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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 Prebendal School
Nominated Guardian for The Prebendal School. Boarding school guardianship for international students.
Are you looking for a Nominated Guardian for The Prebendal 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 The Prebendal 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 The Prebendal 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 The Prebendal 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 The Prebendal 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 →The Prebendal School Overview
The Prebendal School is an independent, co-educational day and boarding preparatory school in Chichester, West Sussex, for children aged 2 to 13. It occupies historic buildings in the Cathedral precinct on West Street, with the Pre-Prep in a purpose-built building nearby. Chichester railway station is a few minutes' walk away, with direct trains to London.
Founded in 1497 and regarded as the oldest school in Sussex, the school began as the song school for Chichester Cathedral, and the Cathedral choristers still live and study here. It is a standalone Church of England school. Pupils move through Nursery, Pre-Prep, Prep and Senior Prep (Years 7 and 8), and are prepared for entry and scholarships at senior schools at 13, with Lancing College, Portsmouth Grammar School and Churcher's College among regular destinations.
Boarding at The Prebendal School
Boarding is available from Year 3 to Year 8 in a small community of fewer than 50 boarders. Families can choose full, weekly or flexi boarding, and occasional nights can be arranged. Many full boarders are Cathedral choristers, who board alongside children from international and Forces families.
Boarding Houses and Accommodation
Boarders live within the main school buildings, with boys and girls on separate floors. Pupils share dormitories, the oldest of which, Long Dorm, has panelling carved with the names of former pupils. Meals are cooked on site using seasonal, locally sourced food, and pupils help shape menus through a Food Committee.
Boarding Life
Evenings follow a structured routine that balances study time with relaxation. Boarders go on regular outings to Chichester Festival Theatre, historic country houses and the Isle of Wight, along with bowling and shopping trips and celebrations for Bonfire Night and Burns' Night. Weekends follow the Cathedral calendar, with choristers singing in services and concerts, and the South Downs and the beach at West Wittering are close by.
Academic and Pastoral Support
An Academic Support Department, led by a part-time SENCo, works with pupils who have specific learning difficulties and with very able children, and the school's small size allows early, one-to-one help. Form teachers see their pupils every day and are the first point of contact, and every child belongs to one of four houses.
International boarders at The Prebendal 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 The Prebendal 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 The Prebendal School website.
Information for International Students and Parents
The Prebendal School accepts boarders from Year 3, at around age 7, through to Year 8, the final year before pupils move on to senior school at 13. The school reports a growing number of international families, and it sets out a separate boarding category for international pupils. Most international students join in September; entry in other year groups is considered individually. Because pupils leave at 13, families joining in the upper years should plan the move to a senior boarding school early. British Guardianship supports international families through every stage of the application, including the transfer at 13, with our boarding school admissions service.
English Language Requirements
The school does not publish minimum English levels for international entry. English is assessed as part of the application, and British Guardianship confirms the level required for each year of entry during placement. Pupils with specific learning needs are supported by the Academic Support Department, and families should share any previous assessments when a place is discussed.
Child Student Visa
Students coming to the UK from overseas will usually need a Child Student visa. The Prebendal School is a licensed Child Student sponsor on the UKVI register and can issue the confirmation needed for the visa, 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
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. For a prep school boarder of this age, the guardian plays a particularly close role in travel, exeats and holidays. Chichester station is a short walk from the school, and Southampton Airport and London Gatwick Airport are the nearest international airports by road.
British Guardianship is AEGIS accredited and a BSA Certified Guardian, and can act as the nominated UK guardian for The Prebendal 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, giving parents a single, reliable educational guardian in the UK.
To discuss UK guardianship for The Prebendal 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 The Prebendal 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 The Prebendal 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 The Prebendal 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. The Prebendal 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 The Prebendal 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 The Prebendal 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 The Prebendal 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.
