Guardianship and Homestay

A safe and friendly environment awaits you in Melbourne

Homestay

Many International Students studying at Ivanhoe Grammar School have relatives in Melbourne who can assist in providing homestay accommodation.

Students are not permitted to live independently or without adult supervision.

The School has an extensive and closely monitored homestay network supervised by the Dean of International Students and the Homestay Coordinator.  Homestays are expected to provide full board and a level of care and supervision appropriate to the age of the student.  The Homestay Coordinator makes regular visits to homestays throughout the year.

Students make application for homestay at the time of accepting a place in the School.  The School works with two homestay placement agencies:

• Student Accommodation Services (SAS), and
  
• Southern Cross Homestay. 
  

Click here for the SAS Homestay Request Form .
Click here for the link to the Southern Cross Form.

Every effort is made by the homestay placement agencies to fulfil the requests of students as closely as possible.  Students should expect to travel to School for 30 to 40 minutes on good public transport. 

Guardianship

The School requires all International Students enrolled at the School, irrespective of age, to have a guardian for the duration of their enrolment.  Guardians are required to oversee all aspects of the student’s welfare while at school in Australia.  These include:

• regular ongoing contact with the student – weekly telephone contact and fortnightly face to face contact at the least
• ensuring that all financial obligations for the student’s education are met
• signing all documents on behalf of the parent(s) of the student as the parents’ legal representative
• ensuring that all significant medical needs of the student are met and that the School and parents are kept informed
• liaising with the School on behalf of the student and their parents concerning any grievances the student may have
• notifying the School of any unresolved grievances
• meeting with teachers at appropriate Parent/Teacher evenings (and other meetings which may be called from time to time) to discuss the academic progress of the student and reporting these comments back to the parents
• acting as a contact person for the School and the parents
• being familiar with homestay and school rules and supporting the School in the application of these.

There are three acceptable categories of guardianship.

1. Some students may have a relative in Melbourne who is able to fulfil this role.  If the parents are nominating a family member as guardian, this person must be over 25 years of age and the parents must supply the following to the Director of Ivanhoe International:
   
   • A letter appointing the relative as guardian, including the name, address, telephone numbers (home, work and mobile) and email address of the relative
   
   
   • Documentary evidence that the relative is a blood relative of the student
2. If parents wish to appoint a family friend as guardian, this person must be over 25 years of age and the parents must supply the following to the Director of Ivanhoe International –
   
   • A letter appointing the family friend as guardian, including the name, address, telephone numbers (home, work and mobile) and email address of the family friend
   
   
   • Evidence that the family friend has a Working With Children card.
3. Paid professional guardianship is required in all other circumstances.  The School recommends the following Guardianship companies. 

Educare Services Australia (ESA) 
www.esaonline.com.au
(Alison and Ken Taylor, Directors)

International Student Alliance (ISA)
www.studentguardians.com
(Ivan McKinney, Director)

Le Le Wang Student Care
www.llwstudentcare.com
(Le Le Wang, Director)

Melbourne Migration and Education Centre (MMEC)
www.mmec.com.au
(Sarah Cheng, Director)

Parents are required to select one of these companies and make the necessary arrangements.  The Director of Ivanhoe International must be advised of guardianship arrangements prior to the issue of the Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) and the Confirmation of Appropriate Accommodation/Welfare letter (CAAW).

• in categories 1 and 2 above, payment arrangements, as appropriate, will be made between the parents and the guardian
• in category 3 above, the Guardianship Company will invoice Ivanhoe Grammar School, the School will pay the company and the costs will be passed on to the family via the student’s account.