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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 MPW Cambridge
Nominated Guardian for MPW Cambridge. Boarding school guardianship for international students.
Are you looking for a Nominated Guardian for MPW Cambridge? 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 MPW Cambridge 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 MPW Cambridge 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 MPW Cambridge, 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 MPW Cambridge, from choosing the right year of entry through to an offer and enrolment, with Child Student visa guidance and guardianship arranged alongside.
Learn More →MPW Cambridge Overview
MPW Cambridge is an independent, co-educational college for GCSE and A Level students in central Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, taking students aged 14 to 20. It occupies two linked Victorian houses on Brookside, beside the Cambridge University Botanic Garden, with further teaching rooms on nearby Panton Street. Opened in 1987, it is one of three colleges in the MPW Group, which was founded in London in 1973.
Teaching follows a tutorial model, with classes capped at nine students and an average of around six. Students choose from about 30 A Level and 20 GCSE subjects on one-year, 18-month or two-year courses, with retakes, sixth form transfers and Oxbridge and medical school preparation also available. Most students are in the sixth form.
Boarding at MPW Cambridge
MPW Cambridge has no school boarding house. Instead, students aged 16 and over can live in supervised residences run by Kensington Student Services (KSS), a company wholly owned by MPW, staying seven nights a week during term. MPW Cambridge offers full boarding for international students; current boarder numbers are available on request. Students under 16 live in approved private accommodation, such as a host family.
Boarding Houses and Accommodation
KSS runs two residences. Tripos Court, a gated, purpose-built development about 15 minutes' walk away, has single en-suite bedrooms, social spaces and private gardens. Malta Road comprises five terraced houses near Mill Road and is popular with second-year students. MPW describes the residences as fully supervised, with KSS staff helping residents develop independent living skills. Weekly cleaning is included and a meal plan is available.
Boarding Life
The residences give more independence than a traditional boarding house, as a step towards university life. Evenings include supervised study time, and the school runs a weekend programme of activities and trips for boarders. Most students get around Cambridge on foot or by bicycle.
Academic and Pastoral Support
Every student has weekly one-to-one tutorials with a personal tutor, covering progress and wellbeing. Students with special educational needs have individual learning plans, a qualified nurse supports students' health, and English classes run alongside main courses where needed. A careers programme guides university applications, with early preparation for medicine, dentistry and veterinary admissions tests.
Every international boarder at MPW Cambridge must have a UK guardian. British Guardianship provides AEGIS accredited boarding school guardianship for international students at UK boarding schools.
Facilities & Activities at MPW Cambridge
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 MPW Cambridge website.
Information for International Students and Parents
MPW Cambridge accepts international students from age 14 for GCSE and from age 16 for A Level, and the KSS residences take students aged 16 and over. Most students start in September, and 18-month courses begin in January. A Pre-programme prepares international students for GCSE or A Level study, and students aged 17 and over can take the NCUK International Foundation Year. British Guardianship supports international families through every stage of the application with our boarding school admissions service.
English Language Requirements
MPW sets a minimum IELTS score, or equivalent, for each course:
- Pre-A Level courses: IELTS 4.5
- Two-year GCSE and A Level courses: IELTS 5.5
- 18-month GCSE and A Level courses: IELTS 5.5 to 6.0
- One-year GCSE and A Level courses: IELTS 6.0
Other recognised English qualifications are accepted, and applicants without one sit an English assessment. Students who need it take English as a Foreign Language classes alongside their courses until they reach the required level.
Child Student Visa
Students coming to the UK from overseas who are under 18 when their course begins will usually need a Child Student visa. MPW Cambridge is a licensed Child Student sponsor on the UKVI register and can sponsor both the Child Student and Student routes. MPW's visa compliance team answers families' questions, 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
MPW requires every international student to have an educational guardian in the UK. The guardian must be a permanent UK resident, normally over 25, fluent in English, available in an emergency and living within two hours' drive of the college. Guardians approve weekend leave and trips, and arrange emergency accommodation if a student cannot stay in their residence.
British Guardianship is AEGIS accredited and a BSA Certified Guardian, and can act as the nominated UK guardian for MPW Cambridge boarders. Our boarding school guardianship service covers regular contact with the college, 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.
To discuss UK guardianship for MPW Cambridge, 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 MPW Cambridge'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 MPW Cambridge, 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 MPW Cambridge 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. MPW Cambridge 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 MPW Cambridge, 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 MPW Cambridge 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 MPW Cambridge. School information is provided as a general guide and may change.
