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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 Rochester Independent College
Nominated Guardian for Rochester Independent College. Boarding school guardianship for international students.
Are you looking for a Nominated Guardian for Rochester Independent College? 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 Rochester Independent College 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 Rochester Independent College 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 Rochester Independent College, 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 Rochester Independent College, from choosing the right year of entry through to an offer and enrolment, with Child Student visa guidance and guardianship arranged alongside.
Learn More →Rochester Independent College Overview
Rochester Independent College is an independent, co-educational day and boarding school in the historic centre of Rochester, Kent, for students aged 11 to 21. Founded in 1984 as a small tutorial college, it has around 425 students across a Lower School for Years 7 to 11 and a large Sixth Form. Its campus of mostly listed buildings lies on Star Hill, with the Northbank campus opposite. The college joined Dukes Education, a UK group of independent schools and colleges, in 2016.
The college is non-selective, with no uniform and an average class size of eight. Lower School pupils work towards GCSEs, while more than 40 subjects are taught to A Level through two-year courses, intensive one-year A Level and GCSE programmes and retake courses.
Boarding at Rochester Independent College
Up to 180 students board each year, within a college community of 49 nationalities. Boarding is available from age 11. Full boarders live in college throughout term, including weekends, while weekly boarders go home on Fridays. Boarding continues through half terms and Easter, with no compulsory exeats, and closes only for the Christmas and summer holidays.
Boarding Houses and Accommodation
Boarders live in one of three boarding communities on the secure campus. Northbank is reserved for male and female students aged 16 and over. Almost all rooms are single study bedrooms, many en-suite, with a few shared rooms on request. A member of boarding staff sleeps in each building, houseparents provide daily care and resident academic tutors help with evening study.
Boarding Life
Evenings combine independent study, activities and free time, and each boarding community has kitchens. Extra tuition is available seven days a week. A programme of trips and activities runs every weekend, shaped by the students, with past outings to Oxford, Cambridge, Canterbury, Edinburgh and West End theatres.
Academic and Pastoral Support
Sixth Form students meet a Director of Studies every fortnight to review progress and welfare. The Good Schools Guide reports that around a third of pupils are on the SEN register, with dyslexia, ADHD and autism among the needs supported, one-to-one speech and language support, and experience in helping students with anxiety. Counsellors, a nurse, an independent listener and specialist EAL teachers complete the team.
Every international boarder at Rochester Independent College must have a UK guardian. British Guardianship provides AEGIS accredited boarding school guardianship for international students at UK boarding schools.
Facilities & Activities at Rochester Independent College
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 Rochester Independent College website.
Information for International Students and Parents
Rochester Independent College considers international applicants for all year groups at any point in the year, subject to places, with September as the main intake. Year 7 is the principal entry point to the Lower School, and overseas students often join for a one-year GCSE course, a two-year A Level course, an intensive one-year A Level programme or a retake year. Students who have completed IGCSEs or the IB Middle Years Programme can begin A Levels directly, and entry straight into Year 13 is also possible. British Guardianship supports international families through every stage of the application with our boarding school admissions service.
English Language Requirements
Applicants whose first language is not English take the college's own English test, and minimum CEFR or IELTS levels by year of entry are not published. International students are taught within the main school rather than a separate international centre, and specialist English teaching prepares them for IELTS. English is assessed as part of the application, and British Guardianship confirms the level required for each year of entry during placement.
Child Student Visa
Students coming to the UK from overseas will usually need a Child Student visa. Rochester Independent College is a licensed Child Student sponsor on the UKVI register, 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. The college arranges airport pick-ups at the start of term for students travelling independently.
UK Guardian Requirement
Rochester Independent College requires every international student, regardless of age, to have a UK guardian, and treats the arrangement as a contract between parents and the guardianship organisation. As boarding stays open over half terms and Easter, a guardian is needed mainly for the Christmas and summer holidays and whenever a student leaves college.
British Guardianship is AEGIS accredited and a BSA Certified Guardian, and can act as the nominated UK guardian for Rochester Independent College boarders. Our boarding school guardianship service covers regular contact with the college, travel coordination and safe accommodation with vetted host families during holidays, exeats and any other time away from college, giving parents a single, reliable educational guardian in the UK.
To discuss UK guardianship for Rochester Independent College, 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 Rochester Independent College'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 Rochester Independent College, 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 Rochester Independent College 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. Rochester Independent College 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 Rochester Independent College, 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 Rochester Independent College 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 Rochester Independent College. 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.
