About College Guardians

Jane Eldridge - Director of Guardianship Services

Jane, our Director of Guardianship Services has spent time living and working abroad in Serbia, Croatia, Taiwan and Thailand. She has first-hand experience of the issues and concerns that face parents when making the decision to send their children to the UK to be educated. Jane has recently been elected to be a member of the AEGIS Advisory Committee. Jane has two boys both of whom are being educated at independent schools with large boarding communities. She has a sound understanding of the UK boarding school system and realises the importance of ensuring that children are in a happy and caring environment which will enhance and support their educational experience in the UK.

jane@collegeguardians.co.uk

Telephone + 44 (0)1684 581600

Caroline Lloyd - Guardianship Manager 

Caroline, our Guardianship Manager has experience of working within boys and girls boarding houses as well as in primary education. She therefore understands the need to provide a supportive and caring environment in order for children to thrive. She has two children, both at boarding schools within the UK and enjoys travelling. She has recently travelled to Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and America. Caroline was educated at an all girls school and then went on to study Classics at Royal Holloway University and has now also completed her Level 3 safeguarding training.

Caroline@collegeguardians.co.uk

Telephone + 44 (0)1684 581600

Mel Aitchison - Guardianship Coordinator

Mel Aitchison is the Guardianship Coordinator, based at Malvern College. Mel has more than 24 years of experience working in Higher Education, liaising with staff and students at international colleges.  She has also worked closely with students in the UK, helping them to find school placements.

Mel’s background is in IT and she has a Postgraduate Diploma in Technology for Teaching and Learning.  She enjoys walking on the Malvern Hills, yoga and gardening.

mel@collegeguardians.co.uk

Telephone + 44 (0)1684 581600

Jane Collinson - North East

Jane Collinson joined College Guardians in 2017. Jane has over 25 years of experience of working with young people accessing education opportunities. With a background in caring, she is passionately committed to ensuring all young people receive the support they require to be happy and fulfil their potential.

Jane lives in Newcastle with her husband and they have 2 daughters, one at University and one on a Gap year. The family love to travel and have enjoyed hosting foreign students.

janecollinson@collegeguardians.co.uk

Telephone + 44 (0)1684 581600

Sophia George - London & South East

Sophia has been part of the College Guardians team since January 2015. She has been working with young people for over 20 years teaching voice, music and drama. Sophia trained at the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music in London and worked for a number of years as a professional actor in the West End more recently producing theatre. She is very involved in theatre in Brighton and Hove with productions in both the Brighton and Edinburgh Festivals. Sophia and her family regularly host foreign students and enjoy welcoming young people from all around the world into their home. 

Sophia@collegeguardians.co.uk

Telephone + 44 (0)1684 581600

Kirsty King - York & North East

Kirsty is based in Yorkshire where she lives with her husband and two young children. Kirsty was educated at an independent boarding school, she graduated from Cambridge University with a Bachelor of Education and currently enjoys providing regular learning support in her local primary school. Kirsty loves her role as a guardian, she is passionate about providing first class support so that each child can reach their full potential. Kirsty has enjoyed travelling throughout South East Asia, Australasia and Europe.

kirsty@collegeguardians.co.uk

Telephone + 44 (0)1684 581600

Jo Charing - Liverpool & North West

Jo Charing lives in Liverpool and has more than 25 years experience working in further and higher education in teaching, mentoring and management roles. She currently works for the NHS on a sessional basis providing advice to committees who recruit and assess medical students and trainee doctors and dentists. She combines this with her role as College Guardian.
She loves working with, and spending time with young people and understands how important it is to provide them with reliable, caring support especially when they are living away from home.  She has been happily married for 32 years and has a daughter aged 28 who is settled in Leeds and a son aged 22 who recently graduated from University and is currently working abroad.  She has travelled widely in Europe, America, Australia and the Far East, including China and Japan. Later this year she will be visiting The Middle East and India & Sri Lanka.

jo@collegeguardians.co.uk

Telephone + 44 (0)1684 581600

Frances McMillan - Scotland

Frances worked most of her life with British Airways (20 years) traveling all over the world, so she does have experience, understanding and a keen interest in nationalities and cultures from around the world. She loved her experiences there. She lived in the south of England for several years but now live back in her home town, just outside Glasgow. She has two children, a son at university in Glasgow and a daughter much younger at primary school level. She is really enjoying her new role with the international students. She looks forward to meeting and getting to know them better each time. How nice it is to do this as a job.

frances@collegeguardians.co.uk

Telephone + 44 (0)1684 581600

Annabel Rusling - London & South East

Annabel lives near Tunbridge Wells on the Kent/Sussex border and can access all the South East within 1.5 hours. She has a teenage son boarding at a large boys school in Kent and two younger children that attend a local Prep School. She loves her role with College Guardians and enjoys using her first hand experience and knowledge of schools in the South East. In her spare time she takes her PAT (Pets as Therapy) dog to nursing homes. She also loves travel -especially to Asia and Africa where she worked in a Primary School.

annabel@collegeguardians.co.uk

Telephone + 44 (0)1684 581600

Fiona Wood - South West

Fiona joined College Guardians in January 2019 after a long and rewarding career in English teaching. She has taught in independent schools in Hampshire, Stavanger in Norway, Jersey in the Channel Islands and most recently at Malvern College where she was a member of the English department and a boarding house tutor for a number of years. Her wide experience of working with young people as both a teacher and in a pastoral role in boarding houses, has given her a good insight into the importance of a happy and caring environment for young people to thrive and reach their full potential in all walks of life.

Fiona lives in Cheltenham and is married with three grown-up children, all of whom have flown the nest since graduating from university. She loves theatre, books and experiencing other cultures, having travelled to many European countries, the USA, Dubai and India.

fiona.wood@collegeguardians.co.uk

Telephone + 44 (0)1684 581600

Bei Bei Jiang - Chinese Student Support

Bei Bei has joined College Guardians as a guardianship coordinator since 2015. She has abundant work experience with international students. Previously being a foreign student who came to study in the UK, she has a clear understanding of both the British and Chinese culture and education systems. Bei Bei graduated with a masters degree in computing. She speaks and writes both English and Mandarin. Bei Bei has two young boys both studying in a local primary school. She loves cooking, gardening and travelling.

beibei@collegeguardians.co.uk

Telephone + 44 (0)1684 581600

Khun Nop - Thailand

Khun Nop, joined College Guardians as our Thailand Representative in October 2016. Currently living in Bangkok, Nop worked as an Educational Counsellor for 10 years, a role in which she supported Thai students who were looking to study overseas. Looking after students of all ages, from high school through to university who wish to study in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Nop thoroughly enjoys working with parents and students to ensure they’re happy with our care and support.

nop@collegeguardians.co.uk

Victoria Walker - Commercial Accountant

Victoria is our Commercial Accountant and deals with the finance side of the business. As a qualified management accountant, she has previously worked in the defence industry and for a retail design company as well as running her own business before joining College Guardians. She has two teenage children at a local secondary school and enjoys sewing and knitting in her spare time. 

vicki@collegeguardians.co.uk

Telephone + 44 (0)1684 581577