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.
Episodes
Monday Aug 01, 2022
Monday Aug 01, 2022
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.
Season 2, Episode 4 - A Day in the Life of a UKVS Student - Raif's Journey into Secondary School
During this episode, you'll meet Raif, who's a student at UK Virtual School.
During this chat with Syd, you'll hear about his time in state schools and some of his issues with the traditional model of schooling.
Here are just some of the reasons Raif loves online schooling:
➡ UKVS really DOES listen to their students, whereas he felt largely ignored at his old traditional school
➡ UKVS has helped Raif to become more focused on his work, and comfortable enough to participate and ask some brilliant questions.
➡ The UKVS day is planned carefully - with breaks to keep the students learning effectively.
Please use your podcast app to FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE, so you never miss an episode.
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: info@ukvirtualschool.com
🔗 Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/UkVirtualSchool
🤼 Join our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/291678232050202
Monday Jul 25, 2022
Monday Jul 25, 2022
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.
Season 2, Episode 3 - I'm a New Home Ed Parent - First Experiences at UKVS.
On this episode, you'll meet Ebi, who's a parent of a child currently attending UK Virtual School.
During the chat with Syd, you'll hear all about the trials that Ebi and her child have gone through in previous school experiences and why UKVS is working so well for them now.
Here are a few reasons why Ebi absolutely loves UKVS:
➡ You get more time with your child when they're at UK Virtual School - Instead of them getting home from school and spending very little time with you, you can spend as much time as they'd like with them!
➡ UKVS send recordings of lessons back to the children - This means they can look back through lessons as many times as they need, which reinforces learning.
➡ UKVS is totally inclusive has many different approaches to learning - Which means that almost ANY child will fit in and benefit.
Please use your podcast app to FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE, so you never miss an episode.
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: info@ukvirtualschool.com
🔗 Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/UkVirtualSchool
🤼 Join our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/291678232050202
Monday Jul 18, 2022
Monday Jul 18, 2022
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.
Season 2, Episode 2 - The Globe Trotting Teacher: From the Welsh Valley to the Jungle!
During this episode, you'll meet Jemma, who's an English teacher at UKVS. She LOVES being part of the team because it gives her the ability to travel the world. During her chat with Syd, you'll hear one story about a snake in a playground that you'll never forget!
As well as giving Jemma the ability to travel, she's a big convert to online schooling for these reasons:
➡ Students are more focused, as there aren't any classroom distractions
➡ At UKVS, teachers are subject specialists, even for primary age students
➡ The students and their families have time flexibility
Please use your podcast app to FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE, so you never miss an episode.
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: info@ukvirtualschool.com
🔗 Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/UkVirtualSchool
🤼 Join our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/291678232050202
Monday Jul 18, 2022
Monday Jul 18, 2022
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.
Season 2, Episode 1 - Online Schooling in a Post Covid World
During this episode, Syd runs though just a handful of the advantages of online schooling, even when Covid lockdowns are a thing of the past!
➡ It's brilliantly flexible and accommodates families who want to travel, and provides consistency for students.
➡ The worlds BEST and most inspirational teachers are available to you - This is seldom the case with personal tutoring.
➡ If your kids suffer with anxiety or have had traumatic experiences in education before, or have SEN needs, they will feel safe and secure within an online school, as they can be based at home.
Please use your podcast app to FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE, so you never miss an episode.
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: info@ukvirtualschool.com
🔗 Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/UkVirtualSchool
🤼 Join our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/291678232050202
Monday Jul 11, 2022
Monday Jul 11, 2022
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.
Here's a brief trailer to give you some insight into some of the upcoming shows. If you're new here, and haven't yet listened to Season One, there's plenty of content already on this podcast feed. Season 2 launches on Monday July 18th, 2022. Please use your podcast app to FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE, so you never miss an episode.
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: info@ukvirtualschool.com
🔗 Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/UkVirtualSchool
🤼 Join our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/291678232050202
Monday Oct 18, 2021
Monday Oct 18, 2021
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.
#14 The Struggles of Handwriting
Strategies to improve your Child's Handwriting
This is a practically helpful episode of the podcast. If you're concerned about your child's handwriting, Syd will give you strategies and tactics to help them improve. Here are some of the key points:
- Don't tackle it head on - If your child sits and continually writes, they won't improve and they'll find it boring!
- There's a good chance that their poor handwriting is connected to a lack of fine motor skills development - Syd explains during this show how you can check to see if this is the issue.
- Great ways to help your child's fine motor skills improve includes; sewing, paper weaving, tying knots and playing with lego.
Download the “Ideas to Improve Handwriting” pdf from: https://ukvirtualschool.co.uk/podcast/se01-14-the-struggles-of-handwriting-strategies-to-improve-your-childs-handwriting/
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: info@ukvirtualschool.com
🔗 Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/UkVirtualSchool
🤼 Join our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/291678232050202
Monday Oct 11, 2021
Monday Oct 11, 2021
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.
#13 Teacher by Day, Astronomer by Night
Summer Hobby of a Physics Teacher
Aaron is a Maths and Physics teacher at UKVS and has a passion for all things Astronomy. During this chat, you'll hear about his Astrogazing evenings, the importance of being an authentic person as a teacher, and how the teachers of UK Virtual School learn from one another's teaching styles.
During his chat with Syd, you'll hear that:
- Previously when Aaron worked in a traditional environment, he'd teach Physics to kids who didn't want to do the subject, but HAD TO in order to pass the exams and move on to the next level. The private model proves more fulfilling for the student and teacher, because they're both because of their shared interest in the subject.
- Aaron finds that interaction with kids is actually better when teaching online, over than face to face. He was initially pleasantly surprised by this. Because the kids are at home, and happy with their surroundings they tend to be more communicative.
- Aaron continues to be excited about teaching because his material is constantly evolving and growing, whether it's to kids at UKVS, or to a crowd of people at his Astrogazing evenings. He also loves working with UK Virtual School because his style of teaching is celebrated and he's not told to teach in a particular way.
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: info@ukvirtualschool.com
🔗 Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/UkVirtualSchool
🤼 Join our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/291678232050202
Monday Oct 04, 2021
Monday Oct 04, 2021
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.
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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: info@ukvirtualschool.com
🔗 Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/UkVirtualSchool
🤼 Join our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/291678232050202
Monday Sep 27, 2021
Monday Sep 27, 2021
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: info@ukvirtualschool.com
🔗 Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/UkVirtualSchool
🤼 Join our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/291678232050202
Monday Sep 20, 2021
Monday Sep 20, 2021
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: info@ukvirtualschool.com
🔗 Follow us on: https://www.facebook.com/UkVirtualSchool
🤼 Join our FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/291678232050202