Boys’ school Harrow, has just announced the launch of a new virtual sixth form called Harrow School Online.

The online classes will be based on the traditions of Harrow and available only to international students around the world for A Levels starting next September 2020, so won’t be competing with their bricks and mortar school in the UK. Working alongside Pearson who will provide the technology, the courses will initially focus on STEM subjects (Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Further Mathematics) and Economics.

Students will take part in one-to-one academic tutorials, live online lessons with a teacher and other students, self-study lessons completed at a time and pace to suit the individual learner, and regular coaching sessions that will provide them with personalised support and feedback.

As well as the focus on academic excellence, the school will also aim to mirror Harrow’s ethos as much as possible, through a virtual house system, the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities (such as a chess club and a student newspaper) and the chance to attend a summer course at Harrow.

Harrow School Online’s UK-based and UK-qualified teachers will be recruited and trained to the same levels of excellence required by Harrow.

Harrow School Online’s Principal Heather Rhodes, who has worked at Harrow for over ten years as the Head of English as an Additional Language (EAL) and the Academic Principal at Harrow School Short Courses (HSSC), said “We live in a rapidly changing world, and education must too adapt to the new challenges”.

Read Harrow’s Inside Scoop review here