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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 Mount Kelly
Nominated Guardian for Mount Kelly. Boarding school guardianship for international students.
Are you looking for a Nominated Guardian for Mount Kelly? 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 Mount Kelly 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 Mount Kelly 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 Mount Kelly, 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 Mount Kelly, from choosing the right year of entry through to an offer and enrolment, with Child Student visa guidance and guardianship arranged alongside.
Learn More →Mount Kelly Overview
Mount Kelly is an independent, co-educational day and boarding school in Tavistock, Devon, for pupils aged 4 to 18, on the western edge of Dartmoor between Plymouth and Exeter. It was formed in 2014 by the merger of Kelly College, founded in 1877, and Mount House School, founded in 1881, and is run by the Mount Kelly Foundation with a Church of England affiliation. Mount Kelly Prep teaches Reception to Year 8, and the College Years 9 to 13.
Pupils take GCSEs, including IGCSE English and History, and Sixth Form students choose from around 20 A Levels and BTECs in sport and performing arts, with the Extended Project Qualification. The school runs a Performance Swimming programme with three pools, including a 50 metre Olympic Legacy pool opened in 2016.
Boarding at Mount Kelly
Around 200 pupils board, with about 110 in Years 9 to 11 and around 90 in the Sixth Form. Boarding starts in Year 3, and families can choose full, weekly or flexi boarding.
Boarding Houses and Accommodation
Prep boarders in Years 3 to 8 live in Tavy House, within the main Prep building, cared for by Houseparents, matrons and residential staff. College boarders join one of four houses: Newton and Courtenay for boys, and School House and Marwood for girls. Younger pupils share dormitories, and older pupils move to study bedrooms shared with fewer people. Each house has a resident Housemaster or Housemistress.
Boarding Life
College full boarders have a Saturday activities programme alongside sports fixtures, and Sunday outings such as the Eden Project, pottery or surfing. From Year 11, boarders may plan trips to Plymouth or Exeter with staff approval. Prep weekends combine mountain biking, baking and Sunday excursions with occasional Dartmoor camping. Many pupils join the Combined Cadet Force, the Duke of Edinburgh's Award or the Ten Tors Challenge.
Academic and Pastoral Support
The Personalised Learning team supports pupils with dyslexia, autism spectrum conditions, ADHD and other needs through small-group sessions, teaching assistants in class and individual learning profiles, and Year 9 pupils are screened on entry. Pastoral care runs through house teams and tutors, and Sixth Form students start with a six-week study skills course and receive UK and overseas university guidance.
Every international boarder at Mount Kelly must have a UK guardian. British Guardianship provides AEGIS accredited boarding school guardianship for international students at UK boarding schools.
Facilities & Activities at Mount Kelly
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 Mount Kelly website.
Information for International Students and Parents
Mount Kelly takes boarders from Year 3, and its overseas admissions cover entry to Years 7 to 11 and both years of the Sixth Form, with most students starting in September. For overseas boarders travelling on term dates, the school organises transfers to and from London Heathrow, Bristol and Exeter airports at the start and end of each half term. 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 EAL department teaches students one to one or in very small groups. In Year 9, EAL usually replaces a modern language; in Years 10 and 11 it is a GCSE option; and Sixth Form students have up to two lessons a week. Students prepare for Cambridge English qualifications and IELTS, and a Pre A Level Programme supports those new to the British system.
Child Student Visa
Students coming to the UK from overseas will usually need a Child Student visa. Mount Kelly is a licensed Child Student sponsor on the UKVI register and works with a specialist immigration adviser 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
Mount Kelly requires a UK guardian for every pupil whose family lives outside the UK, whatever their age. The guardian must be over 25, live in the UK, preferably near the school, and be a British citizen or hold permanent right to remain. The school points families to the BSA Certified Guardian Scheme and AEGIS accredited organisations.
British Guardianship is AEGIS accredited and a BSA Certified Guardian, and can act as the nominated UK guardian for Mount Kelly boarders. Our boarding school guardianship service includes liaison with house staff, travel coordination and safe accommodation with vetted host families during half terms, exeats and holidays.
To discuss UK guardianship for Mount Kelly, 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 Mount Kelly'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 Mount Kelly, 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 Mount Kelly 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. Mount Kelly 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 Mount Kelly, 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 Mount Kelly 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 Mount Kelly. 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. SLCN: speech, language and communication needs affect how a student understands language, expresses themselves or communicates with others.
