About Us
School Knowledge
Our team have an excellent knowledge of the UK education system. All members of our team are highly educated.
All our guardians live very close to the schools that our students attend.
English Country Guardians are committed to helping students achieve their best at school. We aim to help our students take full advantage of the opportunities available to them. We collaborate with schools to ensure that our students receive the support they need at each stage of their education.
Trustworthy
English Country Guardians is a fully accredited to Gold Standard by AEGIS. The rigorous inspection by AEGIS ensures we provide you with the highest quality of Guardianship.
The BSA awarded Certified Guardian status to English Country Guardians to assure parents that we provide the professional service level required by boarding schools in the UK.
" With its overriding commitment to helping overseas students achieve the very best from their education in the UK, English Country Guardians provides an excellent standard of educational guardianship. Each student is known personally and helped individually at every stage. Students, overseas parents, host families and schools are all equally complimentary of the high levels of professionalism and the fine quality of care and support they receive. "
AEGIS Inspection Statement
The ECG Team
Joanna Winstanley
Principal & Guardian, for students in Surrey and Kent
English Country Guardians is led by Joanna Winstanley, the safeguarding lead and a qualified teacher with over 20 years of experience. She has an outstanding knowledge of the English education system and the needs of international students. Her own 3 children have all attended Oxford or Cambridge.
Helen Wu
Guardian & Safer Recruitment
Helen came to the UK from Mainland China to study for her Masters degree in 2002. Speaking both Mandarin and Cantonese, Helen helps parents and schools with understanding language and culture. Helen is responsible for safer recruitment and ensuring that host families and drivers are committed to keeping students safe from harm.
Kammy Chong
Guardian
Originally from Hong Kong, Kammy came to the UK to study for a degree in Human Resource Management and Marketing. Kammy has worked in a law firm but now enjoys working in the ECG office and being a Guardian for students when they are away from home.
Mari Hellman
Guardian
Mari came from Finland with a Masters degree in Economics and Business Administration. Her own sons both attended UK boarding schools before studying at Bath and Cambridge University. Mari enjoys being a Guardian and helps ECG students achieve their goals.
Roger Winstanley
Finance
After a career in the finance industry, Roger now organises all the financial matters for English Country Guardians. With a degree in Physics, Roger enjoys sharing his keen interest in Science, Maths, Geography and History with students.
Hayley Harris
Guardian & Safeguarding Deputy
Hayley is a a qualified Senior Paediatric nurse. She is highly experienced and trained in all aspects of child safety and care. Hayley is the Deputy Safeguarding Lead and is Guardian for students in the Cheltenham area.
Maki Sumitomo – Wyatt
Guardian
Maki came from Japan to study Business at university, worked in a Japanese Bank in London, established a Maths tutoring company and helped her own 3 children excel in the UK education system. Maki now enjoys being a Guardian, helps our Japanese parents with any language issues and teaches ECG students how to make sushi!
Kind Host families
Host families are very important members of the English Country Guardians Team. Working with a Guardian, host families care for students in their own homes when schools are closed. English Country Guardian Host Families are different ages and backgrounds, but they are all professional people with experience of living or working with teenagers.
Selected Professional Drivers
Carefully selected professional drivers complete the English Country Guardians Team who support our students in the UK. Our drivers enjoy meeting and helping our students during their travels in the UK – whether it is to the airport, homestay or to school. Our drivers have vehicles of all sizes and can help when parents visit too.
Testimonials
" Our family feel extremely fortunate to have been given a chance to work with you.
In every situation, from as difficult as removing appendicitis to as natural as organizing birthday balloons - your work ethic was impeccable and all of your actions came from the bottom of your heart. We can't thank you enough for it! "
Parent from Kazakhstan
" I wish to express my deepest appreciation and gratefulness for your professional guardianship provided to our son throughout these two years. Your caring, prompt and useful advice have helped to calm me down and give me in comfort in dealing with issues like his sickness and the preparation for the Oxbridge etc."
Mother from Hong Kong
Student now at Oxford
“My husband and I are extremely satisfy with the service provide from EGC. You and your team are really kind, competent and quick to solve problems.”
Mother From Hong Kong
" You are a truly an excellent guardian. Our students are lucky to have you. "
Head of Boarding & Co-Curricular
Independent Co-Ed School
You have been right there, helping out whenever needed in our tough time. Our Guardian and the ECG team always provides the great support to us at all times.”
Parent from China