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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 The Hammond
Nominated Guardian for The Hammond. Boarding school guardianship for international students.
Are you looking for a Nominated Guardian for The Hammond? 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 The Hammond 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 The Hammond 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 The Hammond, 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 The Hammond, from choosing the right year of entry through to an offer and enrolment, with Child Student visa guidance and guardianship arranged alongside.
Learn More →The Hammond Overview
The Hammond is an independent, co-educational day and boarding school specialising in the performing arts, based at Hoole Bank House in Hoole, Chester, Cheshire. Its roots go back to 1917, and the school has occupied its present site since 1969. It is a charity incorporating the Betty Hassall Foundation and is accredited by the Society of Heads and the Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre.
The Hammond has three parts: the School for ages 11 to 16, a College offering professional diplomas in dance and musical theatre from 16, and a BA (Hons) degree in Musical Theatre. School pupils choose a Dance or an Acting and Musical Theatre pathway alongside academic lessons, studying English, mathematics and science with GCSE options and Level 2 Performing Arts.
Boarding at The Hammond
Boarding is available for pupils in Years 7 to 11, and boarders stay through the week and at weekends during term. Boarders come from across the UK and overseas. The school does not offer boarding for students aged 16 and over.
Boarding Houses and Accommodation
Boarders live in two boarding houses a short bus ride from the main school site. Each house is run by resident House Parents and Senior House Parents, supported by Graduate Boarding Assistants and non-resident Assistant House Parents. Every room has a bed, wardrobe, desk, drawers with a lockable section and a full-length mirror.
Boarding Life
The school day ends at 6pm, followed by dinner on site and a bus back to the houses at around 7pm. Prep lasts 45 minutes to an hour depending on age, after which Years 7 and 8 have free time until lights out, while older pupils may go out with friends to an agreed curfew. At weekends, boarders choose trips and visits, help cook requested meals and take part in social, recreational and wellbeing activities.
Academic and Pastoral Support
A Learning Support Team led by the SENDCo provides classroom strategies, targeted interventions and personalised learning plans, with small-group literacy and numeracy sessions. Every pupil has a tutor as a first point of contact, and the school can call on counsellors, physiotherapists and dieticians. Wellbeing weeks and PSHE days run through the year.
Every international boarder at The Hammond must have a UK guardian. British Guardianship provides AEGIS accredited boarding school guardianship for international students at UK boarding schools.
Facilities & Activities at The Hammond
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 The Hammond website.
Information for International Students and Parents
The Hammond accepts international boarders in Years 7 to 11 (ages 11 to 15), joining either the Dance pathway or the Acting and Musical Theatre pathway, and most students start in September. Boarding is for School pupils only: international students on the College diplomas and the degree course live independently in Chester rather than in school boarding. British Guardianship supports international families through every stage of the application with our boarding school admissions service.
English Language Requirements
The school does not publish minimum English levels for entry. English is assessed as part of the application, and British Guardianship confirms the level required for each year of entry during placement. Students whose first language is not English can receive extra tuition through the school's English as an Additional Language service, alongside small-group literacy support.
Child Student Visa
Students coming to the UK from overseas will usually need a Child Student visa. The Hammond is a licensed Child Student sponsor on the UKVI register and issues the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies once all conditions of the offer are met, while the visa application itself is submitted by parents. The school monitors attendance in line with its sponsor duties. 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
The Hammond requires parents of overseas boarders to appoint a UK guardian who is over 25, permanently resident in the UK, reachable in an emergency and ideally within reasonable travelling distance of the school, with arrangements subject to the school's approval. The guardian is the first emergency contact, acts in place of parents when needed and attends school meetings and parents' evenings.
British Guardianship is AEGIS accredited and a BSA Certified Guardian, and can act as the nominated UK guardian for The Hammond boarders. Our boarding school guardianship service covers regular contact with the school, attendance at parents' evenings, 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 The Hammond, 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 The Hammond'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 The Hammond, 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 The Hammond 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. The Hammond 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 The Hammond, 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 The Hammond 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 The Hammond. School information is provided as a general guide and may change.
