Enrolling at online school can bring your child a great deal of flexibility, support, and progress in their education — and it doesn’t have to be daunting when you know how to prepare.
Making any big transition can feel overwhelming at first, and moving to a new school is no exception. That said, transferring to online school can be a smooth, happy, and successful period when you know what to expect and how to get your child ready.
Learn the platform
Students at online schools use digital platforms to attend their classes, talk to their friends, ask teachers questions, join in extracurricular activities, and more. Since your child will be using their pupil dashboard every school day, it’s a good idea to learn how it works before classes start.
As soon as your child enrols and receives their account details, log onto the school’s learning platform and take a look around at all the features — or encourage your child to explore it on their own. In particular, you’ll want to know how to access lessons and resources, how to communicate with teachers, and where to view your child’s timetable.
Make sure to check out any video tutorials or help documents provided if you need extra help. If there’s any aspect of the platform you simply can’t work out, remember that your school’s tech support staff should always be on hand to help.
When your child knows how their online school works, they’ll be able to jump into classes straight away and get stuck into learning on the first day.
Set up a study space
While online school students can learn anywhere — even when they’re out and about — setting up a study area at home is a great way to get your child into the learning mindset. Getting this space ready ahead of time is a great way to make your child’s school move go swimmingly.
Not sure what makes a great learning space? Start by choosing a location that suits your child, whether that’s in a home office, a bedroom, or a quiet spot in one of your family living areas. Next, pick out an ergonomic chair and desk to make classes comfortable.
Use plastic boxes, shelves, drawers, and hooks to keep the space organised, and make sure all your child’s essential supplies are within reach. This ensures your budding student won’t need to stress about where their headset is before class or lose track of lessons while looking for a pen and paper.
Find the right online school
While the above tips will always be helpful, the real key to a happy online school transition is choosing the best school to begin with. As the virtual education space grows, more and more online schools open each year. Of course, not all of these schools will be right for your child. Finding a high-quality, experienced school that fits your family will go a long way in making the transfer process smooth.
Look out for expert teachers, a warm and welcoming school community, a strong curriculum, and plenty of additional learning opportunities. Ideally, try to find a school that has several years of experience in online teaching too. With teachers who know how to support new students, exciting classes and clubs, and friendly global classmates, your child should have little trouble settling in and feeling like they belong.
King’s InterHigh
With over 16 years of experience, King’s InterHigh has taught the British curriculum to over 10,000 successful alumni around the world. With rolling admissions throughout the year, King’s InterHigh knows exactly how to make our new students feel welcome and excited to learn. To learn more, visit the website.
