Your family-centred online school community
We’re excited to share our news! From today we will be known as Wendover Online School.
Only our name is changing – our ethos, staff and everything we offer will remain the same. Our school has developed into a unique and enriching environment since it was founded in 2016, and we now want a name that captures this spirit.
So, we’re delighted to introduce you to Wendover Online School, and answer any questions you may have.
Why stop using the old name?
Although we started in Oxford, we are not linked to the famous university and do not offer university level education. To avoid any confusion, we are dropping ‘Oxford’ (used by many educational services) and confidently replacing it with a distinctive place that represents so much more to us: Wendover.
Why Wendover?
At the heart of our online school is a community of expert teachers, keen to inspire students to take a real interest in their own education. It’s a community where you can always ask questions; where we are interested in pupils as real people, not just as statistics. An environment busy with students from the UK and abroad, each participating in bespoke or shared lessons at times that fit their family life.
Wendover has been the family home of our founder, Sarah, for several generations. It’s an expansive, 200-year-old former vicarage in the heart of the British countryside.
The move to Wendover felt like the perfect match for our unique character: full of individuality and personality.
Our online school cares for the whole child, not just their academic potential. We provide individualised teaching, and our teachers are passionate, knowledgeable and engaging. In this supportive environment, students enjoy the experience of learning and learn well.
“Wendover has always been an enriching, busy place!”, says Sarah fondly. “Even in my grandfather’s day, friends and colleagues visited from all over the world, learning a lot about each other and happily getting caught up in the excitement.”
It’s that lively enthusiasm which has been the foundation of our online school since Sarah set it up. Welcoming pupils to learn at their own pace, grow in confidence and share what interests them. Wendover’s doors are always open, providing a warm welcome and enriching company for all.
Wendover continues to be a key part of our online school – we have hosted events for parents and students there, and office staff work in the grounds. We hope to host more events so that everyone has the chance to engage with the bricks and mortar at the heart of this online school.
Why "online school"?
Our pupils also tell us they love the ‘community’ feeling of learning online with us. We have tutorials and school assemblies, and our lessons are all ‘live’. It feels like a real school – just online!
So, using the term ‘online education’ in our previous name did not properly capture how it feels to work with us. And since we don’t teach at university level, it’s clearer to call ourselves an ‘online school’.
Is anything changing?
Absolutely not!
Our small class sizes, with one-to-one lessons or up to six pupils sharing a lesson, work perfectly for our pupils and their families. Everyone has the chance to speak, the teacher can ensure each pupil is engaged and learning, and we really get to know each other. Parents tell us they find our online school “empathetic” and “caring”, whilst they value the “aspirations” and “achievement” that come with this whole-child approach.
Wendover families will continue to enjoy the freedom that comes with structuring schooling around life, rather than the other way around. When asked what they love about our online school, parents praised the “highly tailored experience” which allows the needs of their child to be met. It also allows families to travel, or lets their children focus on training for sports, music or other personal goals. By scheduling lessons at a time that works for everyone, learning becomes a more enjoyable experience for all.
Our online school has grown and matured
We started our online teaching and learning with just a few key staff and a small number of pupils. We knew that more personalised learning was fundamental to understanding, and that building a child’s confidence would reap rewards throughout their lives.
Now, we have around 100 pupils, and a strong team of staff relishing the chance to work online and deliver more personalised lessons to pupils from Primary to A-Level, and in a wide range of subjects.
We’ve come through Covid-19 stronger than ever. We have garnered a reputation for excellent teaching and are going through Ofsted accreditation as part of the process. We also nurture habits that will stand pupils in good stead for life.
So, we now feel that our online school has really grown and matured. We’re ready for a confident and authentic ‘new look’ that properly reflects what we do, and why.
New logo and colours
Our new colour scheme and logo are designed to feel friendly and professional, reflecting the characteristics of our online school.
We asked our pupils, their parents and our staff to share their thoughts about us, and they were overwhelmingly positive. High expectations, happy students and “an environment in which everyone can thrive” were among the many reasons all of these stakeholders praised our online school community.
We will continue to build on these strong foundations as Wendover Online School, and look forward to sharing our journey with you.
Please download one of our new prospectuses for more information.
