Academy21

Abbeyfield School

Rather than punishing these vulnerable students, with Academy21 we have been able to intervene and get to the root of their individual problems.

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Sonia - Parent

My daughter, has severe chronic fatigue and had missed 18 months of lessons prior to joining Academy21. She was nervous about how she would cope and found it tricky at first, as her resilience was low. But the stimulating nature of the lessons Miss Perkins runs, as well as her kindness, good nature and efficiency, means that my daughter lives her lessons and actually looks forward to them. Her confidence in maths is growing, and she is making measurable progress.

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From long-term absence to top GCSE grades – Lilia’s story

The start of secondary school should be an exciting time, but for Lilia from Cambridgeshire, Year 7 was fraught with difficulty from the start.

Now, following three years with us at Academy21, Lilia has started Sixth Form this year armed with excitement, stellar GCSE grades, and the confidence to return to the classroom.

The challenge

Throughout Year 7, Lilia was in and out of hospital, missing a lot of school due to her health issues. In her own words, she had “already missed so much” of her education by Year 8, but the gap only widened that year. After spending the entirety of Year 8 out of schooling and missing out on crucial academic building blocks, the prospect of returning felt overwhelming.

“It was getting harder and harder to come back into a classroom environment.” – Lilia

The strategy

By the time Lilia reached Year 9, she found it “so difficult with anxiety to go [into school] in person” that she and her family began looking into other education options. That’s when they found Academy21.

Academy21 is the UK’s leading online alternative provision, supporting thousands of pupils each year. With experienced teachers, live lessons, and support for wellbeing, Academy21 brings students with complex needs a pathway to strong educational outcomes.

Working together with Lilia, her family, and her school, Soham College, Academy21 set up and implemented a long-term provision plan — one that would allow her to gradually catch up, rebuild her studies in a comfortable environment, regain her confidence, and get back on track to achieve the GCSEs she would need to start Sixth Form in person.

Breaking down the strategy: Flexible support

Academy21 provision is designed to meet a wide range of needs for schools and local authorities, from 6th day provision requirements to longer-term support, as in the case of Lilia.

Our provision also flexes up and down as needed, without wait times or additional adjustment fees. For Lilia, Academy21 worked to create a timetable that would gradually expand over time, easing her back into education while ensuring she’d still be on track to succeed in her GCSEs. Starting with a handful of subjects and taking her History GCSE in one year, she then went on to finish with seven very strong qualifications.

“I particularly appreciated starting with fewer subjects to begin with which eased any former feelings of being overwhelmed, there I could build up on my subjects as I gained confidence.”– Lilia

Breaking down the strategy: High-quality, comfortable learning

Sadly, anxiety is becoming an increasingly prevalent reason behind school absences. According to Action for Children, one in six children are likely to face a difficulty with their mental health — a 50% rise over the last three years. The rate of “persistently absent” pupils, meanwhile, has doubled since pre-pandemic figures according to UK government research.

Academy21 offers the ideal environment for anxious students like Lilia to rebuild their academic confidence. For students who only feel comfortable learning in their own home, our small online classes eliminate triggers like crowded hallways, noisy cafeterias, and playground taunts.

“The small classes at Academy21 are brilliant, and Lilia was able to get a lot of support from her teachers in lessons and with the Friday tutorials which she found very helpful.”– Coralie and Nigel, Lilia’s parents

All the while, Academy21’s provision brings students the quality teaching they need to achieve strong outcomes in their learning. Students follow a 38-week academic calendar with four 40-minute classes per subject per week — plus the option of additional consolidation courses on Fridays. The combination of live lessons and a vast library of on-demand resources helps students make great progress week-on-week as they work towards exams and target grades.

Our GCSEs are available as two-year courses for in-depth development (which suited Lilia’s circumstances), or as one-year courses for accelerated study, with new pupils accepted at any point in the year.

Underpinning Academy21 learning are our highly qualified, subject specialist teachers. Academy21 teachers have extensive experience in mainstream, SEN, and online education, including in delivering alternative provision for disengaged or anxious learners.

Alongside their expertise, our teachers also offer a sense of warmth and care that’s crucial for re-engaging students with their education. “Never had I felt pressured or undermined by my teachers, which aided me to enjoy learning,” Lilia says of her experience.

“We felt the teachers really got to know Lilia as an individual and she was able to talk to them confidently in return.” – Coralie and Nigel, Lilia’s parents

Breaking down the strategy: A strong partnership

Throughout Lilia’s journey, her school remained closely involved via a dedicated support guide. This collaboration was crucial to creating the ideal learning plan for Lilia’s circumstances.

“I had a teacher assistant I could speak to, and we would check up every couple of weeks just to make sure everything was going how I wanted it to.”– Lilia

At Academy21, we work closely with schools and local authorities to deliver the best possible outcomes for each individual student, keeping everyone aligned with proactive communication, and round-the-clock access to reporting and monitoring. With our online alternative provision, students can stay on roll and feel like part of the community as they work towards reintegration.

“The school itself has been supportive… She is still on roll with the local school, so they have been a big part of it. They have been very supportive, and there has been really, really good communication between them, us and Academy21.”– Coralie, Lilia’s mum

Breaking down the strategy: Practical subjects online

Lilia’s mother admitted she had wondered how her daughter would tackle hands-on GCSEs like sciences remotely — “but this was taught exceptionally well,” she tells us.

Key Stage 4 students learning with Academy21 have the option of GCSE Combined (Double Award) Science or separate triple science GCSEs in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics, as well as WJEC Entry Level in Science for students with significant learning gaps.

Lilia, who chose to study all three sciences, was able to achieve high grades of 8, 8, and 7 in each qualification, despite missing most of her foundational secondary school science education.

Breaking down the strategy: Successful reintegration

Ultimately, for many students, the goal is to see them reintegrate into mainstream education. Through a combination of strong academic focus and support for wellbeing, all in a stable learning environment, Academy21 is able to guide students who’ve been out of education on a path back to the physical classroom and towards successful futures.

“During Lilia’s three years with Academy21, we saw her progress beyond expectations academically and grow in confidence,” say Lilia’s parents. Now, we are delighted to say that Lilia has transitioned back to in-person learning in time for her Sixth Form years.

The outcome

“We are very grateful to Academy21 for their excellent organisation, teaching, and support. Lilia has achieved excellent GCSE results and is now studying full time at Sixth Form college, in person. We would highly recommend Academy21 to anyone seeking alternative education for their children.” – Coralie and Nigel, Lilia’s parents

Lilia left Academy21 armed with wonderful GCSE results: five 8s and two 7s. After regaining her enjoyment for learning, she is now excited to be studying A Levels in English Language and Literature, History, and Biology at her top-choice Sixth Form college in Cambridge.

From the time she enrolled with Academy21 in Year 9, Lilia says she recalls her “nervous, unsure state having been out of education for a year.” However, she went on to say, “within a short time frame, I felt both the environment in the online classes and the workload kept me engaged and feeling significantly less under pressure than before; I think this is why I resonated so well with online schooling.”

In the future, Lilia plans to study history at university and dreams of bringing together her subject knowledge to become a historical author. “I shall forever be grateful for my teachers’ dedication and motivation,” she tells us.

“I needed a place where I could concentrate in lessons, not feel intimidated by classmates, and teachers that I could communicate with – all of which I received with Academy21… I feel I have the confidence to go [to school] in person now.”– Lilia

Key takeaways

• Academy21 provides a customised alternative online provision experience tailored to each school and student’s needs.
• Small, interactive classes allow students to rebuild their learning without anxiety triggers, while ongoing wellbeing support gives them the tools to manage stress.
• Dedicated Academy21 teachers support pupil’s academic and emotional needs to build educational success and the confidence to reintegrate.
• Our partnership approach ensures seamless collaboration between schools and local authorities as well as students and parents.
• Academy21 supports over 1,000 pupils each year to achieve strong outcomes and regrow their enthusiasm for learning, just like Lilia.

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A second chance at education and life: Holly’s heart-warming story

Holly was 15 when a severe medical condition stopped her from attending school and caused her to miss out on her crucial GCSE years. Through Academy21, she was able to join our sister school, King’s InterHigh. Not only has she now successfully completed her GCSEs, but she also achieved incredible results, including an 8 in Biology, Chemistry and Physics, and a 7 in Maths and has been accepted into the college of her choice. Holly’s outlook is now very positive, she’s told us she’s grateful to her teachers for their support and that she is looking forward to continuing her education.  

But Holly’s situation wasn’t always so positive. Looking back, her mother, Tina, recalls Holly’s difficult journey, and the impact Academy21 and King’s InterHigh had on Holly’s life.  

Holly’s battle with severe illness 

Three years ago, in 2021, Holly was dealing with a severe heart and liver condition that completely took over her life. As a 15-year-old girl, Holly would have had her plate full navigating Year 10 at her secondary school and dealing with the complexities of the teenage years. 

But the severity of her medical condition made the trips to the hospital for treatment and appointments scarily frequent until in May 2021, a health crisis resulted in a three-month hospital stay. This was a very distressing time for her mother, Tina, particularly recalls the feeling of hopelessness in witnessing her daughter’s health deteriorate.  

The only solution was a heart and liver transplant. But before Holly and her family could see the light at the end of the tunnel, they had to go through the process of applying for a referral, awaiting a decision, and only then joining the transplant waiting list.  

“Three years ago, in May, she may not have lived. She wasn’t going to make it until Christmas. 3 years later, she is going strong. This school has been everything for us. I just want to thank you all, you have given Holly a future.” 

Educational gaps and lack of support 

In the meantime, and with health concerns taking over, Holly had to be kept out of school for prolonged periods. The situation was further aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic, making it impossible for Holly to return to her regular school environment. At some point, the family even had to receive nurses at home, because she couldn’t physically attend appointments. 

Holly’s current school at the time couldn’t provide the additional support she needed. Despite Holly’s eagerness to learn, the lack of support from her school meant she finished Year 11 without any qualifications and missed the majority of Year 10 and all of Year 11. ” She wanted to do all the GCSEs, but there was no way she could do any GCSE at all because she couldn’t get any learning,” Tina lamented.  

Turning the page: A new chapter for Holly  

Desperate to find an alternative, Tina made numerous phone calls seeking help. The search took months, until eventually she discovered Academy21 through a scheme available at her local authority.  

Academy21 works closely with both schools and local authorities, offering online alternative provision and additional support to students who may have additional needs or unique circumstances.  

Students can join Academy21 via a referral directly from their school or, in Holly’s case, from their local council. Once enrolled with us, students can access high-quality online alternative provision for Key Stage 3 and 4 through Academy21 provision, or Key Stage 2 to 5 online education via our sister school, King’s Interhigh, depending on their needs and circumstances. 

Holly enrolled in our sister school, King’s InterHigh, because she wanted to study a broader range of GCSE subjects and sought an experience as close to mainstream education as possible, particularly in terms of class sizes and socialization. Due to our focus on supporting students with unique needs, Academy21’s class sizes are small and interactions are restricted. Therefore, it was agreed that King’s InterHigh was the best solution for providing Holly with the education and support she needed. 

“It was unbelievable, it was like a dream come true,” Tina shared. Holly enrolled with us in 2022, after having missed a significant part of Year 10 and the entirety of Year 11 at her previous school. She stayed with us for two years, studying seven subjects through Year 10 and 11. 

“It was unbelievable, it was like a dream come true.”

 Joining Academy21 and King’s InterHigh   

The first few steps were challenging. “The first few months were difficult. They were so much further than Holly was, and she struggled initially with the lessons and getting back into a school day,” Tina explained.  

However, the flexibility of King’s InterHigh was a significant benefit. Holly could contact teachers directly, and lessons were recorded, allowing her to review them if she missed anything or needed extra help. “It was fantastic because she was registered as a ‘library learner’ initially. This meant that if she had a doctor’s appointment, we didn’t have to ring in and speak to the teachers, she could simply watch the recordings,” Tina noted. 

This made Holly more at ease, knowing that she could follow through with her hospital appointments without feeling left out at school or fearing that she would miss out on her learning.  

“It was a lifeline for us.”  Holly’s engagement and dedication to her studies grew, and she started participating actively in her classes. “When she came to King’s, she put everything into it. This was her second chance, and she grabbed it with both hands,” Tina shared. 

At this point, Holly was working evenings and weekends to give herself the best chances of recovering from her learning gaps and continuing her education. Despite the challenges, Holly’s progress was remarkable. She was able to complete her GCSEs, a feat that seemed impossible just a few months earlier. 

The supportive environment at King’s InterHigh gave Holly the purpose and normalcy she desperately needed. “It gave her a purpose during the day; she was two years behind and needed something to make her feel ‘normal’,” Tina explained.  

More than education, a future  

King’s InterHigh’s impact extended beyond academics for Holly. She had missed out on social interactions as, due to her health, she couldn’t simply go out and meet people. At King’s Interhigh, she found a community and support system that helped her thrive. “This school has been everything for us. It made such a difference to our life. I don’t know what we would have done otherwise,” Tina shared gratefully. 

Three years ago, Holly’s future looked uncertain. Her health was fragile, and educational opportunities seemed out of reach. However, through the support of Academy21 and King’s InterHigh’s education, Holly’s story transformed into one of resilience and achievement.  

Not only did she manage to take all 14 exams across her seven chosen subjects (including Biology, Chemistry, Maths, and Physics), but she has been able to achieve excellent grades.  

 

Holly has since attended an open day at college, where she was accepted based on her predicted grades. This is the same college her older brother is attending – and one that has always been on Holly’s plans. “Without King’s InterHigh, she couldn’t have gone to this college. It has given Holly a future; it has given her everything,” Tina emphasised.  

Today, Holly is a testament to the power of determination and the impact of supportive educational environments. She is starting college, has learned to drive, and is even considering a future in the medical field. “She has worked so hard and has been so self-motivated. She is just an inspiration, so positive, so brilliant. Healthwise, she is stable now and wants an education and a future,” Tina proudly shared. 

A mother’s words of gratitude 

Reflecting on their journey, Tina expressed immense gratitude for the role that teachers and staff at Academy21 and King’s InterHigh played in Holly’s life. She is particularly thankful to her direct contact throughout Holly’s enrolment and journey with us, our colleague Sheila Mosley. “Sheila has just been a godsend to me. She has been there for us, has been brilliant at getting things moving and providing constant updates,” Tina shared. “This school changed Holly’s life. I really want everyone to know what a difference you have made”  

Holly’s story is a powerful reminder of the importance of accessible, flexible education for students facing significant challenges.  

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