There is no doubt that the post-16 education landscape is changing. In March this year, the Chancellor Philip Hammond pledged £500-million in the budget for the introduction of new T-Levels. Next month (August) we will see the first results of the new A-Levels. The way further education (FE) is delivered is changing too with more and more pupils opting to study AS and A-Levels online. In this article, we focus on the UK’s leading online secondary school – InterHigh and look at how it has grown, how it operates and the challenges it faces.
InterHigh is the UK’s first ever online school. It was set up from a converted cottage in Powys, Wales, by former secondary school teacher Paul Daniell (pictured) and his wife Jacqueline. It launched in 2005 with just 23 pupils on its books, but has grown considerably and today teaches over 900 students worldwide.
A revolutionary teaching model
InterHigh teaches pupils the full UK national curriculum from Key Stage 3, right the way through to IGCSEs, AS and A-Levels. InterHigh’s Sixth Form College offers 18 Cambridge Examination Board subjects at AS and A-Level, with the chance to supplement these with other vocational or specialist training. Due to InterHigh’s online status, it means that there is little constraint on its timetable and students can choose almost any combination of AS and A-Level subjects. Pupils can also combine studying a subject at InterHigh with their studies at a traditional school or college. For example, if the pupil cannot find the subject they want locally, they may be able to find it externally at InterHigh.
Wey Education PLC (LON:WEY), through InterHigh Education Limited (InterHigh), operates online independent secondary school in the United Kingdom, offering The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), AS Levels and A Levels.