Harrow School Online takes home prestigious national award

Staff and students across the school are celebrating this week after scooping the Strategic education initiative of the year award at Friday evening’s Tes Independent School Awards.

The awards, which celebrate the teachers and teams from independent schools across the UK that are raising the standards of education and making a positive impact on the personal and academic success of students and the wider community, recognised the school’s innovative approach to online learning.

Speaking about the win, Principal, Heather Rhodes said: “We’re incredibly proud to be recognised for the work we’re doing. Online schooling has had some negative press over the past year, but we know how good it can be at its best. We’re so glad that online learning has been recognised as at the forefront of education. We have students who are finding that online learning really suits them – this award is for them.”

Founded prior to the pandemic, Harrow School Online is the first full-time online British-curriculum school of its kind and aims to help students across the world access a high-quality British education digitally.

The flexible learning approach of a ‘flipped classroom’ sees students’ study from home, using high-quality, interactive, self-study materials at a pace that suits them, joining ‘LiveLesson’ sessions to broaden their knowledge with expert teachers and students across the globe.

Alongside the academic programme, students can take part in extra-curricular clubs and societies, an elective programme that offers subjects from quantum physics to investment, as well as mindset courses to develop their resilience and self-knowledge. Working alongside peers from countries around the world means Online Harrovians not only further their understanding of diverse cultures, but create lasting, international networks of friends. 

Lead Judge, Julie Robinson said: “Harrow School Online came of age during the pandemic, demonstrating the power of an online learning platform to support education across the world. Its online sixth form inspires through success coaches, mentors, tutors and teachers...an excellent example of the innovative delivery of the British curriculum globally.”

With Online Harrovians from more than 16 different countries in the school’s first cohort, Harrow School Online provides a unique education for students who may need flexibility in their learning, whose families are relocating or who do not live close to a suitable school. Those who take part in competitive sports or other commitments can also benefit, and it can help students who find the distractions of the classroom less easy to cope with.

Jon Severs, Editor of Tes magazine and Chief Judge of the Awards said: “The Tes Independent School Awards is a celebration of the fantastic achievements of the independent sector. These winning and shortlisted schools have shown ingenuity, ambition and perseverance during what has been an unbelievably challenging year.”

For information about all the shortlisted schools and the awards visit: www.isawards.co.uk/ or follow #TesISAwards 

For more information about Harrow School Online and how we are using innovative online learning technology and teaching practices in our fully online global sixth form, visit www.harrowschoolonline.org