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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 Francis' College
Nominated Guardian for St Francis' College. Boarding school guardianship for international students.
Are you looking for a Nominated Guardian for St Francis' 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 Francis' 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 Francis' 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 Francis' 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 Francis' 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 →St Francis' College Overview
St Francis' College is an independent day and boarding school for girls in Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, educating girls from 3 to 18, with a co-educational Nursery for children from 3 months. The school sits on a seven-acre site in the town's Conservation Area, within walking distance of the centre. Founded in 1933 by a community of Sisters, St Francis' College is part of Inspired Learning Group, a family of independent schools and nurseries across England.
Boarding is available from Year 6, at age 10, through to the Sixth Form. Girls follow a broad curriculum to GCSE, with subjects including Latin, French and Chinese, before taking A Levels, and the Extended Project Qualification is also offered. Facilities include a 330-seat theatre, a 20-metre indoor pool, a chapel and a Sixth Form centre.
Boarding at St Francis' College
The boarding community numbers around 40 girls from the UK and overseas, and most boarders stay full time, including weekends during term. Weekly, flexi and day boarding are also available.
Boarding Houses and Accommodation
The Boarding House occupies the top two floors of the main school building, so boarders can reach the dining hall, library, chapel and study rooms without going outside. Younger boarders usually share rooms, while Sixth Form students have individual study bedrooms. Boarders share a Games Room and a kitchen, and the house is run by a boarding team working with academic tutors.
Boarding Life
After lessons end at 4pm, boarders have a snack before supervised homework with academic tutors, followed by dinner, study or personal time and optional activities and clubs. House activities range from arts and crafts and film nights to a Boarders' Bake Off. At weekends, brunch is followed by an afternoon trip or activity, and the school aims to run a trip every weekend, to destinations such as London, Brighton, Cambridge, Thorpe Park and nearby Hitchin.
Academic and Pastoral Support
The Individual Needs Department provides one-to-one and small group support in English, mathematics and study and organisational skills, as well as in-class help for younger pupils, and each pupil with SEND has an Individual Education Plan. Most needs supported are mild specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia.
Every international boarder at St Francis' 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 Francis' 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 Francis' College website.
Information for International Students and Parents
St Francis' College normally admits international boarders from Year 6 upwards, into any year group except Years 11 and 13. Sixth Form entrants must be 17 or under on 1 September. Most international students join in September. British Guardianship supports international families through every stage of the application with our boarding school admissions service.
English Language Requirements
St Francis' College does not publish minimum CEFR or IELTS levels by year of entry. English is assessed as part of the application, and British Guardianship confirms the level required for each year of entry during placement. A dedicated EAL centre teaches small classes according to individual need. Students are prepared for IELTS and, in Year 11, the IGCSE in English as a Second Language.
Child Student Visa
Students coming to the UK from overseas will usually need a Child Student visa. St Francis' College is a licensed Child Student sponsor on the UKVI register through Inspired Learning Group, and issues a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies. The college recommends specialist advisers for visa paperwork, 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
St Francis' College requires girls from overseas to have an English-speaking guardian living in the UK. The guardian must be over 25 and may be a relative or close friend, and students stay with their guardian when the college is closed.
British Guardianship is AEGIS accredited and a BSA Certified Guardian, and can act as the nominated UK guardian for St Francis' 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, giving parents a single, reliable educational guardian in the UK.
To discuss UK guardianship for St Francis' 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 Francis' 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 Francis' 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 Francis' 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 Francis' 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 Francis' 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 Francis' 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 Francis' 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.
