Sutherland Education has arguably the longest history in providing guardianship, dating back to 1965, some unusual and intriguing family connections, and a philosophy of welfare that should put all parents at ease when sending their children to study in the UK.
The origins of Sutherland Education lie with Mrs Betty Sutherland, mother of its Principal, Andrew Sutherland. Mrs Sutherland was an enterprising person and a passionate advocate for educational achievement. After her postgraduate degree at Cambridge in dietetics and nutrition, in 1937 she was appointed as the Director of School Meals in the county of Surrey. Thereafter she developed a career as a professional curator of historic houses and gardens – becoming an expert in opening properties that had never been opened to the public before.
Bateman’s – home of the Sutherland family.
Bateman’s – Rudyard Kipling’s family home 1902 – 1936 and the home of the Sutherland family 1963-1981
The Sutherland family enjoyed the privilege of making Bateman’s their family home. It had become a National Trust property in 1939. A Jacobean mansion built in 1634, in East Sussex, it is famous for being the residence of Rudyard Kipling where he wrote the world-famous poem “If”.
Betty Sutherland started what is believed to be the first educational guardianship organisation in the UK, The Kith and Kind Association, in 1965 whilst working as the curator at Batemans.
With educational guardianship running in the Sutherland family, it is not surprising that having completed a teaching career as deputy head at Claremont School. Andrew Sutherland started Sutherland Education as a professional guardianship organisation in 1989.
At this time, there was a growing need for professional guardianship. In the 1960s and 70s, parents would use their network of connections arising out of their own education in the UK to find guardians. Children from countries such as India, Hong Kong and other commonwealth countries would be sent to be educated the UK, often following in their parent’s footsteps. They would be looked after by either contacts of the parents or families recommended by the school, or even the headmaster’s wife or perhaps the local vicar. This seemed to work well enough until, with the intake of students rapidly extending to countries outside the Commonwealth, the need for easily accessible guardianship services rose sharply. Hence, the founding of Sutherland Education by Andrew Sutherland in 1989, as a successor to The Kith and Kind Association.
Andrew Sutherland drew inspiration from one of Kipling’s most famous poems “The Ballad of East and West”:
“Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet, Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God’s great Judgement Seat; But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth, When two strong men stand face to face, though they come from the ends of the earth!”
Rudyard Kipling
These lines encapsulate the internationalist, no-borders approach adopted by Sutherland Education.
With this expansion to countries worldwide, and schools increasingly concerned about the appointment of a guardian, and with many more overseas parents not having any connections in the UK, the formation of a guardianship service was very timely.
Andrew Sutherland & an early student
The advent of Sutherland Education triggered the green shoots of a guardianship sector with ex-teachers starting their own guardianship organisations. Seeing the need for some kind of governance of guardianship services and ultimately accreditation, in 1991, Andrew Sutherland started to develop AEGIS (The Association for the Education and Guardianship of International Students).
A modernized design of a cat rampant
AEGIS was launched in the House of Lords in 1997. Second AEGIS leaflet released in 1999
There are now over 60 AEGIS inspected and accredited guardianship organisations. There are over 36,000 international students attending independent school in the UK today. Andrew Sutherland believes schools should alert parents to the need to choose AEGIS-accredited guardianship organisations for safeguarding reasons.
Andrew Sutherland worked voluntarily as the Honorary Secretary to AEGIS for 17 years helping to build its reputation and grow its membership. Meanwhile, Sutherland Education, along with other GO’s, was growing rapidly, with AEGIS giving both schools and parents a trusted sector of guardianship services.
A key to Sutherland Education’s level of commitment is its involvement in overseeing each student’s whole educational progress, as well as his or her welfare.
Sutherland Education celebrates a major milestone in 2025 – being the 60th anniversary of its involvement in guardianship.
“The high point of leading Sutherland Education is redressing the situations where students have been placed with families which have not worked out. It’s so important to get the right match of family and student and to make a change as soon as possible once requested. A lot of students need extra support and help, and parents are so relieved when we find the right support and the right family.”
Andrew Sutherland
Andrew Sutherland has also been involved with many charities concerned with the welfare of children. In 1980, seconded by Warner Brothers to Save the Children, he worked closely with Princess Anne, its then President, raising £280,000 for the charity in just one year, by organising mini fairs around the country to celebrate Bugs Bunny’s 50th anniversary.
It has been yet another privilege, Sutherland Education being permitted by the Sutherland Clan Association to use The Sutherland Clan Crest as its logo.
Mrs Betty Sutherland throughout the 1960s and 70s along with her four sons ran holiday camps at Dunrobin Castle for the Kith and Kind guardianship students. The young students were taught life skills through sailing, canoeing, mountain walking, orienteering, and rock climbing. The courses were supported by the then Countess of Sutherland
This arises out of the direct family connection with the Dukes and Countesses of Sutherland. Through this association, Sutherland Education has a hugely important reputation to establish and maintain, pursuing its philanthropic and altruistic aims in harmony with today’s activities of Clan Sutherland.
The motto “Sans Peur” is the motto of the clan and has been adopted by Sutherland Education as its motto, meaning – “Without Fear.” Parents, when choosing Sutherland Education, can send their children to the UK without fear.
