Educational Guardian vs Host Family: What's the Difference?

Two different roles

Parents new to UK boarding often use these terms interchangeably, but a guardian and a host family are not the same thing. Both are important, and they work together.

What a host family does

A host family provides a safe, welcoming home for a student during exeats, half-terms, holidays or full-time homestay. They offer accommodation, meals and a family environment when the student is not at school.

What an educational guardian does

An educational guardian holds overall responsibility for the student's welfare in the UK. The guardian arranges and oversees the host family, liaises with the school, monitors progress and provides emergency cover — a coordinating, safeguarding role.

How they work together

A good guardianship company recruits and vets its own host families, so the guardian and host family are part of one joined-up system of care around the student.