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 MPW London
Nominated Guardian for MPW London. Boarding school guardianship for international students.
Are you looking for a Nominated Guardian for MPW London? 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 London 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 London 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 London, 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 London, 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 London Overview
MPW London is an independent, co-educational college for GCSE and A Level students in South Kensington, west London, taking students from Year 10 upwards. The college occupies Georgian townhouses on Queen's Gate, a short walk from the Natural History Museum. Founded in 1973 by three Cambridge graduates, it is the original college of the MPW Group, which also runs colleges in Cambridge and Birmingham.
Teaching follows a tutorial model in small classes of fewer than ten students, with GCSEs and A Levels offered in more than 40 subjects. Courses run over one year, 18 months or two years, alongside retake and Easter revision courses. Facilities include science laboratories, art and drama studios and a photography darkroom.
Boarding at MPW London
Boarding is based at Queen's Gate House, a few minutes' walk from the main college building, and accommodates around 70 boarders, most of whom come from overseas. This is full boarding: the house stays open at weekends and through the October and February half terms and the Easter break, closing only for the Christmas and summer holidays. Boarding starts at age 14.
Boarding Houses and Accommodation
Queen's Gate House, the former Baden-Powell House, is a seven-floor co-educational residence, with boarding floors divided by age and sex. Every boarder has an individual en-suite room with a desk and Wi-Fi, and each floor has a kitchenette. Houseparents are on hand around the clock, supported by boarding assistants and a nurse.
Boarding Life
All meals are served in the college restaurant. On weekday evenings, prep runs from 7pm to 8pm and is supervised for boarders aged 14 to 16 from Monday to Thursday, followed by house meetings and activities. Curfews and sign-out rules depend on age. At weekends the boarding team organises sport such as football and tennis, trips around London and beyond, and film and quiz nights.
Academic and Pastoral Support
Every student has a Director of Studies, who acts as personal tutor and meets them regularly to review progress and wellbeing. The college has in-house counsellors and an SEN team, and boarders can also raise concerns through a boarders' committee. Specialist advisers guide university applications, including Oxbridge and medicine.
Every international boarder at MPW London must have a UK guardian. British Guardianship provides AEGIS accredited boarding school guardianship for international students at UK boarding schools.
Facilities & Activities at MPW London
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 London website.
Information for International Students and Parents
MPW London accepts international students from age 14 for GCSE courses and from age 16 for A Level courses, with boarding available from age 14. Most students join in September, and 18-month GCSE and A Level courses begin in January. A Pre-programme helps international students prepare for GCSE or A Level study. British Guardianship supports international families through every stage of the application with our boarding school admissions service.
English Language Requirements
MPW sets minimum IELTS scores, or equivalent, according to the course and its length:
- 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 are assessed. Students who need more support may be required to take extra English lessons 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 London is a licensed Child Student sponsor on the UKVI register and can sponsor both the Child Student and Student routes, with a visa compliance team to answer questions. 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, living within two hours' drive of the college and available in an emergency. The guardian gives permission for weekend leave and trips, arranges emergency accommodation if needed and looks after boarders when Queen's Gate House closes for the Christmas and summer holidays.
British Guardianship is AEGIS accredited and a BSA Certified Guardian, and can act as the nominated UK guardian for MPW London 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 London, 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 London'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 London, 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 London 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 London 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 London, 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 London 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 London. School information is provided as a general guide and may change.
