Frequently Asked Questions
My child's learning
Wendover Online School is keen to be accredited by a nationally-recognised accreditation body. Wendover has been in touch with the Department of Education over the past two years regarding accreditation. The Department of Education conducted consultations with online providers in 2020 and in 2021 following which Ofsted was appointed to act as the quality assurance body for online schools. Ofsted will launch a scheme of inspections and accreditation and this school will apply for registration as soon as it does. *NB It is not yet possible to apply for the scheme – the application process will be made clear in due course. For more information on accreditation for online education providers, click here.
It’s important that you familiarise yourself with the local legislation regarding home schooling. This differs from one country to another and even, in some cases, from one region to another. The best place to start would be to contact your local education authority.
Online schools are not currently registered, but the Department for Education hopes to establish a voluntary online schools accreditation scheme later this year. We pride ourselves that our sister company (Oxford Guardians) has the Gold Standard accreditation awarded by the Association for the Education and Guardianship of International Students (AEGIS).
There are two options: 1 to 1 teaching and small groups. Small groups average between 3 – 4 students, with no more than 6 students per class. We have found that having such small class sizes allows us to cater to each child’s needs, raising their grades, developing their confidence, and making each of our students feel involved. The only exception to this, is for cross-school projects, and group tutorials (in addition to their 1 to 1 tutorials), where we encourage socialisation and group work between students in the school.
A parent needs to be available to support the child should there be any technical issues with the lesson. This is particularly important when a child is younger and less familiar with the technology being used. It’s also a safeguarding action to ensure that the student is always safe and secure, teachers may also need to contact the parent should there be a problem so it is important that you remain in relatively close proximity.
We need children to be able to concentrate and know how to use their computer, to access and participate in classes. Parental support may be useful to get children started.
For most children this will mean that they are probably aged 8+ but this may also be dependent on their reading ability and how comfortable they are being in one location too.
Many of our students take a language qualification, some take several as part of their full-time programme. We specialise in preparation for a wide range of qualifications in languages including: GCSE, A-Level, and national qualifications benchmarked on the Common European Framework of Languages (CEFR). You may be looking for a language qualification to supplement your regular education programme or adult professional development, we are able to offer this as a part-time option
Children are encouraged to be communicative and collaborative within lessons, particularly where there are several students within a class. Teachers work hard to foster a sociable environment within lessons to encourage learning and develop communication skills between your child and other children and adults. We strongly encourage you to integrate your child into other activities in your locality, for instance sports, outdoor activities, and music, where they can interact with people of a similar age. Whilst we are not directly involved in these activities, we do encourage discussion of what students have been doing within their ‘non-teaching’ time as this may also inform the focus of lessons and their place in the wider world.
Many of our students take a language qualification, some take several as part of their full-time programme. We specialise in preparation for a wide range of qualifications in languages including: GCSE, A-Level, and national qualifications benchmarked on the Common European Framework of Languages (CEFR). You may be looking for a language qualification to supplement your regular education programme or adult professional development, we are able to offer this as a part-time option.
Practical work is an important part of science which is not neglected when teaching science online. We have various methods such as online teacher demonstrations, on-screen experiments and simulations, YouTube videos, which allow our students to learn and understand the key concepts of practical science. We also use online simulations to allow our students to collect data for analysis. We reinforce our students’ knowledge of practical procedures by using diagrams, quizzes and exam style questions. Our exam boards do not require examined practicals but will have exams that require knowledge of practical experiments, all of which is covered in our lessons. Our teachers maintain currency in their teaching, in that we constantly look for opportunities to consider new developments, as they come into the public domain via the news and other media sources.
What we need to learn online
A student will require access to a desktop or laptop computer, with either Google g-suite, Microsoft Office including Word and PowerPoint, Pages for Mac, or an equivalent. Students need internet access, with a reliable signal, so that lessons are uninterrupted.
A pair of headphones together with a microphone, or a headset are a must, so that students can focus on the lessons they are attending and so all parties can hear each other clearly.
A webcam is also needed so that the teacher can see the student and their work during lessons. Access to a scanner or digital camera is helpful too, in order to be able to send hand-written or hand drawn material to teachers for feedback.
Students will require equipment, materials and books for their courses. Lists of the requirements will be made available before the start of each term. If students are outside the UK, parents can arrange with Wendover for books to be ordered and sent.
See technical requirements page for more detailed information
Tablets with keyboards, microphones, headphones, which do not hinder a student’s ability to study can be used. However, we do not permit students to use their smartphones. We still strongly recommend either a laptop or desktop, at a suitable workspace or desk.
A student will need a dedicated, quiet workspace or desk to work at.
In addition, they will need the traditional learning tools: paper, a well-stocked pencil case which includes maths equipment, a calculator and one exercise book per subject. Access to and familiarity in the use of a scanner / printer or camera (possibly a high resolution mobile phone camera) is helpful too so that written work can be sent to the teacher for marking where necessary. We believe that the development of dextrous skills such as hand-writing and drawing are as valuable as the ability to use a keyboard.
It’s important that there is an adult available should there be any technical difficulties and for safeguarding.
Students need a dedicated, quiet, permanent workspace. This might be in their bedroom, a home office or other quiet, well-ventilated room. It’s important that they associate the location with study and that they are able to keep all the materials that they may need nearby e.g. pens, pencils, maths equipment and other stationery.
Being a Wendover student
Learning part-time is certainly an option for some students, this may be where they are studying supplementary subjects to those they are undertaking in their regular learning setting or as additional support, to develop their skills in a particular subject. Equally, part-time learning may act as a precursor to full-time learning, in order to transition to the new learning environment.
We will accept students of any age to study particular qualifications on a 1 to 1 basis. For example, unlike most UK sixth forms, we do enable older students to study A-Levels with us, enabling them to apply for university. We also take small groups of adults, for example, learning a language.
We offer a great deal of flexibility with our programmes, and can offer evening lessons for several subjects. This can be easier to achieve through our 1 to 1 lessons, but please contact us to find out more.
Assessment is a key factor for students, parents and teachers alike. We value being able to demonstrate the progress that our students make by several different means, some are creative and individualised, others are standard, traditional methods of testing. We select a mode of assessment that will draw out the very best chance of allowing the student to show and demonstrate their learning. This assessment is ongoing and reported back to parents regularly and can also be more formal in style too, encompassing end of term tests for example.
For older students studying GSCE or AS/A-Levels we deliver mock exams and timed assessments throughout the academic year, as well using official examination centres, and local schools that allow external students to attend for the students’ official examinations.
The answer to this question is both! Whilst our school programmes for young learners focus on the UK National Curriculum it is as available to international students as it is to those whose first language is English. We specialise in teaching students who use English as their second (or even third) language and having spent over 30 years in this teaching context, we fully appreciate and understand the challenges that pupils can encounter when accessing a full curriculum in a foreign language.
