Under-18s living in England are considered by law to be children, which means we have additional responsibilities towards younger students. To fulfil this duty of care, we have made special arrangements for younger students.

Pastoral care for students

When you arrive at University, you are assigned a personal tutor, who will guide you through your years at the University. You will receive appropriate pastoral care, and you can access a range of specialist services for additional support.

Parent/guardian declaration form

Parents or guardians are required to complete and sign the parent/guardian declaration form (PDF, 204kB)‌ for applicants to submit to the admissions team through their applicant portal. The form covers certain conditions, some of which are listed below.

Parent/guardian responsibility

Offers are made on the condition that parents or guardians accept that the University cannot assume parental responsibility for students under the age of 18.

Emergency contact

Details of a UK-based emergency contact must be included. This contact can be:

• A UK-based parent or legal guardian
• A UK-based friend of a family member
• A guardianship organisation with gold-standard accreditation from AEGIS (aegisuk.net)

If the University deems it necessary to contact a student’s Emergency Contact, it may involve sensitive information being shared, for example, information concerning the student’s well-being or physical or mental health. This will only be done when it is necessary in order to put appropriate support in place. It will be undertaken in line with the Emergency Contract Procedure as well as other University policies and all legal requirements.

It is important that any nominated emergency contact, including guardianship organisations, understands this commitment and agrees to provide this level of support if necessary.

Accommodation

Students aged under 18 who firmly accept an offer from the University can apply for accommodation under the terms of the accommodation guarantee. We will consider which type of accommodation is most appropriate for under-18s and let you know the accommodation options.

Alcohol

We take reasonable steps to ensure that the law is observed on licensed premises on the University campus, but ultimate responsibility lies with parents or guardians. Younger students therefore need to be aware that it is illegal for under-18s to buy or be sold alcohol.

Holding positions of responsibility

Students aged under 18 are not permitted to hold positions of responsibility, whether in external organisations or in University clubs or associations.

Staff responsibilities

If a student under the age of 18 accepts an offer from the University, we will inform all the relevant departmental staff of their responsibilities under the University’s child protection policy. This includes special measures in relation to field trips or potentially hazardous activities.