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UK Virtual School Podcast (UKVS)
UK Virtual School Podcast (UKVS) episodes
- S01E12 How We Cater for SEN Kids - A Parent & Teacher‘s insight into UKVS
UK Virtual School isn’t just any online school – We dare to be different! We offer a flexible online British Education adapted for the modern world, catering for Year 1 to iGCSEs for Home Educating families, Expats, and World Schoolers.
#12 How We Cater for SEN Kids
A Parent & Teacher's insight into UKVS
Ant's been a teacher with UK Virtual School since the start and he's seen it grow into what is today, and loves how it continues to grow. He says on this episode that UKVS “offers subjects to help students grow as people, not just as academic subjects”.
As well as being a teacher with the school, Ant has since enrolled his son, Monty. Monty has been diagnosed as being on the Autistic spectrum, and has special educational needs.
During this chat with Syd, Ant talks about many of his thoughts surrounding home school for young people with SEN, including:
- How he was concerned initially about how much curriculum material would be covered. After a few weeks, Ant came to realise that this core material was being taught really effectively. Because of UKVS's small class sizes, the teachers got to know Monty really quickly, and can help him to learn in a way that suits him.
- How when Monty became unhappy with his traditional school, stopped communicating about it, and at times became disruptive in class, he enrolled at UKVS for a year. The extra support he's been provided with has given him the confidence and strength to make a return to a traditional environment. If this was not to work out; Ant would have no reservations about enrolling him with UKVS again in the future.
How he's really impressed by the core values at UKVS. Ant's worked in other schools and colleges, many of which have “mission statements”. He considers the core values and the way they're implemented to be unique.
More about Syd (Our Founder)
Syd is the founder and visionary behind UK Virtual School, which was set up in the peak of the pandemic, when the need for an alternative online education system became far more clearer. Syd has worked extensively with home educating families over the last 11 years and has spent her life in the education sector as a qualified teacher in state, grammar and private schools before settling to work full time on her educational projects, namely Femtinos.
Join us as we explore the core values of innovation, curiosity, growth mindset and inclusion & diversity which are embedded in the fabric of UKVS:
💻 Find us on www.ukvirtualschool.com
📩 Reach out to us: [email protected]
🔗 Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/UkVirtualSchool
🤼 Join our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/291678232050202
37 min - How he was concerned initially about how much curriculum material would be covered. After a few weeks, Ant came to realise that this core material was being taught really effectively. Because of UKVS's small class sizes, the teachers got to know Monty really quickly, and can help him to learn in a way that suits him.
- S01E11 Do Online Classes Work for Primary? - Engaging Young Children in Learning
UK Virtual School isn’t just any online school – We dare to be different! We offer a flexible online British Education adapted for the modern world, catering for Year 1 to iGCSEs for Home Educating families, Expats, and World Schoolers.
#11 Do Online Classes Work for Primary?
Engaging Young Children in Learning
On this episode, you'll meet the brilliant and inspiring Kate, who's a teacher with UK Virtual School. You'll hear about the unique way she teaches English, and learn more about the methods she uses. Kate's covers many points, including:
- The importance of the child WANTING to learn about the subject that's being taught is paramount. In order to know what will appeal to the child, the teacher has to get to know the children. With UKVS, Kate can do that because of the small class sizes.
- MANY, things can be used as hooks for lessons. For example; A news article informing Kate that today is the anniversary of Cleopatra's death: From this she can develop a whole day of learning about culture, music, geography, literature and set work for the children to create poems and prose around these subjects.
- Kate uses grown up language with children (she threw a "discombobulated" in there the other day!). If the word is out of the child's vocabulary, she will explain what it means. From this , the child will implement beautiful and complex language themself.
More about Syd (Our Founder)Syd is the founder and visionary behind UK Virtual School, which was set up in the peak of the pandemic, when the need for an alternative online education system became far more clearer. Syd has worked extensively with home educating families over the last 11 years and has spent her life in the education sector as a qualified teacher in state, grammar and private schools before settling to work full time on her educational projects, namely Femtinos.
Join us as we explore the core values of innovation, curiosity, growth mindset and inclusion & diversity which are embedded in the fabric of UKVS:
💻 Find us on www.ukvirtualschool.com
📩 Reach out to us: [email protected]
🔗 Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/UkVirtualSchool
🤼 Join our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/291678232050202
38 min - The importance of the child WANTING to learn about the subject that's being taught is paramount. In order to know what will appeal to the child, the teacher has to get to know the children. With UKVS, Kate can do that because of the small class sizes.
- S01E10 The Pandemic Converted Me - Why I Chose to Stick with Home Education with Dr. Catherine
UK Virtual School isn’t just any online school – We dare to be different! We offer a flexible online British Education adapted for the modern world, catering for Year 1 to iGCSEs for Home Educating families, Expats, and World Schoolers.
#10 The Pandemic Converted Me
Why I Chose to Stick with Home Education
On this episode, you'll hear from Dr. Catherine Steele, who chose UKVS during the pandemic. As soon as her daughter (Hope) started, it became clear that home education suited her better that her previous traditional school, so she's continued after lockdown. Catherine actually works in the traditional education system herself, and was very nervous about the change to UK Virtual School for Hope. During her chat with Syd you'll learn a lot more, including:
- Hope's school were supportive of the swap to home education, and if for what ever reason the switch over didn't work out, they agreed to keep her place open, should she want to return.
- Catherine felt security in knowing that UKVS were teaching a similar curriculum to Hope's previous school. If she decided to return to traditional schooling in the future, she's now confident that Hope has been learning the same things as her peers.
- Catherine's Father, who's involved as a Governor at a local school, and was always a big fan of traditional schooling, has had his eyes opened around the benefits of home schooling. He works through course resources and videos with Hope and supports her with her homework. This collaborative working and common interest has been amazing for their relationship.
To hear Hope's appearance on a previous episode of this Podcast, ▶[CLICK HERE] ◀
More about Syd (Our Founder)Syd is the founder and visionary behind UK Virtual School, which was set up in the peak of the pandemic, when the need for an alternative online education system became far more clearer. Syd has worked extensively with home educating families over the last 11 years and has spent her life in the education sector as a qualified teacher in state, grammar and private schools before settling to work full time on her educational projects, namely Femtinos.
Join us as we explore the core values of innovation, curiosity, growth mindset and inclusion & diversity which are embedded in the fabric of UKVS:
💻 Find us on www.ukvirtualschool.com
📩 Reach out to us: [email protected]
🔗 Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/UkVirtualSchool
🤼 Join our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/291678232050202
33 min - Hope's school were supportive of the swap to home education, and if for what ever reason the switch over didn't work out, they agreed to keep her place open, should she want to return.
- S01E09 Space for Everyone - Student Perspective on Online Schooling
UK Virtual School isn’t just any online school – We dare to be different! We offer a flexible online British Education adapted for the modern world, catering for Year 1 to iGCSEs for Home Educating families, Expats, and World Schoolers.
#9 Space for Everyone
Student Perspective on Online Schooling
Eight year old Hope is one of UK Virtual School's students. On this episode, you'll hear all about her hobbies, her plans for the 1,068 page book she's working on, and you'll hear her read the UKVS story "Space for Everyone" which helps students understand our values. To get your copy, ▶[CLICK HERE] ◀
Hope's family started home schooling with her during Covid, and have decided to continue. During her chat with Syd, you'll find out why UKVS is helping her to thrive. Here are just a few of the reasons:
- Hope enjoys the flexibility of UKVS. She engages in many activities during the daytime hours, and fits her lessons around her weekly activities, which include Rhythmic Gymnastics, helping out at a local Farm and Horse Riding.
- The laid back teaching methods of the UKVS teachers really suit Hope. She didn't used to engage with English at all, but after she was encouraged to write a story about Volcanoes, English is her favourite subject. She's even setting about writing a (MASSIVE) book in her own time!
- Hope is finding it much easier to be heard in the smaller online class sizes. If she has a question for the teacher, she uses the chat box, and knows it will be answered at a suitable time. She feels the teachers have more time to help her and focus on her needs.
More about Syd (Our Founder)
Syd is the founder and visionary behind UK Virtual School, which was set up in the peak of the pandemic, when the need for an alternative online education system became far more clearer. Syd has worked extensively with home educating families over the last 11 years and has spent her life in the education sector as a qualified teacher in state, grammar and private schools before settling to work full time on her educational projects, namely Femtinos.
Join us as we explore the core values of innovation, curiosity, growth mindset and inclusion & diversity which are embedded in the fabric of UKVS:
💻 Find us on www.ukvirtualschool.com
📩 Reach out to us: [email protected]
🔗 Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/UkVirtualSchool
🤼 Join our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/291678232050202
28 min - Hope enjoys the flexibility of UKVS. She engages in many activities during the daytime hours, and fits her lessons around her weekly activities, which include Rhythmic Gymnastics, helping out at a local Farm and Horse Riding.
- S01E08 The Teacher Who Lives in a Van - Flexibility of an Online School
UK Virtual School isn’t just any online school – We dare to be different! We offer a flexible online British Education adapted for the modern world, catering for Year 1 to iGCSEs for Home Educating families, Expats, and World Schoolers.
#8 The Teacher Who Lives in a Van
Flexibility of an Online School
Hannah's a UKVS Science Teacher, she's also a New Zealander; which means she LOVES TO TRAVEL. She lives in her van and moves from beautiful location to location. We often talk about how home schooling fits in to the student's way of life, on this episode you'll hear that it also works for our teachers too.
Hannah's worldly knowledge is invaluable to her students - You can see more about her on our "Team" page of the website: https://ukvirtualschool.co.uk/our-team/hannah/
There are many fantastic points raised during Hannah's chat with Syd, including:
- Hannah integrates her current location into her lessons where possible. It keeps the content fresh and creates a memorable learning experience.
- Hannah finds working with kids is "dynamic". Often adults have established their way of thinking and won't change, where as kids are open to fresh new perspectives.
- This modern way of schooling requires a good internet connection. Hannah's done lessons from all over world... in the alps, in the middle of nowhere in India, and on a Welsh mountain, without any problems. The biggest connection issues have always come in major cities in the UK!
- Hannah loves working at UKVS for MANY reasons, but one of the biggest is because the class sizes are so small (a maximum of 10). This ensures that all her students needs are catered for, all of the time.
More about Syd (Our Founder)Syd is the founder and visionary behind UK Virtual School, which was set up in the peak of the pandemic, when the need for an alternative online education system became far more clearer. Syd has worked extensively with home educating families over the last 11 years and has spent her life in the education sector as a qualified teacher in state, grammar and private schools before settling to work full time on her educational projects, namely Femtinos.
Join us as we explore the core values of innovation, curiosity, growth mindset and inclusion & diversity which are embedded in the fabric of UKVS:
💻 Find us on www.ukvirtualschool.com
📩 Reach out to us: [email protected]
🔗 Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/UkVirtualSchool
🤼 Join our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/291678232050202
36 min - S01E06 How do Home Educated Kids Sit GCSEs? - A 101 Guide to Exams as a Home Educator
UK Virtual School isn’t just any online school – We dare to be different! We offer a flexible online British Education adapted for the modern world, catering for Year 1 to iGCSEs for Home Educating families, Expats, and World Schoolers.
#6 How Do Home Educated Kids Sit GCSEs?
101 Guide to Exams as a Home Educator
On this sixth episode in season one, Syd will answer the most common question she hears from home educating families, or those who are considering home education as a route for their children. There can be a lot of misunderstanding around exams and assessments, but you'll hear these questions fully answered:
- Does my child need to sit exams?
- How does my child sit exams?
- What are iGCSEs?
- How will my child actually sit the exam itself?
- How do you assess my child's progress throughout their GCSEs?
- Do I need to be in the UK?
- How many GCSEs need to be taken?
To download the pdf 101 Guide to Exams as a Home Educator, with all the links mentioned in the podcast, visit the UK Virtual School website and download the 8 page booklet
More about Syd (Our Founder)Syd is the founder and visionary behind UK Virtual School, which was set up in the peak of the pandemic, when the need for an alternative online education system became far more clearer. Syd has worked extensively with home educating families over the last 11 years and has spent her life in the education sector as a qualified teacher in state, grammar and private schools before settling to work full time on her educational projects, namely Femtinos.
Join us as we explore the core values of innovation, curiosity, growth mindset and inclusion & diversity which are embedded in the fabric of UKVS:
Find us on www.ukvirtualschool.com
Reach out to us: [email protected]
Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/UkVirtualSchool
Join our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/291678232050202
38 min - S01E05 My Pandemic Homeschool Story - Why I Chose UK Virtual School
UK Virtual School isn’t just any online school – We dare to be different! We offer a flexible online British Education adapted for the modern world, catering for Year 1 to iGCSEs for Home Educating families, Expats, and World Schoolers.
#5 My Pandemic Homeschool Story
Why I Chose UK Virtual School With Rae Richards
On the fifth episode in season one, you'll meet Home Ed Parent, Rae Richards. Rae is a Business & Style Identity Consultant, who works fulltime on her business. Like many parents, when Covid struck, the home schooling of her 3 children (aged 13,11 and 9) became a strain on time. After the first lockdown finished and the kids went back to their respective schools, things had changed, as classroom bubbles, regimented behaviour and face masks had all become mandatory. Rae predicted another lockdown, and knew the boys education would suffer, if she didn't take rapid action, so she enrolled them in UK Virtual School. She's since become a massive advocate of virtual schooling, as they are thriving.
During this chat with Syd, she talks about many of the advantages, including:
- The attentiveness of the teachers, who very quickly identified parts of learning her boys had missed out on during the disruption, and rectified it.
- The kids chose this method of schooling over traditional, so they feel empowered as their opinions have been taken into account, which leads to a positive mindset when approaching learning.
- The boys have been much more engaged with the Active Learning methods used by the teachers at UK Virtual School. In a large class of 30 in the traditional school, they were much more passive and fell behind much easier.
More about Syd (Our Founder)Syd is the founder and visionary behind UK Virtual School, which was set up in the peak of the pandemic, when the need for an alternative online education system became far more clearer. Syd has worked extensively with home educating families over the last 11 years and has spent her life in the education sector as a qualified teacher in state, grammar and private schools before settling to work full time on her educational projects, namely Femtinos.
Join us as we explore the core values of innovation, curiosity, growth mindset and inclusion & diversity which are embedded in the fabric of UKVS:
Find us on www.ukvirtualschool.com
Reach out to us: [email protected]
Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/UkVirtualSchool
Join our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/291678232050202
38 min - The attentiveness of the teachers, who very quickly identified parts of learning her boys had missed out on during the disruption, and rectified it.
- S01E04 Why Home Educate? Understanding What‘s Best For Your Child
UK Virtual School isn’t just any online school – We dare to be different! We offer a flexible online British Education adapted for the modern world, catering for Year 1 to iGCSEs for Home Educating families, Expats, and World Schoolers.
#4 Why Home Educate?
Understanding what's best for your child With Gabriela Galasinska
On this fourth episode of the podcast, you'll hear from Gabriela, who's kids are educated at home. Like many parents, when Covid hit, Gabriela started to teach her two children at home. They were both much happier, as neither of them enjoyed the traditional system. Once Gabriela realised the potential of home schooling, she enrolled both of them at UK Virtual School, and they haven't looked back.
During the chat, she talks about many of the advantages, including:
- Flexibility - Her kids are much happier without the rigid days and times.
- Her kids felt like they were in a "jail" at their traditional school. Because of the high fences, and the strict rules.
- She feels home schooling allows the parent to play a bigger part in their child's education and ultimately get to know them better.
More about Syd (Our Founder)Syd is the founder and visionary behind UK Virtual School, which was set up in the peak of the pandemic, when the need for an alternative online education system became far more clearer. Syd has worked extensively with home educating families over the last 11 years and has spent her life in the education sector as a qualified teacher in state, grammar and private schools before settling to work full time on her educational projects, namely Femtinos.
Join us as we explore the core values of innovation, curiosity, growth mindset and inclusion & diversity which are embedded in the fabric of UKVS:
Find us on www.ukvirtualschool.com
Reach out to us: [email protected]
Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/UkVirtualSchool
Join our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/291678232050202
14 min - S01E03 Our Core Values - A School That Thinks Differently
UK Virtual School isn’t just any online school – We dare to be different! We offer a flexible online British Education adapted for the modern world, catering for Year 1 to iGCSEs for Home Educating families, Expats, and World Schoolers.
#3 Our Core Values
A School That Thinks Differently with Syd
On this third episode of the show, you'll hear about how important values are at UKVS. Syd will drill down into our Core Values, which apply to all students and teachers, they are:
- Growth Mindset
- Curiosity
- Diversity & Inclusion
- Innovation
You'll hear each value broken down as Syd explains their importance and why she's so passionate about each one.
You can find the worksheet activity mentioned in the podcast here.
More about Syd (Our Founder)
Syd is the founder and visionary behind UK Virtual School, which was set up in the peak of the pandemic, when the need for an alternative online education system became far more clearer. Syd has worked extensively with home educating families over the last 11 years and has spent her life in the education sector as a qualified teacher in state, grammar and private schools before settling to work full time on her educational projects, namely Femtinos.
Join us as we explore the core values of innovation, curiosity, growth mindset and inclusion & diversity which are embedded in the fabric of UKVS:
Find us on www.ukvirtualschool.com
Reach out to us: [email protected]
Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/UkVirtualSchool
Join our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/291678232050202
22 min - S01E02 An Education Revolution: Times Are Changing...
UK Virtual School isn’t just any online school – We dare to be different! We offer a flexible online British Education adapted for the modern world, catering for Year 1 to iGCSEs for Home Educating families, Expats, and World Schoolers.
#2 An Education Revolution
Times Are Changing... with Syd
On this second episode of the show, you'll hear about why Syd created UK Virtual School, and how she truly believes other educators (online and offline), will follow in her footsteps, once there's an education revolution. You'll hear about many aspects of teaching, including:
- The styles of teaching at the school, which are more inclusive and help the student to be more creative.
- More flexible classroom methods, which help students who need to take time off don't get behind on work.
- Term-times that work better in the real world and allow students to go away and come back refreshed.
- Mixed age classes, that are based on ability rather than age
- There being less stress on the student, with a better approach to exams and assessments.
About Syd
Syd is the founder and visionary behind UK Virtual School, which was set up in the peak of the pandemic, when the need for an alternative online education system became far more clearer. Syd has worked extensively with home educating families over the last 11 years and has spent her life in the education sector as a qualified teacher in state, grammar and private schools before settling to work full time on her educational projects, namely Femtinos.
Join us as we explore the core values of innovation, curiosity, growth mindset and inclusion & diversity which are embedded in the fabric of UKVS:
Find us on www.ukvirtualschool.com
Reach out to us: [email protected]
Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/UkVirtualSchool
Join our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/291678232050202
23 min
About UK Virtual School Podcast (UKVS)
From the publisher's feed
In this podcast, we explore all things education and how we are very much in need of new innovative ways of schooling. Many online schools attempt to replicate the traditional schooling structure, which we know is outdated. In this podcast we celebrate some of the innovative things UK Virtual School (UKVS) has adapted to create an online school and education system that is very much suited for the modern world.
Join us as we explore the core values of innovation, curiosity, growth mindset and inclusion & diversity which are embedded in the fabric of UKVS
Find us on www.ukvirtualschool.com
Reach out to us: [email protected]
Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/UkVirtualSchool
Join our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/291678232050202