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 Russell School
Nominated Guardian for Royal Russell School. Boarding school guardianship for international students.
Are you looking for a Nominated Guardian for Royal Russell 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 Russell 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 Russell 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 Russell 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 Russell 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 →Student Exchange Programme
Royal Russell School accepts students for short-term boarding. Our exchange programme and short stay guardianship let students experience British boarding before committing to a full placement.
Learn More →Royal Russell School Overview
Royal Russell School is an independent, co-educational day and boarding school in Croydon, south London, educating pupils aged 3 to 18. Founded in 1853, the school occupies a 110-acre wooded parkland estate on Coombe Lane, around 30 minutes from central London, with the Junior School and Senior School on the same site.
Boarding is offered in the Senior School and Sixth Form, from Year 7 to Year 13. Pupils follow GCSE and IGCSE courses, then choose from A Levels and BTEC courses in subjects such as business, media and sport in a Sixth Form of more than 250 students, which has its own study centre and café.
Boarding at Royal Russell School
Around 160 boarders from more than 30 countries live on the campus, and most are full boarders who remain at school at weekends, with weekly and flexi boarding available when space allows. Families looking for a shorter placement can choose The London Experience, a residential programme of one year or two terms. Inspectors have described boarding as well structured and supportive.
Boarding Houses and Accommodation
There are five boarding houses. Girls board in Queen's, home to more than 60 boarders, and Hollenden, both taking Years 7 to 13, while boys board in Oxford and Cambridge, with Latessa reserved for Sixth Form boys. Each house is led by a housemaster or housemistress who lives in the house with their family, supported by a deputy and a team of house tutors. Room allocation is confirmed by the school on entry.
Boarding Life
Weekday evenings include boarders' sports such as basketball, badminton, volleyball and gym sessions. The weekend programme makes full use of the location, with trips to Thorpe Park, Winter Wonderland and the London Dungeon, a Thames cruise to Borough Market and a tour of Battersea Power Station, alongside karting, climbing and bowling.
Academic and Pastoral Support
The Learning Enrichment team provides screening, one-to-one literacy and study skills support, and exam access arrangements. A dyslexia specialist teaches additional literacy lessons at Key Stage 3, and a Curriculum Assistance Programme gives extra help in core GCSE subjects. Trained Emotional Literacy Support Assistants run wellbeing sessions, and an on-site Medical Centre is staffed by healthcare professionals.
Every international boarder at Royal Russell 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 Russell 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 Russell School website.
Information for International Students and Parents
Royal Russell School offers boarding places from Year 7 upwards, with international boarders usually joining in Years 7 to 10 or in Year 12. Most students start in September, and The London Experience also allows entry in January for a two-term stay. British Guardianship supports international families through every stage of the application with our boarding school admissions service.
English Language Requirements
Royal Russell does not publish minimum CEFR or IELTS levels. English is assessed as part of the application, and British Guardianship confirms the level required for each year of entry during placement.
English as an Additional Language tuition is included in the boarding fee for every student who needs it. Lessons cover all four skills and subject vocabulary. Students take IGCSE English as a Second Language in Year 11, with IELTS preparation in the Sixth Form.
Child Student Visa
Students coming to the UK from overseas will usually need a Child Student visa. Royal Russell School is a licensed Child Student sponsor on the UKVI register and can advise families, while the visa application itself is submitted by parents. Our Child Student visa guide explains the requirements, and families holding a British National (Overseas) visa can contact us for guidance on the BN(O) route.
UK Guardian Requirement
Royal Russell requires parents who live outside the UK to appoint a guardian before their child joins the school. The guardian takes over parental responsibilities during weekend leave, half terms and the May bank holiday weekend, and where a guardian falls short of the school's standards, families may be asked to use an AEGIS accredited organisation.
British Guardianship is AEGIS accredited and a BSA Certified Guardian, and can act as the nominated UK guardian for Royal Russell 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.
Short-Term Stays and Exchange Placements
The London Experience offers a one-year or two-term boarding placement, from September to April or January to July, for students joining Years 7, 8, 9, 10 or 12. Students follow an individual pathway, live in the boarding houses and join cultural visits and weekend activities. Families can explore our Student Exchange Programme and short stay guardianship.
To discuss UK guardianship for Royal Russell 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 Russell 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 Russell 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 Russell 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 Russell 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 Russell 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 Russell 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 Russell 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.
