coming to the UK from overseas will usually need a Child Student visa. Loretto School is a licensed Child Student sponsor on the UKVI register and issues the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies once a place has been accepted, medical clearance is complete and a guardian has been appointed. The school works with a firm of immigration lawyers on visa matters, while the visa application itself is submitted by parents. Our Child Student visa guide explains the requirements, and families holding a British National (Overseas) visa can contact us for guidance on the BN(O) route.
UK Guardian Requirement
Loretto School requires every international pupil to have a UK-based guardian for the whole of their time at the school, however long the stay. A relative or family friend living nearby can take on the role, or families can appoint a guardian through an accredited agency.
British Guardianship is AEGIS accredited and a BSA Certified Guardian, and can act as the nominated UK guardian for Loretto School boarders. Our boarding school guardianship service covers regular contact with the school, travel coordination through Edinburgh Airport and safe accommodation with vetted host families during half terms, exeats and holidays.
To discuss UK guardianship for Loretto 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 Loretto 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 Loretto 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 Loretto 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. Loretto 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 Loretto 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 Loretto 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 Loretto 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.
