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We're an online school, so to join us, your child would likely remain at home and not attend a regular school. We take care of all the 'traditional' aspects of their education, so you don't have to do any teaching yourself - though, of course, many parents choose to get more involved if they wish. We also offer children a safe online space to get to know each other and not feel isolated by the fact they are being 'homeschooled'.
While the Academy can educate children without parental supervision, many parents enjoy getting involved, helping their kids through exercises on our Virtual Learning Platform, testing them at the end of the day, and generally being much more involved than they would be if they were at school. They are invited to listen in during assemblies, and are often in close contact with our Head of Education, Lawrence.
Parents can be frustrated by their current schools inability to cater to their child's specific needs. Some children need additional help - we take pupils who have been struggling with school anxiety, or have had problems with bullying. We're also perfect for families who've unexpectedly loved homeschooling during lockdown and are looking to make the move permanent, and for families who are becoming disillusioned with the ever-rising costs of brick and mortar private schools.
There are SIX compulsory subjects for Year 9 and 10 pupils at Minerva's Virtual Academy. They are Maths, English Literature, English Language, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.
Pupils can also take up to three additional GCSES, choosing from Geography, History, Computer Science, French, and Spanish.
Sure! If you would like to take additional GCSEs or A Levels, such as German or Religious Studies, we can arrange private tuition through our sister company Minerva Tutors, and you will be able to work towards these exams outside of Academy hours.
Our A Level programme will launch in September 2022. Check back later in 2021 or email lawrence@minervavirtual.com to find out more.
Fill out the "Register Interest" form below and let us know you're interested for the future. In some cases, we do enroll children who are advancing faster than their academic year group, so please also let us know if you think this is the case, or if you'd like us to perform an independent assessment of your child's current academic ability, which we can arrange through our sister company, Minerva Tutors.
Pupils of the Academy sit official exams and receive official results just like at "normal" school. The difference is they will need to be registered as a "private candidate", usually through the pupil's local council, and will be visiting a local exam centre to sit them when the time comes. We help organise this, but it's worth noting entering that each exam also comes with a seperate entrance fee.
We follow the iGCSE exam board, set by Cambridge Assessment.
6 core subjects plus 3 additional subjects of your choice. A choice of one of our extracurricular clubs. And then everything you've read on this page - from access to our Virtual Learning platform to 1-2-1 mentoring sessions, group learning, and all our community experiences.
Your child will need a laptop or computer to access the Academy. There is also a registration fee for each exam they are going to take, set by the examination board, along with a small registration fee from us to enter your child into these exams. For GCSE, this fee will come at the end of their 2 or 3 years of study. This is the same for all homeschooling candidates around the country.
Sure! Each pupil joins one extracurricular club as part of their yearly enrollment at the Academy. Our clubs are designed to broaden your child's interests and encourage them to develop a sense of independent learning, and, of course, to be super inspiring and a lot of fun! They do not involve exams or official qualifications. Starting from January 2021, pupils can choose from Art or Film Production. Keep your eyes peeled though, we're planning on adding plenty more! You are more than welcome to sign up for more than one club, but these will come at an extra cost.
While we love everything about our school, compared to others out there, we'd say it comes down to two main differences. Firstly, our 1-2-1 mentoring really sets us apart. No other school (online or traditional!) provides the kind of dedicated one-to-one academic mentoring that we do. Our mentors are there to make sure your child stays inspired and on track. They really are the best at what they do. Secondly, we pride ourselves on our personality and our personal touch. We want each day of your child's time with us to feel totally special and memorable.
The Academy has been featured in a number of high quality press articles and you can read these by clicking here which will take you through to our press pages. Don't forget to follow us on our social media channels too to keep up to date with all the fun happenings.