What can online education providers offer to schools prior to the new academic year?

PRLog (Press Release) - Aug. 23, 2011 - Dozens of headteachers and local education authorities officers have recently learned that Accipio Learning, an on-line learning provider to secondary schools and LEA's, has been placed into administration (see their website and the Companies House records). This will undoubtedly mean a period of concern for individual students, especially those on examination courses already in progress, and those who were expecting to join such courses in September 2011. It is currently unclear (as of 19th August) if provision will be available at the start of the autumn term.

Among few others Periplus Education (http://www.peripluseducation.com) is also a provider of live on-line teaching with a growing portfolio of clients and is able to offer new clients an opportunity to undertake provision at both Key stage 3 and Key stage 4 including in key GCSE subjects if required. For any students who may already be underway with GCSE courses, they are also able to offer a degree of continuity if you were to find yourself in a position of having to find a new provider.

On-line college taught courses follow the National curriculum at KS3 and IGCSE syllabuses at KS4. Typically a student will follow 3 or 5 subjects for 10 or 14 taught lessons a week with an expectation that the lessons are followed up with additional work set by the teachers, but other combinations are possible including individual subjects. Students currently on a school roll or looked after by an LEA will remain on the roll of the school/LEA. Alternatively, the provision can form part of a flexi-schooling agreement between a school and a parent. For home-educating families it can also be used as provision to supplement that offered within the home

Unlike some others Periplus can offer support and teaching for subjects beyond the core of Maths, English and Science, if required, provided there is an adequate demand to ensure cost effectiveness. They also provide access to additional resources for work outside lessons and offer some assessment and feedback to clients and parents. All Periplus teachers are UK based and UK qualified and have been recently CRB checked. Students/clients would need to provide and manage their own hardware /software and ensure a good broadband connection.

Hopefully the new academic year will start smoothly in September for both schoolers and those in need of alternative education solutions.

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Not-for-profit provider of a range of high quality, accessible and affordable 21st century services & solutions for home educated students and anyone seeking to supplement, broaden or reinforce education beyond school. Distance learning available UK wide.