Choosing an online school is a big decision. And while prospectuses, websites and admissions teams can tell you how an online school should work, sometimes the most useful insight comes from the families actually experiencing it.
So, what is online school really like?
Cambridge Home School Online has received more than 100 independent reviews on Trustpilot, with students and parents sharing their experiences of everything from live online lessons and small classes to friendships, anxiety, neurodiversity and academic progress.
Here, we’re taking a closer look at some of those real experiences – and what they can tell families considering online schooling for their own child.
Is Online School Lonely?
This is probably one of the biggest concerns parents have when considering online education.
There can be an assumption that online school means sitting alone at a computer, watching recorded lessons and completing work independently.
That isn’t how learning works at Cambridge Home School Online.
Our students attend live, teacher-led online lessons in classes of no more than 10 pupils. Students can ask questions, participate in discussions and get to know both their teachers and classmates.
And this sense of connection is something that appears regularly in our online school reviews.
After joining CHS Sixth Form, student Holly described the small classes as creating a “focused and personal environment”, while still providing plenty of interaction and discussion.
Another student, who joined CHS at the beginning of Key Stage 3, highlighted interactive lessons, supportive teachers, clubs and House competitions.
They explained:
“Despite being thousands of miles apart, I have more connection with my friends and teachers than I would in a physical school!”
Online education removes the physical classroom, but it doesn’t have to remove the relationships that make school enjoyable.
Can Small Online Classes Help Students Build Confidence?
For some children, putting their hand up in a class of 25 or 30 students can feel incredibly daunting.
Small online classes can create a very different environment.
One CHS parent explained in their Trustpilot review that the school’s small class sizes had given their daughter the confidence to ask questions whenever she was stuck, helping to prevent gaps developing in her understanding.
A long-term CHS student described a similar transformation.
Having joined Cambridge Home School Online in Year 5 and remained through to A Levels, they explained that they had previously struggled to contribute during lessons.
The combination of smaller classes and online learning made asking questions much easier.
Over time, they went from rarely volunteering an answer to describing themselves as one of the most interactive students in their lessons.
For the right student, a smaller classroom doesn’t simply mean fewer people. It can mean having more space to find their voice.
What Is Online School Like for Neurodivergent Students?
For some neurodivergent children, the difficulty with mainstream education isn’t necessarily the learning itself.
It can be everything happening around it.
Busy corridors, large classrooms, noise, sensory demands and social pressures can all make the traditional school day more challenging.
Several CHS families have spoken openly in their reviews about choosing online school for neurodivergent students.
One parent explained that her autistic daughter had previously found aspects of the traditional school environment and social interaction challenging.
After moving to CHS, she noticed a significant change. Her daughter was more relaxed, eager to learn and actively participating during lessons. Removing some of the pressures associated with conventional school also gave her more time and energy to pursue her interest in music.
Another CHS student, who identifies as autistic and dyslexic, shared their experience of spending six years at the school.
They described finding large and noisy classrooms difficult before moving online. Smaller classes helped them become more confident asking questions, while extracurricular clubs and activities gave them opportunities to develop socially and personally.
During their time at CHS, they became involved with the school magazine, The Cambridge Collective, developing skills including leadership, organisation, public speaking and time management.
Every neurodivergent student is different, and online education won’t automatically suit every child. However, these experiences demonstrate how changing the learning environment can make a significant difference when aspects of the traditional classroom have become a barrier to learning.
Can Online School Help Students Experiencing Anxiety or School Avoidance?
Families don’t always start looking for an online school because they originally planned to educate their child online.
Sometimes, they start looking because traditional school has stopped working.
Anxiety and school avoidance can have an enormous impact on a young person’s education and family life.
One CHS parent explained that her daughter joined the school after struggling to attend her previous school because of anxiety. She particularly highlighted the pastoral care, support and flexibility her daughter received at CHS.
Another family moved their daughter to Cambridge Home School Online midway through Year 9 following a particularly challenging period in traditional education.
Her parent reported improvements both academically and personally following the move.
Interestingly, the family had initially worried that online schooling might negatively affect their daughter’s social life.
Instead, they found that reducing the stress and exhaustion associated with attending school meant she had more energy to socialise outside of school.
It’s an important reminder that socialisation isn’t simply about how many other children a student physically sits beside during the day.
For some young people, having a calmer learning environment can leave them with more capacity for friendships, hobbies, sport and family life.
Are Online Lessons Live and Interactive?
Not all online schools use the same teaching model.
There is an important difference between independently watching recorded content and attending a live online school where lessons are taught in real time.
At Cambridge Home School Online, teaching takes place through live lessons with subject-specialist teachers.
One Sixth Form student described their Maths lessons as fun, engaging and interactive, with students competing to submit answers first in the class chat and using collaborative OneNote spaces to work alongside classmates.
Another former student attended CHS from IGCSE through to completing their A Levels.
They had initially been attracted to the school because they wanted to study Art and were surprised by just how interactive online lessons could be – particularly how successfully a practical and creative subject could be taught online.
They also credited attentive teachers with helping them feel prepared and confident ahead of their examinations.
Online school doesn’t have to mean pressing play on a recording.
It can still mean teachers teaching, students participating and classmates learning together in real time.
Does Online School Offer More Flexibility?
Flexibility is another major reason families consider online education.
Students may need greater flexibility because of competitive sport, performing arts, international travel, health, family circumstances or simply because they want a different balance between education and home life.
But flexibility doesn’t have to mean a lack of structure.
CHS students follow a structured timetable of live lessons while also having access to resources that allow them to review their learning.
One family, whose child had attended CHS for two years, praised the ability to travel while maintaining a high standard of education.
They also highlighted the advantages for students involved in sport or other time-consuming activities.
Another family enrolled two sons at CHS for a single term because their circumstances temporarily made traditional schooling unsuitable.
Their parent described a smooth transition and said both children remained engaged, continued progressing academically and felt supported by their teachers.
When their circumstances changed, the boys returned to traditional education – but the family said they would consider online schooling again if they needed it.
Online education doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing philosophy.
Sometimes, it is simply the educational environment that works best for a child at a particular stage of their life.
Can Students Make Academic Progress at an Online School?
Academic outcomes naturally remain an important consideration for families researching online schools.
But something else appears repeatedly in CHS student and parent reviews: confidence.
One parent whose two sons spent four years at Cambridge Home School Online said the experience helped increase their confidence while supporting strong academic progress, including one son completing his GCSEs early.
Other students speak about the opportunities available beyond lessons, including extracurricular clubs, House competitions, assemblies and contributing to school publications.
These experiences matter because education should be about more than simply completing a syllabus.
A good school should also help a young person discover what they’re capable of.
Who Is Online School Suitable For?
There isn’t one particular type of student who can benefit from online education.
The CHS community includes students in the UK and around the world, young people pursuing ambitious academic goals, athletes and creatives, children who prefer smaller classes, and students for whom mainstream education has become difficult.
Looking across our independent online school reviews, several themes appear repeatedly:
- Small, live classes where students can interact with teachers
- Greater confidence asking questions and participating
- Strong relationships with teachers and classmates
- Flexibility around life outside school
- A calmer environment for some students experiencing anxiety or sensory challenges
- Opportunities to participate in clubs and the wider school community
- Academic support alongside personal development The common thread isn’t simply that lessons happen
It’s what a different learning environment can allow individual students to do.
Participate. Ask questions. Build confidence. Develop friendships. Pursue their interests. And enjoy learning.
Read Cambridge Home School Online Reviews
If you’re comparing online schools, we’d always recommend looking beyond the school’s own website.
Independent reviews can give you a much better understanding of the experiences of students and parents who have actually used the school.
You can read the latest Cambridge Home School Online reviews on Trustpilot to see what our families and students have to say in their own words.
Experience a Live Online School for Yourself
Of course, reading online school reviews can only tell you so much.
Sometimes the best way to decide whether online education could suit your child is to experience it.
Cambridge Home School Online runs live online taster sessions every Tuesday during term time, giving prospective students the opportunity to experience a live lesson, meet our teachers and get a feel for what learning at CHS is actually like.
If something about your child’s current education doesn’t feel quite right – or you’re simply exploring whether there’s another way to learn – a taster session is an opportunity to see the difference for yourself. We can’t wait to see you there!