Online Learning

At Harrow School Online, our educational programmes are specifically designed for online learning to ensure that pupils are fully engaged in their learning and that teachers are equipped to bring out the best in every pupil.

Many schools had to quickly deliver learning online as a result of COVID-19. Harrow School Online is not a response to that situation, but a fully online learning experience designed before the pandemic, building on Pearson's 20 years of expertise in online schools.

Pupils study from home, joining live taught lessons with expert teachers, in small class sizes with peers across the world. This is within the structure of a complete school programme that also includes the flexibility of self-paced learning, extracurricular activities, and a Success Coach to help keep pupils on track and thriving.

It has been a great experience. I have really enjoyed the switch to online learning. I have noticed that I am becoming more independent and developing other skills that allow me to be more flexible with my time.
StudentI think online is great because it's going to prepare him better for university. He has to figure out how to schedule his own time. How to get things done, when to get them done, how to be disciplined enough to get it done as there's not somebody every day checking it. I think it will prepare him better for his life.
Julie Larrucea, Parent

Benefits of Online Learning

An online school of high calibre that delivers the British curriculum performs highly in these two important areas: the quality of education and university and career prospects. Our online schooling programme has a number of other unique benefits such as:

Individualisation: Pupils follow an individual learning pathway, working through self-study materials at a pace that suits them and studying in small classes with lessons carefully tailored to their needs. Every student is seen and heard, and no one is left behind.
Participation: In the self-study aspect of our courses, there are more opportunities for pupils to participate and respond to content than in a traditional face-to-face environment, and more time to reflect on topics and give deeper thought to responses.
Global networks: Pupils work alongside peers from across the globe, broadening their understanding of different cultures and building an international network of friends.
Visibility for parents: Parents have unprecedented visibility into their children’s education, with real time access to their performance in their studies.
Flexibility: Online courses allow pupils to build their own unique schedules, teaching them how to balance study and work with other commitments.
The promotion of self-discipline: Harrow School Online supports students to become better independent learners and to develop strong self-discipline skills, which is invaluable preparation for university.
Accessibility: Online learning provides the opportunity for self-paced study away from the distractions of the physical classroom, providing an environment in which a broad range of students can thrive.

We know that engagement with teachers is essential for success. Expert online teachers have additional skills: coaching and motivating pupils, analysing pupil progress data and using it to tailor their teaching, communicating with resonance in an online environment. At Harrow School Online we recruit teachers not just for their academic and pedagogical credentials, but also with these skills in mind.

The Technology

Harrow School Online is powered by the Pearson Online Learning Platform, used by more than 105,000 full-time online school pupils around the world.

The platform features a rich online curriculum with embedded multimedia, LiveLessons®, chat and secure email. Technical support is available during school hours.

To access Harrow School Online's many resources and connect with teachers and peers, each pupil needs a laptop or desktop computer with a modern operating system (Windows 10 or Mac OS 10.7 or newer) and browser (Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer 11 or newer, Microsoft Edge, or Safari). A broadband Internet connection is essential.

Students taking Maths, Further Maths, Physics or Chemistry will additionally be advised to purchase a USB graphics tablet if they do not already have a device with touch screen capabilities.

Watch the video below for an overview of the Pearson Online Classroom used by Harrow School Online.

How It Works

Induction: Before the academic year begins, new pupils participate in an induction to familiarise themselves with the platform and school expectations.

Flipped classroom: This teaching method increases student engagement and encourages critical thinking, which is why we use it at Harrow School Online. Pupils work through interactive self-study materials in their own time to develop an understanding of subject content, followed by LiveLessons® in a virtual classroom. As they work through the material, the technology generates deep insights about their learning. This frees up our teachers, making them available for individual sessions with pupils. Each teacher has at least an hour a day available for drop-in sessions with pupils.

Self-Study Materials: We invest heavily in producing high quality online course materials which cover the entire A level courses. These interactive self-study lessons are carefully crafted by subject matter experts with a wealth of experience creating A level textbooks and online resources. The materials are designed to scaffold the way to harder concepts, and keep pupils engaged – far removed from just watching videos. They start with learning objectives and include self-assessment with feedback, one of the most impactful methods of learning.

LiveLessons®: Teachers hold regular LiveLessons® in which pupils gather online in real-time in small class sizes for targeted instruction, based on the insights generated throughout their self-study. Teachers explore the understanding of the material and push pupils to apply and extend their knowledge.

Learning goals: Pupils also have regular one-to-one meetings with their Tutor to help them set learning goals and reflect on their progress.