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 Royal Hospital School
Nominated Guardian for Royal Hospital School. Boarding school guardianship for international students.
Are you looking for a Nominated Guardian for Royal Hospital 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 Royal Hospital 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 Royal Hospital 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 Royal Hospital 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 Royal Hospital 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 →Royal Hospital School Overview
Royal Hospital School is an independent, co-educational boarding and day school in Holbrook, near Ipswich in Suffolk, for pupils aged 11 to 18, on a 200-acre site overlooking the Stour Estuary, with the Little Oaks nursery on the same estate. Founded in 1712 by Greenwich Hospital to educate the children of Royal Navy seafarers, the school is now part of Inspired Learning Group, an education group of independent schools and nurseries.
Pupils work towards GCSEs, and in the Sixth Form students choose three subjects from 22 A Levels and three Level 3 BTEC courses, with the Extended Project Qualification as an elective. The school also runs its own Sailing Academy.
Boarding at Royal Hospital School
More than 250 boarders from the UK and overseas make boarding central to the school. Full boarders stay seven nights a week for the school year, and the houses remain open at weekends. Weekly boarding from Sunday to Friday, a three-night option and occasional nights are also available.
Boarding Houses and Accommodation
Year 7 pupils start in Blake, a co-educational house for boarders and day pupils. From Year 8 to Year 12, girls board in Howe or Hood and boys in Collingwood or St Vincent. In Year 13 all pupils move to Nelson, a co-educational house with single rooms. Full boarders have a shared or single room, and each house is led by a Houseparent supported by a Matron and resident staff.
Boarding Life
After lessons, co-curricular activities run until early evening, followed by free time, study, supper and house meetings. Saturdays bring morning activities, afternoon sports fixtures and evening events such as film nights and barbecues. Sundays are quieter, with brunch, house activities and outings to the beach, ice skating, sailing and dry skiing. Houses stay open over the termly Leave Out weekends, when boarders may go away.
Academic and Pastoral Support
The learning support department helps pupils with difficulties such as dyslexia through one-to-one and small-group lessons, supported prep for Years 7 and 8 and assessments for exam access arrangements. EAL specialists teach international pupils in small groups. The Health Centre is staffed by nurses, a physiotherapist and counsellors, and a chaplain and a staff Mental Health First Aid team also support pupils.
Every international boarder at Royal Hospital School must have a UK guardian. British Guardianship provides AEGIS accredited boarding school guardianship for international students at UK boarding schools.
Facilities & Activities at Royal Hospital 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 Royal Hospital School website.
Information for International Students and Parents
Royal Hospital School admits international boarders into Years 7 and 8, Year 9, Year 10 and Year 12. It also runs two programmes for overseas students: a One Year GCSE course and a Year 11 A Level Foundation programme combining academic English, study skills, Mathematics and Science. The main intake is September. British Guardianship supports international families through every stage of the application with our boarding school admissions service.
English Language Requirements
The school publishes minimum English levels for each entry point, based on the CEFR:
- Years 7 and 8 (ages 11 and 12): CEFR A1
- Year 9 (age 13): CEFR A2
- Year 10 (age 14): CEFR B1, or IELTS 4.0 to 4.5
- Year 12 (age 16): CEFR B2, or IELTS 5.0 to 6.5
Applicants whose first language is not English sit an EAL assessment, and EAL teaching continues after entry in small groups.
Child Student Visa
Students coming to the UK from overseas for longer than six months will usually need a Child Student visa. Royal Hospital School is a licensed Child Student sponsor on the UKVI register through Inspired Learning Group and issues the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies once an offer is accepted, 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
Parents living outside the UK must appoint a guardian or guardianship organisation. The school requires a guardian to be over 25, a permanent UK resident living within four hours' travel of the school, available 24 hours a day and not a member of school staff. The guardian provides overnight accommodation when needed, including at the start and end of terms and half terms. Where a guardian does not meet these conditions, parents must use an AEGIS accredited guardianship organisation.
British Guardianship is AEGIS accredited and a BSA Certified Guardian, and can act as the nominated UK guardian for Royal Hospital 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, Leave Out weekends and holidays, giving parents a single, reliable educational guardian in the UK.
To discuss UK guardianship for Royal Hospital 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 Royal Hospital 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 Royal Hospital 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 Royal Hospital 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. Royal Hospital 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 Royal Hospital 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 Royal Hospital 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 Royal Hospital 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.
