Terms and Conditions
Statement of Terms and Conditions of Agreement between Oxford Guardians Ltd and the Parents.
The Terms and Conditions should be looked at in conjunction with Oxford Guardians’ Application, Registration and Medical Forms.
1. Introduction
- Oxford Guardians is set up to provide guardianship services for international children and young adults in full time education in the United Kingdom.
- Oxford Guardians is a limited company. Company Registration number: 06984818
- Registered office address: 1 Lucas Bridge Business Park, 1 Old Greens Norton Road, Towcester, NN12 8AY, UK
- Trading address: The HIF, Gayton, Northampton, NN7 3EY, UK
2. Oxford Guardians’ responsibilities
Oxford Guardians undertakes to act in the best interest of the child and the parents in matters relating to the child’s education, health and welfare in as far as can be reasonably expected using the knowledge Oxford Guardians’ has of the situation, specifically:
i. To liaise actively with the school, host family and parents in order
to provide for the child’s welfare at school and in the host family
ii. To act on behalf of the parents during term time and any specified
holiday times out with the term dates in matters relating to welfare,
administration and liaising between school and parent, school and host
family/homestay, school and child, child and homestay.
iii. To act on behalf of parents where permission is required from the
school for activities by the child at school
iv. To act on behalf of parents where permission is required from the
host family for activities by the child at the host family
v. To provide host family accommodation for the child during exeats and
school holidays as required by the parents and subject to full payment
of host family fees by the parents.
vi. In the case of a child attending a day school, to ensure that suitable
home stay accommodation is provided.
vii. Oxford Guardians will ensure that all its personnel including host
families and drivers have undergone the proper legal checks for working
and being in contact with children under the age of 16. Oxford Guardians
pays particular attention to checking previous records, however, Oxford
Guardians cannot ultimately be held responsible for any unforeseen action
by the host family or school.
viii. To arrange transport for the child within the UK as required by
the child, parent or school and subject to payment of transport expenses
in full
ix. Oxford Guardians will try to ensure that the school and parents are
kept informed of the child’s intention to travel independently of
the school, parents or homestay subject to Oxford Guardians’ awareness
of these movements.
3. Oxford Guardians Services
Oxford Guardians undertakes to provide a range of services within its
Premium and Main Services. These services may be summarised as follows:
i. To support the child in his or her stay in the UK
ii. To help the child to settle into his/her new school
iii. To ensure that a suitable host family is provided
iv. To support the health & welfare needs of the child during his/her
stay in the UK
v. To support the child’s academic progress, working with the child’s
school
vi. To arrange transport as required for the child’s transfer from
and to the school and host family
4. Parents’ responsibilities
i. The parents confirm that Oxford Guardians are the persons legally
entitled to act as guardians to their child. The delegation of this power
is only for the duration of the time when the child is under the guardianship
of Oxford Guardians and when the child is not under direct control of
the parents. If the child is absent from school or host family without
the agreement of Oxford Guardians, Oxford Guardians will be released from
their duties.
ii. The parents authorise Oxford Guardians to act in the best interests
of the child at school in matters relating to health, welfare, conduct
and educational performance.
iii. The parents should support the proper behaviour of their child when
staying with the host family or being transported by an Oxford Guardians’
driver.
iv. The parents must undertake to provide Oxford Guardians with as full
knowledge as possible about the child’s previous medical and welfare
history.
v. The parents must complete the Oxford Guardians application and registration
and medical form to the best of their knowledge. The parents must sign
the consent forms allowing Oxford Guardians to act on their behalf in
the event of medical emergency and in the event of not being able to contact
the parents
vi. The parents are responsible for all fees properly payable for guardianship
and related services in accordance with the provisions set out in the
List of Fees.
vii. The parents shall not act in such a way as to prevent Oxford Guardians
from carrying out its obligations under this agreement in a proper and
reasonable manner.
viii. The parents are responsible for ensuring that appropriate insurance
cover is taken out for the child, i.e. travel, medical, personal injury,
cover for accidents, damage to computers, other belongings etc. Oxford
Guardians can assist them in doing so if requested by the Parents. Any
damage incurred by the child to school or host family will be invoiced
to the parents.
ix. The parents should ensure that the child complies with all rules,
regulations, terms and conditions of the school and all other reasonable
requirements of the school and, if required by the school, to provide
written acceptance of its rules, regulations and terms and conditions.
x. The parents indemnify Oxford Guardians against all costs, claims and
other losses, which may arise by reason of Oxford Guardians’ reasonable
exercise of any discretion or other authority given to it.
5. Finance
i. Non-refundable registration fee: This single-payment fee covers the
processing of the child’s registration with our guardianship services.
It is a one-off fee and must be sent to us together with the registration
and medical form. It also covers our legal check expenses such as the
Criminal Records Bureau’s fee, personal host family visit, references
and spot checks which aim to ensure the child’s safety and welfare.
ii. Oxford Guardians Premium or Main Service Fee: These fees cover our
guardianship fees at the level chosen by the parents and as specified
in our ‘List of Fees’ and do not cover any additional expenses.
iii. Initial Deposit for your Child’s expenses in the UK and subsequent
deposits: This is the amount paid before the beginning of each term to
cover the child’s expenditure which is not included in school or
guardianship fees.
iv. Once the balance of the deposit falls below £ 250.00 parents
are required to top it up. All expenses will be itemised and parents will
receive a termly statement.
v. Payment policy: Prices are inclusive of Value Added Tax, unless otherwise
stated. Our fees are payable in GBP sterling before commencement of each
term. All bank charges must be paid by the parents. At the end of the
academic year the balance of the deposit will either be carried over to
the next year or reimbursed at the end of the contract. A term’s
notice is required for termination of contract.
vi. Details of Oxford Guardians’ Bank Account may be found on the
registration form.
6. Insurance
Oxford Guardians cannot accept any responsibility to the school or the host family for any acts or omissions of the child and it is therefore compulsory that each child has his/her own third party insurance. Any damage incurred by the child to school or host family will be invoiced to the parents. Therefore, the parents are responsible for ensuring that appropriate insurance cover is taken out for the child, i.e. travel, medical, personal injury, cover for accidents, damage to computers, other belongings etc. The parents can organise the appropriate insurance cover independently, or Oxford Guardians can assist the parents in doing so if requested.
7. Termination
i. Termination of this contract must be made in writing by either the
parent or Oxford Guardians with one term’s notice. If one term’s
notice is not given, the parents will be liable for one term’s guardianship
fees.
ii. In the event of the child behaving in a persistently unreasonable
way, which may or may not result in expulsion, Oxford Guardians will endeavour
to act in the best interest of the parents and the child to reasonably
resolve such a matter.
iii. However, in the event of the child being expelled by the school in
accordance with its rules and regulations Oxford Guardians shall immediately
be released from all its obligations to the parents or the child under
the terms of this agreement and the parent shall not be entitled to any
refund of fees. Any fresh arrangement for the Student following expulsion
must be the subject of separate negotiation between the Parents and Oxford
Guardians.
iv. In the event of the child not being expelled by the school, but the
child being guilty of persistent unreasonable behaviour or behaviour of
seriously unreasonable nature, under circumstances where Oxford Guardian
acting reasonably shall no longer be prepared to accept responsibility
for the child, Oxford Guardians may terminate this agreement forthwith
by notice in writing to the parents, in which event Oxford Guardians shall
immediately be released from all its obligations
8. Exclusion of Oxford Guardians’ liability
i. Whilst Oxford Guardians will be pleased to assist the child and the
parents in obtaining any visas and any other entry or re-entry documents
which may be required for the child, or in complying with any statutory
entry or re-entry requirements, Oxford Guardians cannot accept any responsibility
for such matters and any legal responsibility shall rest with the parents
and the child.
ii. Whilst Oxford Guardians will take proper care in selecting the host
family, Oxford Guardians cannot accept responsibility for the actions
of the host family in relation to the child.
iii. Oxford Guardians cannot accept any responsibility to the parents
or the child for any acts or omissions of the school relating to the child
as the school will only be selected by the consent of the parent.
iv. Oxford Guardians cannot accept any responsibility to the school or
the host family for any acts or omissions of the child and it is therefore
compulsory that each child has his/her own third party insurance.
9. Change of School
Oxford Guardians will act in accordance with any reasonable requirements of the parents in connection with any change of school for the child and in particular Oxford Guardians will not transfer the child to another school without the written consent of the parent. As an educational guardianship agency the parents may seek advice from Oxford Guardians who will monitor the child’s performance and progress. However, the final decision to change school will come from the parent.
10. Photographs
We wish to take photographs for sending back to the parents and for identification purposes, and sometimes we would like to use these in our promotional material i.e. brochure, our website. Parents are required to inform us in writing if they do not agree to this.
11. English Law
The contractual arrangements between the parents and Oxford Guardians Limited are governed exclusively by English Law. The parents acknowledge that English Law may be different from the law of their own country, e.g. in respect of race relations or sex discrimination.
12. General
These Terms and Conditions are applicable to the period of the guardianship agreed by the parents and Oxford Guardians, and as such it is to be understood that Oxford Guardians will have parental responsibility only for the period of the agreement.
THESE TERMS AND CONDITONS ARE PROVISIONAL, PENDING LEGAL CONFIRMATION.
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