General Information
Online schooling is a system of education where students attend a real school day, live lessons, timetables, break times, homework and after-school clubs, delivered online rather than at a physical site. Students join classes from the safety, convenience and comfort of home, or wherever they have an internet connection, on a computer, laptop or tablet.
Established in 2002, Cambridge Home School Online was among the very first online schools in the UK and is widely viewed by parents and education experts as the most trusted online school in the UK. It’s the only UK online selective elite school for high-ability students aged 5 to 19, with MA/MSc/PhD qualified subject-specialist teachers, class sizes of 8 to 10 pupils, one-on-one success coaching, and potential access to Oxford, Cambridge and other top universities through CHS’s Oxbridge Russell Group partnerships.
Yes. Flexi-schooling, also called hybrid schooling, gives students time out of lessons, by prior agreement, to pursue sport, enterprise or additional study opportunities. Every lesson at Cambridge Home School Online is video-recorded, so students using flexi-schooling can review anything they miss at any time.
Yes. Cambridge Home School Online is based in Cambridge, UK, and offers Cambridge International GCSEs and A Level qualifications to students in the UK, Europe (including Western Russia), Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. Since lessons are live, the time difference between a student’s home and UK time must allow them to be wide awake and ready to learn on a UK timetable.
Online schooling suits students aged 5 and up. Cambridge Home School Online teaches four programmes: Primary Prep (ages 5 to 10), Lower School (ages 11 to 13), Upper School/IGCSEs (ages 14 to 16), and Sixth Form/A Levels (ages 17 to 19).
Conventional school requires a daily commute to a physical site and large classrooms, which can bring noise, distraction, and less opportunity for a teacher to notice a student who needs help. Online school removes the commute and the physical classroom, with students learning from home. At Cambridge Home School Online, advanced online learning software and audio-visual technology keep classes engaging, and every lesson is video-recorded, so students avoid wasting lesson time on notes and can use recordings for catch-up and revision.
Cambridge Home School Online uses an independent curriculum rather than following the National Curriculum for England directly, believing the National Curriculum to be too prescriptive and too subject to political change to offer the curricular breadth and depth needed for the highest academic success. The school’s MA/MSc/PhD qualified subject-specialist teachers have built a broader, more interdisciplinary curriculum instead, while retaining fidelity to the National Curriculum more closely at Primary Prep (Key Stage 2) than at Key Stage 3, and with minimal influence from Key Stage 4 onwards, where the focus shifts to Cambridge examinations.
Yes. Cambridge Home School Online keeps classes to under 10 students, so pupils get more one-on-one attention from their teachers, helping them absorb and retain more and sit exams with greater understanding and confidence. Combined with the school’s independent curriculum and learning software, this is designed to help students perform better than similarly able peers without these advantages.
Cambridge Home School Online uses age-adapted strategies to hold students’ attention: cutting-edge audio-visual elements, fun in-class activities, group presentations and skills-building games for younger students, and more interactive, participatory lessons for older ones. Teachers are trained in sustaining student attention, and common classroom distractions such as poor behaviour, bullying and unwanted noise don’t arise in the same way in an online classroom.
Admissions Enrolment
Applying starts with the school’s admissions process: pay the non-refundable £200 registration fee, then send a personal statement written by your child together with a recent grades report to admissions@chsonline.org.uk. Parents who’d like to discuss their child’s education with a school leader first can arrange a Zoom meeting with the admissions team before applying.
Cambridge Home School Online generally only accepts new pupils starting in September, since joining partway through the year can disrupt teaching and learning. Because places are limited and vary by year group, families are encouraged to contact the Admissions Team early to discuss current availability.
Yes. Cambridge Home School Online is widely considered the best selective online private school in the UK, so places are very limited each year, and parents are advised to join the waiting list as early as possible. Where a place is needed urgently, families can complete an enhanced application, details of which are available through the Admissions Team.
The registration fee is £200 and is non-refundable. It is paid as the first step of the application, ahead of submitting a personal statement and grades report.
The school can accept applications from students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), but it is not a specialist SEND school. For the school to do its best for every student, with or without SEND, all students need to be able to take part in lessons without significant adjustment.
Yes. Parents who want to talk through their child’s education with a school leader before applying can arrange a Zoom meeting with the Admissions Team, without needing to commit to an application first.
Curriculum & Academics
Cambridge Home School Online uses an independent curriculum rather than following the National Curriculum for England directly, believing the National Curriculum to be too prescriptive and too subject to political change to offer the curricular breadth and depth needed for the highest academic success. The school’s MA/MSc/PhD qualified subject-specialist teachers have built a broader, more interdisciplinary curriculum instead, while retaining fidelity to the National Curriculum more closely at Primary Prep (Key Stage 2) than at Key Stage 3, and with minimal influence from Key Stage 4 onwards, where the focus shifts to Cambridge examinations.
Students at Cambridge Home School Online work towards Cambridge International GCSEs in Upper School and A Levels in Sixth Form. Primary Prep and Lower School build the academic foundation for these examination years, covering English, mathematics, science, humanities and the arts.
Cambridge Home School Online offers one of the broadest subject ranges of any online school. Lower School covers subjects including Art & Design, Biology, Chemistry, English Language, English Literature, French, Geography, History, Latin, Mathematics, Physics, Spanish and Music. Upper School adds IGCSE options such as Additional Maths, Business Studies, Computer Science, Economics, Psychology and Sociology, and Sixth Form offers A Levels across a similarly wide range, including Law, Classical Studies and Media.
Yes. Cambridge Home School Online keeps classes to under 10 students, so pupils get more one-on-one attention from their teachers, helping them absorb and retain more and sit exams with greater understanding and confidence. Combined with the school’s independent curriculum and learning software, this is designed to help students perform better than similarly able peers without these advantages.
Cambridge Home School Online uses age-adapted strategies to hold students’ attention: cutting-edge audio-visual elements, fun in-class activities, group presentations and skills-building games for younger students, and more interactive, participatory lessons for older ones. Teachers are trained in sustaining student attention, and common classroom distractions such as poor behaviour, bullying and unwanted noise don’t arise in the same way in an online classroom.
Teachers & Class Sizes
All teachers at Cambridge Home School Online hold at least a Master’s degree, with many holding PhDs, including Cambridge and Oxford University lecturers and national examiners. The school’s subject-specialist teachers bring a combined total of over 200 years of teaching experience.
Classes at Cambridge Home School Online are kept to no more than 10 pupils, with most groups running at 8 to 10 students. No other school offers class sizes this small, giving each pupil more time and attention from their teacher than a typical classroom allows.
Yes. Every student at Cambridge Home School Online receives one-on-one success coaching and pastoral support alongside their subject teaching, giving them a dedicated point of contact for guidance beyond the classroom.
Yes. Cambridge Home School Online keeps classes to under 10 students, so pupils get more one-on-one attention from their teachers, helping them absorb and retain more and sit exams with greater understanding and confidence. Combined with the school’s independent curriculum and learning software, this is designed to help students perform better than similarly able peers without these advantages.
How Lessons Work
Students follow a daily timetable of live lessons taught by MA/MSc/PhD qualified subject-specialist teachers, delivered to groups of 8 to 10 pupils through interactive online classrooms. Lessons run at set times, the same as a conventional school day, rather than being self-paced.
Yes. Every lesson at Cambridge Home School Online is video-recorded, giving students one of the largest archives of recorded lessons of any school. This makes it straightforward for a student to catch up on a missed class or revisit material for revision.
Because every lesson at Cambridge Home School Online is recorded, a student who misses a live class can watch it back afterwards rather than falling behind. This also supports flexi-schooling arrangements, where a student has agreed time out of lessons for other commitments.
Lessons at Cambridge Home School Online are delivered through Microsoft Teams, where students join live classes and access learning materials in one place.
A laptop or desktop computer running Windows 10 or later, or an equivalent Apple Mac, is recommended, with at least an Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 15-inch or larger screen. A wired internet connection with a minimum download speed of 10 Mbps is recommended over Wi-Fi, along with a headset with a microphone for the best audio quality. Tablets and mobile devices are fine for viewing content but are not recommended for regular studying.
Fees
Annual fees are £10,950 for Lower School, Upper School and Sixth Form, and £6,099 for Primary Prep. Some comparable selective independent schools charge a similar amount per term rather than per year.
No, Cambridge Home School Online is not free, though it is considerably more affordable than a comparable conventional independent or private school, at roughly half the fees.
The registration fee is £200 and is non-refundable. It is paid as the first step of the application, ahead of submitting a personal statement and grades report.
Student Life & Extracurriculars
Cambridge Home School Online offers over 20 free extracurricular clubs, alongside house competitions and national and international competitions, giving students a chance to build skills and connect with classmates outside the academic timetable.
Yes. Students at Cambridge Home School Online build friendships through live lessons, extracurricular clubs, and school events, with occasional in-person meet-ups also organised for students to connect outside the virtual classroom.
Yes. The student council at Cambridge Home School Online gives students a voice in school life, discussing issues that matter to them and lobbying council leaders to have those issues raised at regular council meetings.
Yes. Cambridge Home School Online’s eLibrary gives students free access to thousands of e-books and audiobooks, available anywhere, anytime, and on multiple devices.