It is a huge decision and an enormous commitment by parents to send their child all the way to the UK for their education. Not all parents are wealthy and some make great sacrifices to make it possible.

When asked why she chose a boarding school education for her daughter in England, one Chinese parent said: “We want her to have international training and experience, which will help her to meet international challenges when she grows up. As we know, the world is becoming more and more blended with all kinds of cultures.”

She has undoubtedly made this decision as an investment in the future of her daughter. However, when choosing a school that is 5,000 miles from home, she needs assurance that her daughter will be well cared for.

Most boarding schools insist that pupils with parents overseas have a guardian family close to the school that will monitor academic and social progress and offer support and encouragement. Gabbitas undertakes that responsibility when a child is placed under their guardianship; indeed, they take over everything that the parents would wish to do for their child if they were there with them.

As an accredited member of AEGIS, Gabbitas’ services include appointing an English family to care for the child at weekends and half term holidays and careful monitoring of the student’s academic progress and pastoral welfare at school. They can also assist with making travel arrangements, paying school bills and pocket money and booking holiday study courses.

The guardian families appointed to these students by Gabbitas are very carefully matched to parent and child’s requirements. These families range from couples with their own children, single parent families, to retired couples whose own children have left home. Some of them have carried out this responsibility for many years. They all have a common love of children and a genuine desire to welcome a foreign child into their homes and families.

Students can start boarding school in the UK from age seven or eight years old. In fact, the younger they are the easier it is for them to pick up English, make friends and enjoy the adventure of the whole experience. At the other end of the scale Gabbitas are sometimes asked to take an older student under guardianship. Schools often require students to have guardian family arrangements until they leave after their A levels, often meaning that some students can be 19 years of age before they leave the system.

Students currently under Gabbitas’ care come from Japan, Russia, Lithuania, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Thailand, Bulgaria, the Ukraine, Malaysia, Iran, Turkey, Mexico, the USA, France, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tibet, Uganda, Republic of Guinea, Holland and Vietnam.

Student support
With a head office in London and support offices in Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai, Gabbitas has over 30 years of experience in caring for international students. There is also a talented team of staff, which includes fluent speakers of Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, Russian, Polish, Lithuanian, Dutch, German, Spanish and Swedish, and has the skills necessary to provide invaluable support to all parents, including those who speak little or no English themselves.

Many students feel that staying with their guardian gives them important ‘down time’ when batteries can be recharged from a very hectic life at school. Unsurprisingly, good home cooked food is also greatly appreciated. Most of the students keep in contact with their guardian regularly and feel that it is very important that they have an ‘English family’ to offer them support and guidance when they are at school. Outside school, sightseeing trips are organised to further integrate the international students into their new surroundings.

Akane sums up the importance of her guardian family in the following way: “I absolutely adore my guardians since they’re understanding, intelligent, caring and cook what I call proper food!”
Mami, a former prefect with responsibility for the International Students at St Mary’s School, says that undoubtedly the two most important things for consideration in determining if a student from overseas will be happy and successful at school are firstly that their parents choose the most suitable school for their child’s individual needs, and secondly that they have a caring and supportive guardian family.

Being a guardian is both challenging and rewarding. It promotes an understanding of different cultures and the opportunity to provide guidance in the same way parents would with their own children. Mrs Mason in Berkshire writes: “We have had a wonderful time looking after Yusuke and feel privileged that we have been able to be part of his life and schooling over here. We hope that we will continue to keep in touch once he is at University at Oxford.”

Mrs Townsend, a guardian from Leeds, writes: “I have gained an insight into a very different culture, plus a lot of friends amongst the students, other guardians and staff. Also a lot of appreciation from the students and from their families.”