BY HEATHER RHODES
Online schools can provide a haven for pupils with thinking and learning differences, offering an alternative to traditional schooling which is more adapted to their needs. But what is it exactly about online provision that works so well for these young people? Heather Rhodes, founder of the online school Highgrove Education, shares her experience.
In recent years, online schooling has emerged as a revolutionary educational model, and children and young people with thinking and learning differences seem to have particularly thrived in this environment. One obvious reason is that there are fewer distractions for pupils studying from the comfort of their own home – but that only tells part of the story.
Well-designed online education provides a more tailored and flexible approach which looks very different to traditional schooling. At Highgrove Education, we do this by structuring our provision using ‘flipped learning’ and individual coaching to support pupils to work to the best of their ability.
Flipping your Approach
In a typical classroom, pupils are taught the subject matter in classes, then go away and complete some practice questions for homework. Flipped learning means that pupils work through interactive self-study lessons prior to joining live lessons with teachers, then use their lesson time to work through practice questions.
The self-study lessons at Highgrove Education teach the entire course syllabus through a balance of short videos, written explainers, and checks on understanding. Pupils work through these lessons at a time and pace that suits them, without the normal classroom distractions around them.
Children who have thinking or learning differences benefit from being able to work at a slower or quicker pace than their peers, or to repeat videos or questions for greater clarity, or to take rest breaks to refocus, or to choose to study at a time of day when they feel the most focused. The digital learning environment allows for the integration of various assistive technologies if required, such as speech-to-text software and a zoomed screen resolution. By having more control over how and when they learn, pupils can choose learning conditions that suit them.
Maximising Pupil-Teacher Time
When they arrive at their live lessons, our pupils already have an understanding of the materials covered in the self-study lessons, and their teachers have data on which areas they understood and which they struggled with. This boosts the confidence of learners who don’t like to be put on the spot and promotes participation. Small classes ensure each pupil gets lots of feedback from their teacher and soon feels comfortable with their classmates. It’s a safe and inclusive environment, great for building up confidence levels.
Sometimes our students will need additional help with a topic, and our teachers are available for one-to-one support with anyone who needs it. Teachers can invite a pupil to see them in ‘office hours’ because they feel they need extra help, but we encourage our pupils to get into the habit of booking support proactively – it’s a great life skill to learn to ask for help when you need it.
Adjusting to Independent Learning
We recognise this is a different way to learn and so we support pupils to adjust to a more independent style of learning and to develop their executive function skills. We do this through a programme of skills lessons and weekly individual coaching.
Our skills and mindset course prepares students to become better independent learners. It covers micro-skills such as managing your time, avoiding procrastination and developing academic study skills, alongside broader topics like dealing with anxiety and stress, developing self-knowledge, and the importance of exercise, diet and sleep. Neurodiverse pupils often particularly benefit from structured teaching of executive function skills, but in an online setting all pupils need to develop these skills to succeed.
Coaching and Accountability
The skills course is delivered by a learning coach, who meets each pupil individually for a weekly coaching session to help them stay on track with their learning, reflect on their broader profile and purpose and put in place goals to work towards; both long-term university and career aspirations, and short-term study and personal growth goals. Coaching is a great way of providing personalised guidance and supporting pupils to take ownership of their learning.
When pupils struggle to keep on top of their self-study work, we will often invite (or sometimes oblige) them to attend Study Hall sessions. Pupils check in to a session, share the list of work they need to complete with the supervisor, then at the end of the session show the supervisor what they have achieved. This external accountability can help keep pupils on track while they adjust to a more independent way of working.
Specialist Provision for Neurodiverse Pupils
We have a SENDCo at our school who works with all pupils with learning and thinking differences to draw up an individual learning plan in consultation with the pupil and their family. However, because the structure of our programmes is naturally differentiated, a lot of the time the main accommodations will be related to examinations rather than to our provision. Our SENDCo is a qualified assessor, and we are able to carry out many of the basic assessments for exam accommodations in-house if necessary.
Like many independent schools, we also have an elective programme of opt-in courses that pupils can take for interest alongside their academic studies. Several of these electives are designed with our neurodiverse pupils in mind, including courses on social skills, emotional intelligence, neurodiversity and an introduction to the structured approach of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT).
Final Thoughts
Although our online school isn’t designed specifically for pupils with documented learning or thinking differences, it is a learning environment with a personalised, individualised approach at its core, which allows each child to access their education on terms that suit them. It’s therefore ideal for pupils who learn differently. It’s also very effective. The exam results our team have achieved using this approach are some of the best in the country; last summer pupils at Harrow School Online (the school we all worked at previously) achieved 78% A*-A at A level.
By turning traditional teaching on its head, we allow our pupils to take control of their learning. It can be more challenging to work through materials independently than to listen to a teacher explaining things, but that makes it more memorable. Studying from the comfort and quiet of a home environment is helpful for many of our neurodiverse pupils, but it is the personalisation of learning which we believe makes the biggest impact.
With each student studying at a pace they feel comfortable with and with the level of individual support they need, everyone is set up for success. Added to that, our pupils become adept independent learners who are better prepared for university than many of their peers.
The model of traditional education suits some children, but not all. Online schooling provides an alternative which can be particularly attractive to children who think or learn differently, as it is so flexible at accommodating those differences.
To find out more visit: Online School UK – Online Learning – Online British Education – Highgrove Education
