Ashford School Guardianship: Personal, Accredited Care for Your Child in Kent
If your son or daughter is starting at Ashford School and you want a guardian who will genuinely look after them rather than simply meet a requirement, this is what I do. I am Becky Stone. Home From Home Canterbury is an AEGIS accredited guardianship organisation, and I am the guardian, the host and the safeguarding lead. There is nobody else.
around 40 minutes from Ashford School by car
This page is for parents of international students joining Ashford School who want their child to have consistent, trustworthy support from someone based here in the UK.
I provide personal guardianship for a small, published number of students through Home From Home Canterbury, an AEGIS accredited guardianship organisation. Your child is known as an individual, and they are supported throughout their time at school, not only during term but whenever they need someone they can actually reach.
I am the sole guardian. I am a qualified counsellor and a Member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, I hold Designated Safeguarding Lead certification and an enhanced DBS check, and I qualified as a counsellor in 2012 and have extensive experience supporting children, young people and families. That professional background means I am equipped to notice when a young person is finding things difficult, even when they have not said so directly.
The service is deliberately small. That is a choice, not a limitation, and it is what makes the care genuine.
About Ashford School
Ashford School is an independent, co-educational boarding and day school in Ashford, Kent. The school has a genuinely international community, with more than 100 boarders representing over 28 nationalities. Boarding students live in Alfred House or Brabourne House, each staffed by resident and non-resident boarding tutors who provide pastoral support within the school.
Ashford is well connected by rail to London and to major airports, which makes it a practical choice for international families. The town has a good range of facilities, and the school offers boarders access to its full range of on-site amenities as well as the local area.
Ashford School's pastoral provision within the school is genuine and attentive. Educational guardianship sits alongside that provision. It is the additional layer of support that ensures international students and their parents have a named, UK-based person for everything that falls outside the school's direct responsibility: half-term and holiday arrangements, travel, emergencies, and the kind of ongoing individual communication that a school with many families to support cannot always provide.
You can find out more about the school directly at ashfordschool.co.uk.
How Far Away Is Your Child's Guardian Allowed To Live?
This is the question most international parents do not think to ask, and the answer surprises them.
Ashford School requires every international student who needs a UK guardian to appoint one who is over 25, permanently resident in the UK and within 120 minutes' travel of the school by car. The school's published terms also ask that the guardian is not a full-time student and can act as a primary English-speaking contact.
Two hours is the standard, and most national guardianship organisations meet it comfortably from Sussex, from London, from Dorset. They are entirely compliant. They are also, on a Tuesday evening when your child is unwell and the boarding house has rung, a very long way away.
I am around 40 minutes from Ashford School by car. I live in Canterbury, and I keep my list to schools within a manageable drive, because a guardian who can actually get to the school is worth more than a name on a form.
The difference between meeting the requirement and actually being there is the reason this service exists.
Ashford sits at the outer edge of the area I cover. I would rather tell you that plainly than let you find out in an emergency.
What Educational Guardianship Provides
A Named UK Contact
International students and their parents need a named UK adult who knows them personally and can be reached directly. I provide that continuity throughout the school year, staying in contact with the family, keeping track of how your child is settling in, and being available when questions or concerns arise. It is the same person from your first email to your child's last day at school.
Half-Term and Holiday Arrangements
Half-term accommodation can form part of the agreed guardianship arrangement. Where it does, your child stays with me, in my Canterbury home, which was inspected as part of Home From Home Canterbury's AEGIS accreditation. There are two places, so it is the same room every time. There is no matching process and no chance of being sent to a family your child has never met. Additional holiday homestay may be available by prior arrangement and is confirmed individually for that year. Christmas and Easter availability is limited. Summer is by arrangement, and longer-holiday plans are discussed with you well in advance.
Emergency Response
In a genuine emergency, a health concern, an accident, an unexpected situation, parents need to know someone in the UK can respond. I am the named emergency contact and I answer at any hour. What matters as much as availability, which every provider claims, is being close enough to get there. I am around 40 minutes from the school by car.
What Guardianship with Home From Home Canterbury Looks Like in Practice
Every family is different, and I work around your child's individual needs. As a starting point, this is what the service includes.
- A personal settling-in welcome for new students arriving in Kent, usually starting with a short video call before they fly, so the person meeting them is not a stranger
- Regular, direct updates to you by phone, email or WhatsApp, in whatever format works best for your family, including in the weeks when there is nothing to report
- Half-term accommodation in my own home where this forms part of the agreed arrangement, and holiday homestay by prior arrangement, with every stay confirmed in writing fourteen days ahead with you and the school
- Liaison with Ashford School's pastoral and boarding staff, with the agreement of all parties
- Attendance at parents' evenings and relevant school meetings on your behalf, with a written summary sent to you afterwards, at no additional charge
- Local collection and transport around Kent and Canterbury, included, with no mileage charge. For long-haul transfers to and from Heathrow, Gatwick or St Pancras, I arrange a licensed and insured independent transport provider, chosen in line with my safeguarding requirements, and you pay the cost of the journey, confirmed in writing before anything is booked
- Emergency response as your named UK contact, at any hour
- Support with pastoral or wellbeing concerns before they become bigger problems. I am a qualified counsellor and MBACP member, and I will notice when a young person is struggling even if they have not said so. This is attentive care. It is not a counselling service and it never will be.
I take a maximum of two homestay students at any one time. AEGIS permits three students in one household. I take two. I accept a maximum of two guardianship placements concurrently. Both numbers are published because I think you should be able to see them before you commit to anything. There are two homestay places. When they are taken, they are taken.
About Becky Stone
I am Becky Stone. I am the founder of Home From Home Canterbury, an AEGIS-accredited guardianship organisation based in Canterbury, a qualified counsellor and MBACP member who qualified in 2012 and has extensive experience supporting children, young people and families. I hold Designated Safeguarding Lead certification and an enhanced DBS check.
My counselling background does not mean I provide therapy to the students I look after, and I never will. It means I notice when something has changed, and I know who to tell.
I founded Home From Home Canterbury because I could see how much difference genuine, informed care makes to a young person living away from home for the first time. I pay attention, I take concerns seriously, and I do not wait until something is already a problem before raising it.
I keep my numbers deliberately small and I publish them. It means every family gets real, consistent attention. Not a handover to a colleague, not a generic update, but a genuine relationship built over time. I am based in Canterbury, around 40 minutes from Ashford School by car.
If you would like to talk through whether this is the right fit for your family, I would be glad to hear from you. There is no commitment. Just an honest conversation.
Why Families Choose a Small, Local Guardianship Service
Choosing a guardian for your child is a significant decision. There is nothing wrong with larger national organisations, and for some families they are the better choice. But if you are comparing options, this is what a small, local service looks like in practice.
| What Home From Home Canterbury Offers | What This Means for Your Family |
|---|---|
| One consistent guardian | I am your single point of contact throughout. No handovers, no changes of staff, no confusion about who to call. The person who answers your first email is the person who meets the plane and sits in the parents' evening. |
| Published capacity | Two homestay places, and a maximum of two guardianship placements concurrently. No competitor I know of publishes any number at all. |
| Around 40 minutes from the school | Ashford School accepts a guardian living up to 120 minutes away by car. I am well inside that limit, and I am honest that Ashford is at the outer edge of the area I cover. |
| Direct communication | You have my personal contact details, not a central office number |
| No charge for turning up | No mileage charge for local journeys with a student. School welfare meetings are included, while any additional parent-requested attendance is agreed in advance in line with the service selected. |
| Trained to notice | As a qualified counsellor and MBACP member who qualified in 2012 and has extensive experience supporting young people, I am equipped to notice when a young person is finding things difficult, even when they have not said so |
| AEGIS accredited | Home From Home Canterbury was independently inspected in June 2026 against recognised professional standards. You can verify it yourself at aegisuk.net. |
| Continuity of care | The same guardian throughout your child's time at school, building a real relationship with the student and the family over years rather than terms |
AEGIS Accredited
Home From Home Canterbury achieved AEGIS accreditation in June 2026 following an independent inspection. AEGIS is the independent body that sets and monitors quality standards for guardianship organisations across the UK, covering safeguarding, communication, homestay accommodation and pastoral care.
When you choose an AEGIS accredited guardianship organisation, you are choosing a service that has been independently assessed against a recognised professional standard rather than one that simply says it meets it. Ashford School directs families and agents to the AEGIS register when looking for an accredited guardianship organisation.
You can check the AEGIS register directly at aegisuk.net.
What It Costs
My fees are published in full. There is no quotation process, no "prices on request" and no charge for the things a guardian should simply do. You can see everything, including homestay rates and what is and is not included, on the pricing page.
Questions Parents Ask
How far are you from Ashford School?
Around 40 minutes by car from Canterbury. Ashford School accepts a guardian living within 120 minutes' travel of the school by car, and most national providers work at exactly that distance. I am well inside the school's limit. Ashford does sit at the outer edge of the area I cover, and I would rather say that plainly than have you find out in an emergency.
Why does my child need a guardian if Ashford School already provides pastoral care?
Ashford School's pastoral provision is genuine and attentive. Guardianship provides a separate, additional layer of UK-based support, particularly for the things that fall outside the school's direct responsibility. That includes half-term and holiday arrangements where they form part of the agreed guardianship arrangement, being a named emergency contact available to you at all times, supporting travel arrangements, and providing the kind of individual, ongoing communication that a school with many families to support cannot always manage. Ashford School's published terms require every international student who needs a UK guardian to appoint one, and I would always suggest confirming the current position directly with Ashford School.
How many students do you look after?
I take a maximum of two homestay students at any one time. AEGIS permits three students in one household and I take two. That is a deliberate choice. My guardianship list, which includes students who do not stay with me, is separate: I accept a maximum of two guardianship placements concurrently. I publish both numbers, and if I do not have capacity I will tell you honestly from the outset.
Where will my child stay at half-term and during school holidays?
Half-term accommodation can form part of the agreed guardianship arrangement. Where it does, your child stays with me, in my Canterbury home, which was inspected as part of Home From Home Canterbury's AEGIS accreditation. Because there are only two places, it is the same room and the same house every time. Additional holiday homestay may be available by prior arrangement and is confirmed individually for that year. Christmas and Easter availability is limited. Summer is by arrangement. I confirm every arrangement in writing fourteen days ahead with you and with the school, and we will have talked through what suits your child before anything begins.
How will you keep us informed?
Regularly and directly. You will have my personal contact details, not a central office number. We agree the format and frequency at the start, around what works for your family. Some families prefer a regular call, others prefer written updates. I write even when there is nothing to report, because an unprompted "all is well" is worth more than a detailed report after something has gone wrong.
Is Home From Home Canterbury AEGIS accredited?
Yes. Accreditation was awarded in June 2026 following an independent inspection. You can verify it directly on the AEGIS register at aegisuk.net.
What happens in a genuine emergency?
I am the named emergency contact for every student I support and I answer at any hour. Because I am around 40 minutes away by car, I can get to the school, which matters more than a phone number that is answered somewhere else. I am the adult appointed to attend and assist, and I hold the medical information, contact details and your recorded wishes about information sharing from the point of onboarding. Authorisation does not override a young person's own rights to consent or confidentiality. [CHECK AGAINST FINAL AGREEMENT] A full emergency procedure is in place and was independently reviewed as part of Home From Home Canterbury's AEGIS accreditation.
Can you visit my child at Ashford School?
Yes, and there is no charge for it. I attend parents' evenings and relevant school meetings on your behalf and send you a written summary afterwards. Any liaison with school staff is handled with the necessary permissions and the agreement of all parties.
What happens if you are ill or unavailable?
I am one person, and that is a fair question to ask. I have vetted emergency cover in place, which was reviewed as part of Home From Home Canterbury's AEGIS accreditation, and your child's records are kept in a form that whoever is covering can pick up and use immediately. You would be told in advance whenever cover applies. If you would rather have a large organisation with an office team behind it, I will say so honestly on our first call, and I will tell you who I would recommend instead.
Ready to Find Out More?
Book a short call with me. No commitment, no pressure. Just an honest conversation about your child and what they need. You will be speaking to me, not to an assistant.