How to Know Online Schools in the UK In the UK, the number of online schools that offer private secondary education for as little as £4,000 a year has grown over the past 20 years. But could a virtual school ever replace a real one? WhichSchoolAdvisor.com goes into detail about what it’s like to go to school full-time online, what to look for when choosing an online school, and what options students in the UK have.
5 British Online Schools: Even though there are a lot of schools in the UK that offer distance learning, only a few of them have a structured school day and teach the National Curriculum for England. To show the variety of online schools in the UK, we take a closer look at some of the oldest, newest, most prestigious, and most affordable schools that offer education online.
Harrow School Online is prestigious.
- 10th through 13th grade (16 to 18 years old)
- Fees are £15,750 per year for full-time students, which includes all entrance exam fees.
In September 2020, the famous and very prestigious Harrow School in the UK started an online sixth form that offered A Levels. Students from other countries who are 16 or older can get an education from one of the best private schools in the UK. For a fee of £15,000 a year, Harrow Online School offers one-on-one tutoring, live online lessons, and regular coaching sessions (USD 18,800).
People all over the world are interested in the online school, particularly in Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, China, Russia, and Nigeria.It adds to Harrow’s growth around the world. Schools have already opened in Hong Kong, Thailand, and China.
The virtual sixth form for both boys and girls focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and economics. Students prepare for their Pearson Edexcel International A Level exams, which universities all over the world recognise. Harrow Online School also has a virtual house system, extracurricular activities like a chess club and a student newspaper, and the chance to take a summer course at Harrow School. Every student is expected to take part in at least one real-life arts activity, a sports activity, and a volunteer project in their community. This helps students get to know each other.
Teaching is “based on the traditions and academic excellence of Harrow School” and is done by qualified teachers from the UK who are “trained to the same levels of excellence that Harrow School requires.”
Principal Heather Rhodes is in charge. She has worked at Harrow School for more than 10 years as the head of English as an Additional Language (EAL) and academic principal at Harrow School Short Courses (HSSC).
Heather Rhodes, the head of Harrow School Online, said: How to Know Online Schools in the UK
“We live in a world that is changing quickly, and education must change to meet the new challenges and reflect the lifestyles and goals of young people. It’s an honour to be at the forefront of this new chapter in education, and we’re happy to be working with Pearson to make it happen with their expertise in this area.”
- King’s InterHigh is well known.
- Year 3 through Year 13 (seven to 19 years-old)
- Fees range from £2,750 (Year 3) to £5,750 (Year 13); this does not include exam entrance fees.
The Inspired Education Group, which owns both King’s College Online and InterHigh, recently changed the name of this online school to King’s InterHigh. InterHigh was founded in 2005 and has become a well-known online school in the UK and UAE, while King’s College Online just opened in October 2020 for students in China and New Zealand.
It has about 1,500 students from all over the world, and 30% of them come from outside the UK. It accepts boys and girls ages 7 to 19, and offers primary, secondary, IGCSE, and A-Level courses from Years 3 to 13.
How to Know Online Schools in the UK How to Know Online Schools in the UK How to Know Online Schools in the UK How to Know Online Schools in the UK
Classes are small (no more than 18–19 students), all lessons are live and recorded, and lessons are usually two hours a week per subject. Each subject has a lead lesson, which is like a lecture, and two follow lessons, which are like tutorials.
King’s InterHigh accepts students from all over the world, but keep in mind that most lessons are between 8:30 am and 5:15 pm UK time. It is a non-selective school and sixth form, so there are no entrance exams, but students must be able to speak English well.
Most of the teachers are from the UK. They all have a lot of experience and know a lot about the UK curriculum and the British education system.
From King’s InterHigh:
Because of the way we teach, disruptions and bad behaviour are a thing of the past. Students can focus on their learning without being interrupted, and they can always send the teacher a message with their questions, comments, or ideas. Outside of class, there are a lot of ways to get involved. We have a wide variety of clubs and societies, as well as courses for people with specific interests. Our students can talk about what they like in the common room.
Minerva’s Virtual Academy for Mentoring. How to Know Online Schools in the UK
Years 9 and 10 (12 to 14 years old) can join. The Year 11 A Level programme will start in September 2022.
Fees are £6,500 per year, and you can pay termly or every month.
This online secondary school was started in October 2020 by the homeschooling and private tutoring company Minerva Tutors. It currently offers an online GCSE programme for students in Years 9 and 10. Math, English literature, English language, biology, chemistry, physics, geography, history, computer science, French, and Spanish are just some of the subjects that are taught.
The school teaches through scheduled live lessons—eight one-hour lessons a week in an online group class with a teacher. Each student has a personal mentor who they meet with twice a month for one-on-one mentoring sessions. Some extracurricular activities are making art or movies, having a weekly wellness session, or having an assembly for the whole school. How to Know Online Schools in the UK How to Know Online Schools in the UK How to Know Online Schools in the UK How to Know Online Schools in the UK How to Know Online Schools in the UK
From the school:
It’s the perfect school for the 21st century because it combines smart technology and interesting online resources with one-on-one help, active group learning, and exciting projects that involve more than one subject. We give students the freedom to learn from the comfort of their own homes, anywhere in the world. We also make sure they learn the social skills they’ll need to have happy lives and do well in the jobs of the future. How to Know Online Schools in the UK How to Know Online Schools in the UK
Cambridge Home School is picky.
Year 4 through Year 13 (eight to 18 years-old)
Fees are £4,000 for primary (Years 4-6) and £9,000 for secondary and sixth form. This does NOT include exam entrance fees.
This online school is based in Cambridge and uses what it calls the “best parts” of the National Curriculum for England and the Cambridge school curriculum to give students ages 8 to 18 a challenging and rigorous education up to Cambridge International GCSEs and A Levels.
There is a daily timetable of live lessons, and students are taught in very small classes of eight to ten. Students have access to an archive of video-recorded lessons to help with revision and catch-up, and parents have access to their child’s coursework, grades, and teacher feedback 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The school is very selective and says it is looking for “outstanding students with goals and dreams.” Students can submit a personal statement as part of the admissions process for an extra fee of £299, and there is often a long waiting list for places.
Students at Cambridge Home School are usually way ahead of their peers in regular schools because they haven’t had to deal with noisy classrooms, distractions, and teachers who are hard to hear. Teachers at Cambridge Home School have written units for exam boards and graded papers for years, so they know them better than anyone else.
- Wolsey Hall in Oxford is flexible and cheap.
- Year 1 through Year 13 (five to 18 years-old)
Fees are charged per subject. As a general rule, you can expect to pay around £4,000 to study nine IGCSEs over two years and around £2,100 to study three A Levels over two years. This does NOT include exam entrance fees.
Wolsey Hall offers primary courses for kids ages 5 to 10, lower secondary courses for kids ages 11 to 14, and IGCSE and level courses. This online school follows the Cambridge curriculum and starts teaching English, math, science, computing, geography, history, art, music, French, mindfulness, and PE in Year 1. You can choose how many subjects your child takes, and you pay for each subject. How to Know Online Schools in the UK How to Know Online Schools in the UK How to Know Online Schools in the UK
The school is one of the most affordable online schools in the UK, but there is a big difference: it doesn’t have a structured school day or a schedule of live lessons. Instead, your child will learn through a mix of online and offline studies. They will use course books for each subject, and they will also have access to the Canvas online system, which guides your child through each subject using quizzes, videos, websites, tutor-prepared material, assignment sheets, and more. How to Know Online Schools in the UK How to Know Online Schools in the UK
This type of on-demand online schooling requires more self-discipline and independence from the student. There is also very little social interaction between students. On the other hand, it is very flexible and will work for students living abroad or juggling studies with other obligations. Each student has a tutor who gives them feedback on their work within three to five working days and who they can talk to for help and advice.
From the school:
How to Know Online Schools in the UK “The Wolsey Hall learning system is a carefully balanced mix of online and offline study. We made it based on our many years of experience teaching homeschooled students. Wolsey Hall lets your child study from anywhere in the world. We now have students in over 90 countries around the world, from Australia to Zimbabwe.