The UK’s leading organisations for boarding schools and guardianship for international students have announced a ground-breaking partnership to promote higher standards.

The Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA) and the Association for the Education and Guardianship for International Students (AEGIS) are to work together formally to ensure greater awareness of good practice in guardianship within schools, and accreditation of organisations providing guardianship services.

Under the partnership, AEGIS and BSA will remain separate organisations. But AEGIS Chair Dr Helen Wright will attend board meetings of BSA, BSA CEO Robin Fletcher will attend meetings of AEGIS trustees, and AEGIS Executive Officer Yasemin Wigglesworth will join BSA’s Senior Leadership Team.

In a joint statement, Dr Helen Wright and BSA Chair Martin Reader said: “AEGIS and BSA are very excited by this ground-breaking partnership. BSA is the world’s leading boarding organisation, while AEGIS is the leader in the field of guardianship for international students. Working in partnership means AEGIS and BSA and ensure standards of guardianship are consistently high and improving.”

London-based BSA was founded in 1965 and represents over 560 boarding schools across the world. Its services include professional development, government relations, communications, media, publications, conferences and events.

Gloucestershire-based AEGIS was founded in 1994 and promotes the safety, welfare and education of international students aged 18 or under. The core work of AEGIS is the accreditation of guardianship organisations through a rigorous programme of inspections, led by independent school inspectors. AEGIS currently has 45 accredited guardianship organisations in membership.