About us
Welcome from our founder
Is there anything more important than making sure your child is safe and supported when they are far from home?
Oxford Guardians was started to give parents confidence in high quality educational guardianship that cares for each student as an individual, looking out for their emotional and welfare needs as well as supporting their British education.
We have grown to be an experienced team, trusted every day to help international students settle and make the most of their time in the UK.
Help your family to get the best from your investment in a British education by choosing Oxford Guardians. I’m sure you’ll be delighted!
Sarah Bacon
Founder
Where it all began
Right from the start, I wanted to offer a personal service that worked for my student and for his parents. But I didn’t know that it would turn into the highly professional and successful company it is today!
Oxford Guardians began in 1997, when I was Vice Principal of an international school.
My brother had a business partner in Vietnam, who was looking for someone he could trust to be the educational guardian for their son whilst he studied here in the UK. I was interested and offered to help. Linh soon arrived to study at Bromsgrove School.
Linh went on to study at Aston University and is now settled with his new family in Ho Chi Min, still as mad about English football as ever!
Over the next 25 years I have gradually brought on board individuals who share my core values, and we are now a friendly and experienced team. We get to know every one of our growing number of students, and we work hard to ensure they stay safe and get the best from their time in the UK.
We are professionally proactive and are proud to remain at the leading edge of educational guardianship provision. I look forward to Oxford Guardians supporting your child as they study in the UK.
Sarah and Linh at Bromsgrove on his first day
I remember how happy I was to meet up with Sarah and have her help and support during the time I studied in England. We are still in touch! I am delighted that she has built a business which stays true to what she did for my parents and I all those years ago. Oxford Guardians’ personalised support give students in the UK the best chance of success.”
Our first student, Linh.
It is clear that Oxford Guardians is a forward-thinking organisation who are keen to reflect on their practice and continually improve. They are most worthy of AEGIS Gold Standard re-accreditation”
AEGIS
Our Ethos
Your child’s education and welfare are our priority
Our educational guardians, host families, and the whole management team are dedicated to supporting your child’s education and welfare whilst they study in the UK. Rigorous checks, regular training and clear communications mean you can be confident we know what we are doing, and we do it well.
Our aim & value is for every child to thrive and succeed
Oxford Guardians (OGs) was set up to offer a bespoke individualised approach to educational guardianship with the aim of making a difference to every student in its care.
Oxford Guardians has established a reputation for close support and care for the students it looks after in the specific areas of welfare, education and personal development. Our students are aged between 8-20 years old and study in boarding schools, independent day colleges and universities.
Our guardianship is characterised by getting to know our students through frequent visiting, supporting them with their studies and making sure they are happy and flourishing at school by having contact with the student, their houseparents and tutors – and then when they are out of school finding the students homestay families who care about their wellbeing and will give them a home away from home experience.
Our purpose is to look after students during their studies so they can make the most of their time here in the UK. For this reason, we have local guardians who regularly visit. Our local guardians are often parents and teachers or care providers, with extensive experience in looking after international students.
Our homestay families are caring, kind and welcoming, and they offer a safe and secure environment where our students can stay.
Oxford Guardians takes very seriously its responsibilities to safeguard and promote the welfare of students and to work together with others to ensure the best arrangements are in place to provide support.
Trusted by families across the world
We support students from many countries whilst they enjoy a British education. We even have educational guardians fluent in other languages,
including Farsi, Russian, Chinese, French, Spanish, Thai and German who can help parents and students understand English.
Gold Standard accreditation from AEGIS
We are accredited at the highest level with AEGIS, the independent body for the welfare of international students. This means you can trust us to meet the very highest standards of educational guardianship.
“Oxford Guardians is a highly professional guardianship organisation. They are a caring company who have excellent systems in place to ensure that students receive the best of care whilst studying in the UK.” AEGIS
AEGIS measures high quality guardianship organisations against a rigorous set of Quality Standards and a Code of Practice. Only a select few hold Gold Standard accreditation.
“Oxford Guardians is an extremely well-organised organisation, with a knowledgeable and experienced central management team.”
Oxford Guardians’ excellent accreditation provides reassurance to parents. Though you may be miles away, you can rest assured that your child is constantly supported by an expert team who will safeguard their welfare, make sure they are cared for, and provide the help and support they need in their education.
“Oxford Guardians places great importance on nurturing the whole child, including their academic studies.”
