General FAQs about Online Schools
As technology continues to advance, online education has become an increasingly popular option for students of all ages. Whether your child is participating in a fully online program, taking individual courses online, or using technology to supplement their traditional education, there are a multitude of benefits to be gained from online learning. However, as a parent, understanding how to support and guide your child through their online educational journey is crucial. In this article, we will provide you with valuable information, tips, and resources to help you navigate the world of online education and ensure your child’s success in their online learning experience.
- How do Online Schools work?
Pupils at Benbridge Academy are invited to design their own learning journey based upon a UK style curriculum which is also designed to ensure that international students can succeed in all subject areas. Benbridge Academy’s well-qualified and highly experienced teachers provide stimulating and interactive lessons to ensure that all students engage in collaborative learning opportunities while receiving individual, one-to-one guidance from our subject specialists.
- Can I do online school rather than going to school in the UK?
Yes. All parents in the UK, the British Isles and across the world are entitled to choose to Homeschool their children or choose online education. In the UK and British Isles, parents simply have to inform the local authorities that they are electing to educate their children at home. Local educational bodies can request access to your set-up in order to fulfil monitoring regulations.
Benbridge Academy can support families who wish to enrol their children in our online school with this process and advise them accordingly.
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- Is Online Schooling legal in the UK?
Yes, Online Schooling is legal in the UK. In accordance with the 1996 Education Act, parents are afforded the opportunity to provide suitable education for their children. In order to fulfil their section 436A duty, local authorities are entitled to make informal enquiries of parents to establish what education is being provided. Benbridge Academy can support those who wish to enrol in our online school and advise them accordingly.
- What is the best online school in the UK?
For those parents seeking an excellent online school, Benbridge Academy offers the following checklist:
- A student centred ethos with wellbeing front and centre of all considerations
- Small class sizes to ensure that every student is the focus of consistent care and attention
- Innovative and engaging teaching methods from highly qualified and experienced subject specialists with a world of stimulating learning resources at their fingertips
- Bespoke, flexible timetables that provide the individual student with the right pathway
- 100% live and interactive lessons characterised by an individualised approach to learning
Why put your trust in online education?
The decision to leave behind traditional education represents a huge leap for most families. Benbridge Academy makes the following promises to assure our parents that the decision they have made is the right one:
- No Gimmicks or Hidden Fees
Our affordable, transparent fee structure sets out your costs for the academic year. We are all about honesty and integrity; we will not ask you for anything extra, or charge any fees for withdrawing your child. No gimmicks, no hidden fees, just high quality education.
- Consistency of Care from Admission to Alumni
As parents themselves, the founders of Benbridge Academy appreciate the importance of knowing that your child is recognised as an individual. We are committed to maintaining unwavering attention to your child’s needs and building relationships with families that will strengthen over time.
- Highest levels of Communication
At Benbridge Academy, we pride ourselves in our proactive and positive communication. All members of our team – from teachers to the Principal – will be available for informal chats, formal meetings or to provide information, whenever required, in order to support students and families through the learning journey.
Success depends upon open and transparent communication between the school, the student and their parents.
- Access all Areas
Some online schools charge different fees for different levels of access. As valued members of the Benbridge Academy school community, all students and their families will have 100% access to our learning platform, all resources, communication, assessment data and, more importantly, people. We operate a transparent, ‘open door’ policy that means we will be there for you, whenever you need us.
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- How many hours a day do you have to homeschool in the UK?
There is no set requirement but at Benbridge Academy, we recommend at least three hours a day for younger students with this increasing for older students working towards GCSEs and other qualifications. Full-time Primary-aged students at Benbridge Academy complete four live learning sessions per day with an additional directed study period. Secondary students complete five live learning sessions a day with a sixth period available for GCSE and A Level students. Sessions are 50 minutes in length and interspersed with breaks for comfort, wellbeing and socialisation.
- Can I attend online school from anywhere in the world?
Yes. Benbridge Academy welcomes students from overseas as long as the time zone difference means that international students’ learning hours can be productive and healthy. Our vision is one of flexibility for families to live their lives on their own terms while their children are receiving the best possible, bespoke education. This means that we are happy to accommodate international students within our UK based school and beyond. We have an excellent team of UK based teachers as well as colleagues based around the world.
- How do I participate in online classes and interact with my teachers and classmates?
Benbridge Academy students are invited to login to our learning platform and commence a day that includes a broad and balanced curriculum delivered in a wide range of stimulating learning styles that also enable relationships to develop with their peers. Lessons are fully interactive and combine collaborative and independent learning activities. Our students receive pastoral and academic support throughout the day and are encouraged to join their peers for social chat breaks. All you need to get started is a laptop or smart device and a good internet connection!
- Is online school harder or easier than traditional school?
Good online schools are designed to enhance the quality of academic provision and the bespoke, personalised nature of pastoral care. With smaller class sizes, teachers at Benbridge Academy can cater for the needs of the individual student; this also means that there is time to support individuals in an environment free from distractions and peer pressure. The online platform also enables teachers to provide a wider range of differentiated learning materials to ensure that all students receive the relevant levels of support and challenge. From a pastoral perspective, Benbridge Academy’s teachers are always available to offer support and guidance in an environment free from the anxieties associated with mainstream schools.
- What technology and equipment do I need to attend online school?
All you need to get started is a laptop or smart device and a good internet connection! Stationery and paper are still needed despite the online nature of learning at Benbridge Academy. Other than that, we will make suggestions and advise families regarding equipment that can further enhance online learning such as portable viewers. Benbridge Academy is committed to providing as many resources as possible in order to reduce costs.
- Can I choose my own courses and set my own pace in online school?
At Benbridge Academy, we make every effort to ensure that students and families can personalise their own learning journeys. The main curriculum timetable is what families would expect of a Primary, Secondary and post 16 school but there are significant differences that give you greater opportunities to choose. The flexibility afforded by online schools means that we are not constrained by the limits of a conventional, bricks and mortar school day. Essentially, Benbridge Academy will listen to your needs in order to shape your school day accordingly and act accordingly. Further to this, we offer partial package timetables for part-time students and to support Homeschooling parents. See our Homeschool page and review our fees calculator.
Every day we speak to parents and students who have found themselves adrift in terms of conventional school year placement. There are a whole host of reasons why a student may have missed a great deal of school. Alternately, there are also students who find themselves ahead of the game in terms of education; they feel displaced and demotivated by the pace of their school days with teachers who, due to workload and commitments, cannot afford to spend time adding increased challenge to their lesson planning. Therefore, at Benbridge Academy, we are committed to placing students in a year group that suits their individual trajectories.
- How do I receive feedback and grades from my teachers in online school?
At Benbridge Academy, day-to-day grades are shared with students and parents on our learning management platform. Our teachers fulfil the requirements of our assessment policy which emphasises the importance of ‘formative’ assessment. In other words, all assessments during term-time focus on areas of strength while identifying and advising for realistic improvements. Half-termly assessment grades are collated centrally to enable progress tracking over time. Parents are encouraged to discuss progress at consultation sessions and during formal or informal meetings with teachers and the school leadership. Termly and end of year reports are issued for all students.
- Are online schools accredited?
The Department for Education has developed a non-statutory scheme to accredit providers of full-time online education that meet the standards for online education provision (‘the standards’). The scheme is called the online education accreditation scheme (‘’OEAS’). Although it is not compulsory, Benbridge Academy is in the process of gaining full accreditation.
While we have made every effort to consider all possible questions and queries in this guide, we appreciate that there may be elements of online education for your child that require further discussion prior to making such an important decision. Please contact us at the following email addresses:
nbennett@benbridgeacademy.co.uk
ebennett@benbridgeacademy.co.uk
Alternately, please call us at (+44) 1624 873139 / 020 4548 5559
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“There are many- teachers, parents and students- who will simply tell us that online education is not only a useful alternative to mainstream schooling but a better, more desirable choice rather than a change born out of necessity. The key to realising that online education is the way forward is to see it for what it can actually be, what it already is at Benbridge Academy- the gold standard of education. As parents, all we need is to be brave and look to the future of education rather than viewing it through the lens of our own past experiences. Our children are not us. The online world belongs to them. All we are doing is meeting them there with a learning model honed to their needs, preferences and skills.”
Nicholas Bennett, Co-Founder of Benbridge Academy
