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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 Mary's Music School
Nominated Guardian for St Mary's Music School. Boarding school guardianship for international students.
Are you looking for a Nominated Guardian for St Mary's Music 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 St Mary's Music 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 St Mary's Music 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 St Mary's Music 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 St Mary's Music 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 →St Mary's Music School Overview
St Mary's Music School is an independent, co-educational specialist music school in Edinburgh, Scotland, for day and boarding pupils aged 9 to 19. It is Scotland's national music school and also the choir school of St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral. Founded in 1880 as the cathedral's song school, it became a specialist music school in 1972 and moved in 1995 to Coates Hall in the city's West End.
With around 70 pupils and an average class size of about five, the school timetables music tuition so that pupils do not miss academic lessons. Pupils follow the Scottish curriculum to National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher, alongside A Level Music, and students aged 16 and over can join the Advanced Programme, a Conservatoire Pathway and an optional S6 Extension Year.
Boarding at St Mary's Music School
Around a third of pupils board. Boarding is open to instrumentalists from S1 (age 11), with younger pupils considered individually, while choristers normally attend as day pupils. Full boarding is the standard arrangement, and boarders may stay at school over the weekend or go home for part of it. Flexi-boarding and occasional overnight stays, are also possible.
Boarding Houses and Accommodation
The boarding house occupies the top two floors of Coates Hall, with boys and girls on separate corridors. Most bedrooms are shared by two pupils, with a few singles, and all are en-suite. A Boarding House Manager, a Deputy Manager and two full-time Houseparents lead the team, supported by five part-time Houseparents.
Boarding Life
Dinner at 6pm is followed by supervised prep, a supper snack and free time. Boarders can use the practice rooms outside the school day. A weekly outing takes them to Edinburgh concerts, opera or ballet, and a local leisure centre membership gives access to a gym and pool. Weekends allow longer lie-ins and more practice time, with baking, film evenings, crafts and themed nights.
Academic and Pastoral Support
The Support for Learning department provides individual programmes and works with parents and external agencies where appropriate. The Good Schools Guide records support for specific learning difficulties, autism and social, emotional and mental health needs, and staff meet weekly to review pupil welfare.
International boarders at St Mary's Music 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 St Mary's Music 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 St Mary's Music School website.
Information for International Students and Parents
St Mary's Music School admits talented instrumentalists in any year group from age 9. For international students, the usual entry points are S1, S2 or S3 (equivalent to Years 8 to 10 in England), S5 (Year 12) for a course of two or three years, and S6 (Year 13) for two years including the Extension Year. Admissions run throughout the year, and most new pupils start in September. British Guardianship supports international families through every stage of the application with our boarding school admissions service.
English Language Requirements
English is assessed as part of the application, and British Guardianship confirms the level required for each year of entry during placement. For older students whose first language is not English, the Advanced Programme for those aged 16 and over includes English as an Additional Language support, and students on this programme can board or attend as day pupils.
Child Student Visa
Students coming to the UK from overseas will usually need a Child Student visa. St Mary's Music School is a licensed Child Student sponsor on the UKVI register and can sponsor this visa for its international pupils, while the visa application itself is submitted by parents. Outstanding international candidates may be considered for financial assistance, as the Scottish Government's Aided Places Scheme is open only to UK families. 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
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. As boarders at St Mary's may spend some weekends away from school, as well as half terms and holidays, a reliable guardian arrangement is an important part of planning.
British Guardianship is AEGIS accredited and a BSA Certified Guardian, and can act as the nominated UK guardian for St Mary's Music School boarders. Our boarding school guardianship service covers regular contact with the school, travel coordination through Edinburgh Airport 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 St Mary's Music 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 St Mary's Music 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 St Mary's Music 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 St Mary's Music 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. St Mary's Music 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 St Mary's Music 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 St Mary's Music 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 St Mary's Music 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. 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.
