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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 Tonbridge School
Nominated Guardian for Tonbridge School. Boarding school guardianship for international students.
Are you looking for a Nominated Guardian for Tonbridge 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 Tonbridge 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 Tonbridge 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 Tonbridge 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 Tonbridge 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 →Tonbridge School Overview
Tonbridge School is an independent boarding and day school for boys aged 13 to 18 in Tonbridge, Kent. Founded in 1553, it occupies a campus of around 150 acres on the High Street, a short walk from Tonbridge station and its direct trains to London Bridge. The school has around 800 pupils, roughly 300 of them in the Sixth Form.
Boys take GCSEs from Year 9 to Year 11 and then A Levels, often studying four subjects or three alongside the Extended Project Qualification or Further Mathematics. The school has announced plans to admit girls into the Sixth Form.
Boarding at Tonbridge School
Around 450 pupils board, about 60 per cent of the school, and all boarding places are full boarding. Roughly one in six pupils comes from overseas, from more than 30 nationalities. Saturday lessons are followed by sports fixtures, after which boarders may go home on regular weekends and return on Sunday.
Boarding Houses and Accommodation
Seven of the school's twelve houses are for boarders: School House, Judde House, Park House, Hill Side, Parkside House, Ferox Hall and Manor House. Each house has 65 to 70 boys across the five year groups. Younger boarders usually share small dormitories or twin rooms, while older boys move into study bedrooms or single rooms. A Housemaster and a Matron lead each house, supported by an Assistant Housemaster and five tutors.
Boarding Life
Evenings centre on supervised prep in the houses, with tutors on hand. House life includes cooking classes, quizzes, pool tournaments and socials with other schools, and weekend activities cover sport, creative workshops, music and social events. Houses close for long exeat weekends, while overseas boys may stay at school over short exeats, and an Overseas Student Council plans trips for boys who live abroad.
Academic and Pastoral Support
The Learning Strategies department offers one-to-one and small-group lessons, study skills sessions and assessments for exam access arrangements, with a Learning Mentor scheme for dyslexic and other SEND learners and extra teaching for boys with English as an additional language. Pastoral care runs through the house system, supported by more than 100 hours of PSHE and relationships education and an elected Anti-Bullying Council.
International boarders at Tonbridge 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 Tonbridge 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 Tonbridge School website.
Information for International Students and Parents
Tonbridge School admits international boarders at three points: Year 9 (age 13), Year 10 (age 14) and Year 12 (age 16), with students joining in September. The school has no junior section, so every boy joins directly at senior level, and Sixth Form entrants choose four subjects they intend to study at A Level. British Guardianship supports international families through every stage of the application with our boarding school admissions service.
English Language Requirements
All lessons at Tonbridge School are taught in English, and the school expects international applicants to have strong written and spoken fluency, set at CEFR C1. English is assessed for every applicant, including those applying for the Sixth Form. Once at the school, boys with English as an additional language can receive extra teaching through the Learning Strategies department, which also helps new pupils with study skills during their first term.
Child Student Visa
Students coming to the UK from overseas will usually need a Child Student visa. Tonbridge School is a licensed Child Student sponsor on the UKVI register and provides visa guidance to the families of international students, 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. At Tonbridge, boarding houses close for long exeat weekends, when boys stay at home, with guardians or with friends, and parents confirm these arrangements with the house in advance. The school's International Student Liaison Officer works with guardians and organises activities during exeat weekends.
British Guardianship is AEGIS accredited and a BSA Certified Guardian, and can act as the nominated UK guardian for Tonbridge 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 Tonbridge 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 Tonbridge 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 Tonbridge 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 Tonbridge 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. Tonbridge 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 Tonbridge 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 Tonbridge 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 Tonbridge 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. ADHD: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder affects concentration, attention, impulse control and activity levels. SLCN: speech, language and communication needs affect how a student understands language, expresses themselves or communicates with others.
