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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 St Joseph's College
Nominated Guardian for St Joseph's College. Boarding school guardianship for international students.
Are you looking for a Nominated Guardian for St Joseph's 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 St Joseph's 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 St Joseph's 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 St Joseph's 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 St Joseph's 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 →Student Exchange Programme
St Joseph's College 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 →St Joseph's College Overview
St Joseph's College is an independent, co-educational day and boarding school in Ipswich, Suffolk, for pupils aged 2 to 19. A nursery, Prep School, Senior School and Sixth Form share a 60-acre campus in the south-west of the town. Founded in 1937 by the De La Salle Brothers, a Catholic teaching order, the college merged with the Convent of Jesus and Mary in 1996 and keeps a Christian ethos. Ipswich is about 70 miles north-east of London, just over an hour by train.
Pupils take GCSE and BTEC courses in Years 10 and 11, then A Levels and other courses in the Sixth Form. Boarding runs from Year 6 to the end of the Sixth Form.
Boarding at St Joseph's College
The college has more than 70 boarders from the UK and countries including Spain, Germany, Nigeria, China, Hong Kong and Malaysia. Full, weekly and flexi boarding are offered, and many international students board full time. Short-term immersion students also live and study alongside full-time boarders.
Boarding Houses and Accommodation
Boarders live in two houses: Goldrood, for younger boys, and The Mews, for girls and Sixth Form boys. Both have study rooms with computers and Chromebooks, and the boarding team includes a Head of Boarding, a House Mistress, an Assistant Houseparent and a matron. Room allocation is confirmed by the school on entry.
Boarding Life
Boarders rise at 7am and have breakfast in the dining hall before lessons, which end at 3.45pm and are followed by a Development Hour for clubs, new activities or academic help. After supper comes structured study in the house, then free time, with lights out by 10.30pm depending on age. Weekends begin later with brunch, and outings include cinema nights, go-karting, laser tag and trips to Cambridge. There are no exeat weekends, and the Boarding Plus option can provide accommodation during the February and May half terms.
Academic and Pastoral Support
A specialist teacher supports pupils with dyslexia through tailored literacy programmes, with help also available for handwriting, touch typing and organisation. English as an Additional Language lessons run from Year 7 to Year 13, leading to IGCSE EAL or GCSE English, and IELTS in the Sixth Form.
Every international boarder at St Joseph's College must have a UK guardian. British Guardianship provides AEGIS accredited boarding school guardianship for international students at UK boarding schools.
Facilities & Activities at St Joseph's 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 St Joseph's College website.
Information for International Students and Parents
St Joseph's College accepts international boarders from age 10, in Year 6, through to the Sixth Form. Years 6 to 9 follow a broad curriculum, Years 10 and 11 prepare for GCSE and BTEC qualifications, and the Sixth Form leads to A Levels. 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
Every applicant completes an English assessment, and Sixth Form entry for A Level study requires a minimum IELTS score of 5.0 to 5.5. Levels for younger year groups are not published, and British Guardianship confirms the requirement for each year of entry during placement. EAL lessons support students who need extra help.
Child Student Visa
Students coming to the UK from overseas will usually need a Child Student visa. St Joseph's College is a licensed Child Student sponsor on the UKVI register and issues the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies once the required documents are received, while the visa application itself is submitted by parents. Our Child Student visa guide explains the process, and families holding a British National (Overseas) visa can contact us for guidance on the BN(O) route.
UK Guardian Requirement
The college requires every pupil who normally lives abroad to have a UK-based educational guardian holding a British passport or permanent UK residency. It works with AEGIS, the accrediting body for UK guardianship organisations, and meets the student, parents and guardian before arrival.
British Guardianship is AEGIS accredited and a BSA Certified Guardian, and can act as the nominated UK guardian for St Joseph's College 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 Short Term Immersion programme places international students in a year group by age, with rolling entry. Participants board when space allows, follow the full-time timetable with British classmates, have EAL classes set by level and join the weekend activities and trips organised for boarders. Families considering a shorter placement can explore our Student Exchange Programme and short stay guardianship.
To discuss UK guardianship for St Joseph's 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 St Joseph's 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 St Joseph's 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 St Joseph's 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. St Joseph's 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 St Joseph's 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 St Joseph's 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 St Joseph's 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.
