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 Rockport School
Nominated Guardian for Rockport School. Boarding school guardianship for international students.
Are you looking for a Nominated Guardian for Rockport 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 Rockport 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 Rockport 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 Rockport 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 Rockport 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 →Rockport School Overview
Rockport School is an independent, co-educational day and boarding school at Craigavad, near Holywood in County Down, Northern Ireland, for children from two and a half to 18. Founded in 1906, the school stands in 25 acres of woodland on the shore of Belfast Lough, between Belfast and Bangor.
The school runs from Early Years and the Junior School through the Senior School, for pupils aged 11 to 16, to a two-year Sixth Form. Pupils choose from more than 20 GCSE subjects and more than 17 A Level subjects, taught in small classes. Senior pupils can use the school's golf academy, and Rockport is a member of Round Square, an international network of schools.
Boarding at Rockport School
Rockport offers co-educational boarding for pupils aged 11 to 18 in a small boarding community, with boarders from more than 10 nationalities. Families can choose full-time or flexi boarding. Full-time boarders stay at school over the weekend, when the boarding team runs a programme of activities and outings.
Boarding Houses and Accommodation
Boarders live in the House, within the school's main building, where most rooms have a view over Belfast Lough. Rooms range from six-bed rooms to twin and single rooms, each with study space and lockable cupboards. Boarders share a Home Room and a Common Room. A Boarding Manager, House Parents and house staff provide wraparound care, supported by boarding prefects.
Boarding Life
Each day starts with a boarders' breakfast meeting, and there is one prep period in the afternoon and another in the evening. Evening activities include walks on the coastal path and beach beside the school, swimming, ice skating, bowling and cinema trips. Saturday outings range from mountain biking to shopping, and trips have included the Giant's Causeway, the Titanic visitor centre and Ulster Rugby matches. Sundays are kept for rest and study, and an elected Boarding Committee represents boarders.
Academic and Pastoral Support
Pupils with specific learning difficulties can receive one-to-one tuition with specialist teachers, coordinated by the SENCO and timetabled to avoid core subjects. Additional EAL sessions can be arranged for international students. Classes are unstreamed, and boarding and teaching staff liaise regularly on each boarder's progress. Boarders are registered with a local doctor.
International boarders at Rockport School are generally expected to have a UK guardian. British Guardianship provides AEGIS accredited boarding school guardianship for international students at UK boarding schools.
Facilities & Activities at Rockport 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 Rockport School website.
Information for International Students and Parents
Rockport School welcomes international boarders into the Senior School from age 11 and into the Sixth Form for A Level study. Admission is selective, based on academic merit and the contribution a student is likely to make to school life. 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
Rockport does not publish minimum English levels by year of entry. Lessons and daily life are conducted in English, and international students mix with English-speaking pupils from the start, with additional EAL sessions available at extra cost for students who need further language support. 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. Rockport School is a licensed Child Student sponsor on the UKVI register and can sponsor a visa for the full length of a student's course. The school office provides information to support the process, 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. Boarding staff meet students arriving at the Belfast airports and at Dublin Airport.
UK Guardian Requirement
UK boarding schools generally require international boarders under 18 to have a UK guardian, and British Guardianship confirms each school's specific requirements as part of placement. Rockport works with guardianship services that can help families during holiday periods.
British Guardianship is AEGIS accredited and a BSA Certified Guardian, and can act as the nominated UK guardian for Rockport School boarders. Our boarding school guardianship service covers regular contact with the school, 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 Rockport 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 Rockport 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 Rockport 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 Rockport 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. Rockport 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 Rockport 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 Rockport 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 Rockport 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.
