While September might be etched in our collective minds as the start of the academic year, switching schools at another time isn’t out of the question. In fact, for some families, it’s the best option. Whether it’s an issue with the current school or an impromptu international move, every day matters when it comes to your child’s education and sometimes moving mid-term can be a sensible solution instead of waiting for the following school year to roll around. Consequently, doing so can be the key to support, stability, and success for the child involved.
This was the experience of Dean, whose son is now in Year 9 at King’s InterHigh, the UK’s leading global online school. Dean’s son has ADHD and sadly suffered from persistent bullying at his previous school. When the situation became critical, a change was needed quickly, as Dean explains. “Senior school is quite a busy place,” he says. “They haven’t always necessarily got the resources and time to put aside to understand kids who have got slightly different needs.”
Dean first looked at a school for special educational needs but after learning about online education through other family members’ experiences, it quickly became clear this was going to be the best solution for his son for numerous reasons.
For those looking to move mid-term, the flexible approach of an online school like King’s InterHigh particularly appeals. While with traditional, bricks-and-mortar schools you may struggle to move mid-term due to restrictions of the school, lengthy enrolment paperwork or lack of places, online schools make this switch straightforward with the ability to start at any time.
This can be particularly crucial when a family is navigating an international move and simply joining a new physical school isn’t always possible. Take Kalinka Petrova, who was moving her family from South Africa to Bulgaria in January last year. She knew her daughter, who is in year 4, wouldn’t be able to join a local school and would be struggling with speaking in a different language. “Although she understands the language, she still cannot write or speak it and that would have put a stop to her education,” Kalinka shares. Joining an online school quickly became the best option for continuing her education in a cohesive way while navigating the international move, and again King’s InterHigh felt like the perfect choice.
A warm welcome
King’s InterHigh welcomes children aged 7 to 19 from across the world, and empowers students to thrive with personalised, supportive and high-quality learning that’s fully online. Whatever point in the academic year students join King’s InterHigh, they are taken through a carefully-designed induction process to ensure a warm welcome to the community. This includes a guided walkthrough of the school’s platforms and key apps, a buddy system that matches new students with a helpful friend and a family liaison team available for parents at any time. The same support goes for the academic side of joining a new school mid-year too — a particularly key consideration for students gearing up for their IGCSEs, A Levels, or IB Diploma.
This bespoke education is bolstered by the latest technology to ensure the learning environment is as interactive as possible. A comprehensive online learning platform means everything is in one place while innovative educational technologies like its proprietary InspiredAI tool (which creates personalised learning pathways for every student) help students learn in a more hands-on way, exploring topics in-depth, and getting the very best understanding of each subject. Alongside their academic education, students can thrive socially thanks to a mix of online and in-person clubs and activities, and feel part of a vibrant community with global meet-ups, school trips and summer camps.
Flexibility is at the core of King’s InterHigh’s offering, with live classes available in timetables across three time zones ( UK, Middle East, and Southeast Asia), making it a great option for families living all across the world. Adding to this flexibility are the school’s library lessons: every lesson is recorded and available to pupils so they can catch up at any time.
Making moving easy
To ensure the move mid-term is as smooth as possible, communication is key. “Keep communication open with your child. Explain to them exactly why you’re moving and what the benefits of online learning are,” Kalinka advises. This can be invaluable for young children, who may be nervous about new classes, teachers, and friends.
Creating the right environment for your child to take online classes is also really important, so if you can, set up a dedicated learning space in the home. While King’s InterHigh platforms have built-in time management features, like a clear timetable and a list of pending assignments, for pupils like Dean’s son, who struggle with time management, printing out a timetable and making a physical list of homework due dates can also help with structure.
For Dean’s son, the shift to online school has been a really positive one. From Dean’s perspective, the impact on his son’s wellbeing has been profound. Once a “ball of anxiety” going into school each day, he is now “calm, chilled, and relaxed.”
While for Kalinka’s daughter, learning online has helped foster remarkable self-confidence and motivation. “She’ll sometimes come to me and say, ‘Mum, I completed this myself.’ The more she feels like she’s growing up and having that responsibility, she feels better about herself,” Kalinka shares.
Choosing between traditional schooling and online schooling is a decision that is different for every family and requires careful thought, consideration, and communication. However, for some families, especially those looking to make a mid-term move, the thoughtful, tailored, and child-led approach of online schooling can be truly life-changing for the child.
To find out more about King’s InterHigh and whether it might be the right learning choice for your family, visit King’s InterHigh
