Welcome to Our Frequently Asked Questions Page

How does my child access the lessons?

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We run our sessions on our very own online classrooms.  Our classrooms are hosted by an American company called Kaltura.  When we send you your child's timetable, below it will be a series of room links, you then simply click and access the lessons.

Sometimes, we also use a platform called Miro alongside the online classroom.  The students should always access the online lesson first, we will then post a link on the room chat for them to join us on our Miro board. ​​​

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What is Miro and why do you use it?

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Miro is an interactive and immersive platform.  We use Miro to create work spaces for our students.  This then allows then to work directly online and for our teachers to see what they are doing in real time.  This is an incredibly useful tool and it allows us to support children in real time.

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The core provision only provides 6 hours of lessons per week.  Is that enough?  Should my child do other things?

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We have designed the Core Provision Service to be accessible for all families and as budget friendly as possible.  There are no distractions in our lessons, students do interact well with teachers and we have a wide range of tools at our disposal to ensure that they understand before we move on.  In actual fact, we find that we can cover almost twice as much in an hour session that a typical school can.

We recommend that all children supplement their live lessons with us by spending around 3 hours of additional time per subject consolidating knowledge and mastering new skills.  We have a wide range of learning materials to support your child in doing this and we also provide access to our online educake platform - upon which we set weekly homework tasks.

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My child is in year 11, can they sit their exams with you?

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In short, no.  We are not an exam centre and do not offer an exam entry or sitting solution, but we can help you get ready. We will be able to advise you on how to register with the exam boards and find a registered centre nearby. You can locate exam centres via this website: https://www.jcq.org.uk/private-candidates/ 

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How many students do you have on roll?

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We are currently enrolling for September 2026. At our peak in academic year 25/26 we had just under 250 students on roll.

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If my child studies Geography at GCSE, how do they do fieldwork?

We follow the iGCSE, there are fieldwork requirements.

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Do you teach GCSE or iGCSE?

We teach GCSE, the iGCSE qualifications are extremely academically demanding and not what is delivered in UK mainstream schools.  Delivering the iGCSE would put homeschooled children at a huge disadvantage. We only deliver Geography via iGCSE as it is too complicated for us to deliver the fieldwork components. 

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How will my child access Science required practicals?

We deliver the required practical component of the GCSE combined Science course in 2 ways - virtually and via videos.  The students spend more time with us looking into the types of questions that come up regularly for required practicals, thus preparing students fully for all eventualities.  You must however remember to tick the 'my child has had access to required practicals' when completing paperwork for the exam centre/school where your child is sitting exams.

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Do Success Academies offer a Full Time Education?

Yes we do!  The UK government define a full time education as being over 18hours of lessons, this is achieved easily by adding together a number of our services.  One example of how you can achieve 18 hours of learning/full time education is to do the following combination: Core Provision (6hrs), Core Plus (6hrs), 4 foundation subjects (6hrs)

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What equipment will my child need to study with Success Academies?

We advise that students use a laptop, Chromebook or equivalent.  Tablets or mobile devises are not ideal. Some students do use these devises successfully, but they have limitations and are not ideal for our 2 platforms.  You will need a good internet connection and we also recommend having a pen, paper and calculator to hand.

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If I move to Success Academies from another homeschooling provider, will I make a saving?

Absolutely!  If you are studying 'live online lessons' with another provider, we can save you thousands if not tens of thousands of pounds per year in fees.  We recently saved a family with 2 children over £14,000 per year when they transferred to us from Kings Interhigh. This was for like for like course, with more live lessons from Success Academies. With our classes capped at 20, the family were also hugely impressed by the vast difference in lesson quality.

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How much does online homeschooling cost in the UK?

At Success Academies, we believe premium education shouldn't come with a premium price tag. Our "Core Provision Package" (covering English, Maths, and Science) costs just £45 per week. We also offer options to add foundation subjects or specific assessment packages, allowing you to tailor the education to your family's budget.  

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Do I have to sign a long-term contract or pay termly fees upfront?

No. Unlike many premium online education providers that require expensive sign-up fees and termly commitments, we allow families to pay month-by-month. Your only commitment is the month ahead, giving you complete flexibility. 

 

Can my child join part-way through the academic year?

Yes, depending on class availability. While our main enrolment window secures places for a September start, we often welcome students throughout the year. If a year group is full, we can place your child on a waiting list until a new class opens.  

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What age groups and key stages do you teach?

We provide structured online education for Key Stage 2 (Years 5 and 6), Key Stage 3 (Years 7, 8, and 9), and Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11). 

 

What subjects are included in your core homeschooling provision?

Our Core Provision focuses on the three essential pillars of the British education system: English, Maths, and Science. Students receive 6 hours of live tuition per week (2 hours per subject). We also offer additional foundation subjects like History, Geography, Business Studies, Computer Science, Spanish, and German for GCSE students.  

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Do you prepare students for UK GCSEs?

Yes. Our KS4 classes are delivered over two years and specifically follow the AQA and Edexcel exam board specifications to fully prepare students for their public examinations.  

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Do students need to have their cameras on during online lessons?

No, they do not. We understand that being on camera can be a significant barrier for many children, particularly those experiencing anxiety. Instead of relying on webcams, we use the Miro Education Suite—an interactive digital desk where teachers can watch students map out problems and write live in real-time without the pressure of being on screen. 

 

How big are the online classes?

We strictly cap our live interactive lessons at a maximum of 20 students. This ensures an intimate, focused environment where teachers actually get to know your child's name, learning style, and specific needs.  

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What equipment does my child need for lessons?

Students will need a stable internet connection and a simple laptop or Chromebook. Because we use interactive digital workspaces (Miro) alongside our secure video platform (Kaltura), iPads and tablets are not recommended.  

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Is Success Academies a good fit for children with anxiety or EBSA?

Absolutely. Many of our students join us because mainstream school environments have caused severe anxiety, school phobia, or EBSA. Our camera-optional policy, small class sizes, and zero-pressure environment make our digital classrooms an incredibly safe space for anxious and neurodivergent learners.  

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What is the "Nurture Provision"?

Our Nurture Provision is designed specifically for students who have significant gaps in their education. Running at a much slower pace than our Core classes, these sessions provide plenty of opportunity for practice and consolidation of key topics to help rebuild confidence and self-esteem.

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How come Success Academies are so much cheaper than Kings Interhigh, Minevera and other homeschooling providers? Is there a catch?

The price difference between Success Academies and 'premium' or 'corporate' providers like King’s InterHigh and Minerva Virtual Academy comes down to a fundamental difference in business model.

There isn't a "scam" catch—Success Academies is a legitimate, well-reviewed UK provider—but there is an operational catch. We have stripped back the traditional full-time school infrastructure to offer low-cost core learning. More importantly, Success Academies simply do not spend hundreds of thousands each year to lure in clients, we rely fundamentally on our reputation and amazing service.  The larger companies simply pass the cost of marketing onto their clients, Success Academies does not, thus saving families thousands of pounds per year, sometimes tens of thousands!

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What happens if my child is unwell or misses a live lesson? 

Don't worry, we’ve got you covered. All of our live academic year sessions are recorded. If your child has a medical appointment, a bad mental health day, or is simply unwell, they can access our cloud resources drive to watch the lesson back at a time that suits them, ensuring they never fall behind.

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On what days of the week do the live Core Provision lessons take place? 

To help you structure your family's homeschooling week, our live Core Provision lessons always take place across Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday within the traditional school day. This keeps your Mondays and Fridays completely open for local home-education meetups, sports, family trips, or independent study.

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How do I track my child's academic progress? 

Every family receives three formal progress reports per academic year. Additionally, our core subscription includes weekly homework tasks and automated progress tracking via the Educake platform, allowing you to easily see how well your child is absorbing the material.

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Do teachers mark my child's work? (What is the Assessment Service?) 

Our standard Core Provision includes automated homework tracking. For families wanting deeper insight, we offer an optional Assessment Service Add-on for just £6 per week. This includes fortnightly bespoke homework tasks marked directly by our teachers with personalised feedback, graded extended tasks, and a formal "working at grade" after your child’s first term with us.

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How do students interact if cameras are turned off? 

Even without webcams, our digital classrooms are incredibly active and warm! Students communicate constantly using the live room text chat to ask questions, answer prompts, and share ideas. They also collaborate dynamically on their shared Miro boards. We find this text-and-desk approach allows even the most anxious students to find their voice and make friends without any social pressure.

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How can I communicate with my child’s teachers if I have a concern? 

Education is our passion, and we pride ourselves on being accessible. Even though we are a low-cost provider, we aim to offer the highest levels of communication. You can easily reach out to our team via email or phone. Because we are a close-knit, small team rather than a massive corporate machine, you will always speak to someone who actually knows your child.

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Are there any hidden sign-up fees or extra costs for learning materials? 

None at all. We believe in complete price transparency. All the digital learning suites, platforms, software links, and downloadable worksheets we use are included in your weekly fee. The only potential extras are entirely optional add-ons (like our Assessment Service, extra foundation subjects, or the Nurture provision) and the cost of your child’s physical GCSE exam entries, which you pay directly to your chosen local exam centre.

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How do I cancel our subscription if our circumstances change? 

We make cancellation entirely stress-free. Because we operate on a rolling month-by-month payment structure with no long-term contracts, you are never locked in. If you decide to return to mainstream school or try a different path, you simply give us notice before your next monthly renewal.

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Can I enrol multiple children, and do you offer a sibling discount? 

Yes, you can enrol multiple children across our different key stages! Please contact our team directly before filling out the enrolment form so we can discuss availability for your children's specific year groups and outline our current multi-child options. Our sibling discount is 50% of the fees for all siblings! We reduce the fees for the siblings with the lowest annual cost.

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Do I need to notify the local authority or my child's old school before joining you? 

If your child is currently enrolled in a mainstream school in England or Wales, you must officially de-register them by writing a formal letter or email to the headteacher stating your intent to home educate. Once this is done, the school is legally required to remove your child from the roll, and you are free to start with us immediately. You do not need the school's or the council's "permission" to home educate. If you are already homeschooling, you can simply enrol with us directly.

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Is Success Academies a registered school with Ofsted? 

Success Academies has recently submitted an application to become an Ofsted registered homeschooling provider. To become 'Ofsted Registered' homeschooling provider requires a number of students to be educated 'Full Time' we are now in a position where we meet this criteria and as such have submitted an application (Updated July 2026).

Because we provide timetabled support sessions and digital resources to help you deliver your child's education at home, we are legally classified as a homeschooling support provider. All of our teaching staff are fully qualified, UK-school experienced, and strictly DBS-checked (enhanced).

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