What are the key benefits of online education?
There are many benefits to online education over being in a physical school setting.
Firstly and most importantly, as an online school, we are able to hire teachers from anywhere in the UK by their expertise and experience in the field, instead of being limited to local teachers.
Secondly, students can literally learn from anywhere in the world providing they have access to the internet. This can benefit students whose parents have to move around with work or who choose to travel.
Thirdly, students can attend schools in their own country and gain local qualifications as well as taking internationally recognised qualifications with us because our lessons run in the morning and afternoon so there is something to suit almost everyone. Also, students can study in the comfort of their home, without the distractions of being in a classroom, without the travel and wasted time.
All the time that they are online with us, they are learning. Finally, students can join us full-time or part-time to suit their own unique situations.
Is there a big portion of independent study at an online school?
No more than in any other school. At LEO, our classes are taught live by a teacher, just like in all schools. Students are given homework at least once a week per subject, often more. As students progress into exam years, they are expected to read around the subjects being taught in their own time and at A level this is expected weekly.
How are classes managed by teachers at an online school?
Teachers fully plan and deliver their lessons just like in a physical school. Students are expected to be on time to lessons and to ensure that they have their cameras on throughout the lesson. The teacher takes a register at the start of each lesson and absences or lateness is recorded. Statistics are recorded and parents are provided with the information.
From your experience, how do students behave at an online school compared with an offline one?
From my experience of working in several UK state schools and also in the Independent sector in the UK, behaviour at LEO online school is much better than in any other school that I have worked in. This may be because students choose to study with us and it is likely that it is also because there are far less distractions during the lesson than in a physical school. Small classes also help and should any student disrupt a class, parents would be immediately contacted by myself.
Are there any skills that can be learned by going to an online school?
Absolutely yes! Students at our online school have to take responsibility for their learning from a young age. Students are responsible for turning up to lessons on time, they are expected to have all the equipment needed for that lesson, they are expected to do their homework on time and hand it in via our platform. In my opinion, our students have a far more mature attitude to learning than in any other school that I have worked in.
How is students' progress tracked at LEO School
Students are assessed in different ways by teachers at LEO. They use a mixture of formative and summative assessment. Students are assessed throughout the lesson using a variety of techniques to check understanding such as mini- tests in the lesson, questions and answers, tasks and are usually assessed at the end via a plenary whereby the teacher checks the understanding of the lesson using a short activity. Students are also encouraged to check their understanding themselves at the end of a lesson via self- assessment or by peer- assessment. Assessment is also done via homework where the teacher marks the work submitted and records the grade. Twice a year, all year groups from year 3 upwards are tested formally in an exam fortnight which we hold in January and June. Parents then receive reports following these formal exams.
Are there opportunities for students to communicate with teachers during lessons?
Of course. Learning is a two- way process. Students can communicate verbally during the lessons directly with the teacher. If the student prefers or does not like to speak out, they can communicate with the teacher via the online chat that is available during the class.
How is the quality of online education monitored at LEO School?
Teaching staff are all employed following a rigorous interview process. They are first assessed on their experience in their CV, then shortlisted for interview by myself. They are then interviewed in an online interview by myself which is recorded and the Director of the school watches these back. Then any candidates that we wish to consider further are invited to teach a live lesson with students. Students give their feedback following the live lesson and the appointment is then made.
Once employed, teachers are regularly monitored as all lessons are recorded and I am able to watch them back. I am also able to drop into any live classes with no notice to watch the teaching and learning. This gives me the opportunity to address any concerns with the teacher and to suggest alternative teaching strategies if required. Students themselves also have the ability to contact me directly via the school platform should they wish to.
How are practical science experiments conducted at LEO School?
When LEO started, we realised that science experiments could be a huge problem for an online school. However, we found a solution! LEO has a virtual science laboratory on the platform whereby students and teachers can access experiments as if they were being taught live in a laboratory. These are age appropriate, right through to experiments required for A level sciences. The students work in exactly the same way as they would in a real laboratory watching the teacher perform the experiments and practising themselves. They form hypotheses, watch the experiments, learn what equipment is required and then see if their hypotheses were correct or not.
How do students socialise in LEO online school?
Many parents ask about socialisation before they join us. They want to know how their child
will make friends in an online school. Often they do not understand how it could be possible
until they see the classes and how quickly their child makes new friends.
One thing that we do not have in our online school is bullying. Students choose which other
classmates to interact with and there are no traditional break times where they could be
subjected to torments from other children. Also consider how in many schools, the students
are allowed to use their mobile phones during break times. They are not communicating with each other. During break times at LEO school, the students are still ‘ in the classroom’
meaning that any chat is still recorded. This means that bullying can not take place as it
would possibly do in school corridors, bathrooms or school yards.
Whilst as an online school we can not do some subjects such as physical education, singing
or technology lessons, we tailor our days and our curriculum to ensure that students all have
the free time that they would not have in traditional schools to pursue their own hobbies,
sports and interests.
Many of our students travel with their parents. This is something that we would highly
encourage so long as they have a good internet connection! Travel broadens horizons,
encourages friendships from different cultures and encourages students to become global
citizens.
I believe that socialisation isn't just about interacting with peers, as many people think. It's
about the ability to interact with people of different ages, viewpoints, and social statuses.
In my opinion, our students are confident, able to express their opinions and are clear on
their goals and how they plan to achieve them.
Moreover, in our school, we plan to organise class reunions in the near future, making online
learning even more interesting. For example, we're planning a gathering of students and parents from the upper grades in London or any other European city for Christmas. We will issue official school invitations for students to obtain visas if necessary.
What are the expectations from students at LEO School?
Obviously, like any school, we have academic expectations from our students. We offer a core curriculum at Key Stage 1-3 then core IGCSEs and optional IGCSEs at Key Stage 4, followed by optional International A Levels at KS5. Academically, we expect students to be the best that they can be.
However, unlike many other schools, we also have social and personal expectations from them. We expect all our students to be polite at all times. We expect them to be mindful of their differences (nationalities, religions, gender, first languages etc) and to work together respecting those differences.
All our students from Year 3 to Year 11 study PSHE weekly in taught live classes. This is personal, health, social and economic education. We are mindful that we now live in a global society and we expect our students to be respectful of differences, to be tolerant, kind and to become successful global citizens as adults.
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