Sophia High School

At Sophia High School, we believe that a better, more equitable and sustainable era of education can be achieved through the adoption of online and hybrid models of education and through shaping a future for immersive learning inside of the Metaverse.

As a British Online School, we offer a global classroom experience for children from age 3 in the Early Years through to age 14 (KS3).   In September 2022 we will begin to extend our provision at the request of current parents into KS4 with the launch of our Year 10 program.  

We are a Member School with the globally recognised Council of International Schools and are on their 3 year accreditation pathway.  In July 2021 we were invited by the UK Department for Education to take part in their Online Education Provider Accreditation Scheme pilot Inspection in collaboration with Ofsted as their Quality Assurance Provider. 

In partnership with Fieldwork Education, we offer both the International Primary Years Curriculum (IPC) and International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC) and are committed to the development of global citizenship and promotion of the Sustainable Development Goals as a foundation of our approach to teaching and learning. 

Our vision is rooted in developing a sustainable and affordable model of high quality education in order address Sustainable Development Goal 4 and use our model of online education to bridge the learning gaps for undeserved children.

Our ability to teach any child, anywhere on the planet, regardless of the circumstances was highlighted in February 2022 during the Russian invasion of the Ukraine.   Knowing that the war would trigger a halt to education for children displaced by the crisis, we immediately offered free places at our Online School to any Ukrainian child in need.    The take up of our offer was unprecedented and children joined us from bomb shelters in Kiev, to those who were travelling across Europe with their mothers have fleeing the war.     

This small initiative touched the heart of our entire global learning community as we saw the faces of Ukrainian children light up with smiles in joining our classes and taught us that if we could teach children fleeing a war zone, our educational program can be developed and used as a global solution for children all around the world.   We believe if wider schools are also willing to get involved in our program, the potential to unlock education for underserved children is limitless.  

In February 2022, the Ukraine was invaded by Russian forces and education was halted for children displaced by the war.  Knowing that if children were able to access a wifi connection, Sophia High School could provide them with a high quality British Education Online, in order to keep them learning and connect them with a peer group of global learners, we offered all remaining places at our School from Reception through to Year 9 for free via our Linkedin network.

Our school was the first British Online School to do so and we inspired others including Minerva Virtual Academy to follow suit.  This is part of our mantra of using Innovation for Good.    We are for profit now so that we may be non-profit in the future and we hope participation in LEAP project can support us with this direction and vision.

We know that if we can seamlessly teach children fleeing a war zone our  model of affordable and accessible online education can help to address SD4 and provide access to high quality education for children who previously would not have access.   As a global teaching crisis sets upon the sector, we know that Online Education has the power to address this significant challenge and ensure that children around the world have access to quality learning as we unlock their future through education.

As global citizens our theory of change is inspired by addressing significant areas of the Sustainable Development Goals through education.   Not only does our affordable and accessible model of high quality British education have the potential to reach children all around the world who may otherwise not have access to it, but we also provide one of the most sustainable models of education available.   

Sophia High School is the planet's favourite school.  With no school buildings, no transport, no waste and minimal carbon emissions, we offer one of the most sustainable models of education available to the sector.   Addressing inequalities in access to education, whether this be based on geographic location, gender, disabilities, learning support requirements or affordability, our model has the potential to fundamentally inspire a better, more equitable model of education and through our work in the Metaverse, also equip the next generation with the skills they will need for the future.

School groups have the potential to join our model and unlock the potential for learning for children all around the world as they drive their corporate social responsibility mandates and ESGs.      

If we can begin to education those who have previously been unable to access a quality education, we will inspire deep rooted changes in societies and given the next generation an important voice in the future direction of humanity.    The more children who develop fundamental skills such as Literacy and Numeracy and who have their eyes opened to the tremendous opportunities that exist for them as global citizens, the bigger the impact for change.       

All children have the fundamental right to Education, and through online models of learning, we believe this is all possible.  

Sophia High School is now in its second year of operation and we are in a period of expansion within our global learning community.  

According to the Nesta Standards of Evidence we are working across all Levels of the standards having put in place the systems and processes to achieve the following

Level 1

We have a clear vision, purpose and direction which is in place and communicated effectively across all stakeholders.   Please visit our website at www.sophiahigh.school

Level 2 

We are able to effectively measure the ongoing progress and attainment of children who learn with us at Sophia High School, from their initial baseline standardised assessments and informal observations on their happiness and progress in learning through formative assessments and feedback from teachers and from students.   This is an area we wish to further develop for all learners going forward

Level 3* - 

Appropriate monitoring, assessment and evaluation process are in place for all children at Sophia High School, but we would like to see further the data evolution for our cohort of children who have joined us from the Ukraine to be able to effectively measure the impact of our theory of change.   This will follow in due course as the length of time they spend with us increases over time and we are able to further measure their progress and attainment.  

Level 4 - 

Council of International Schools, Evaluation Inspection for Membership + UK DfE Pilot Inspection as part of the Online Education Provider Accreditation Scheme

Level 5 

School Policies and Procedures in line with the ISI Inspection Framework for Independent Schools are in place and available on our School Website

At Sophia High School we have a robust program in place for the ongoing assessment of student learning, progress, achievement and wellbeing.   This involves a program of both standardised summative assessments and formative assessments.    Our indicators are set both on student wellbeing and happiness alongside academic and personal achievements and growth as young people.    

We use both in school and standardised assessments to measure the success of our students alongside of wider development of children, their interests and passions as shared by students themselves, parents and involvement in the wider life of the school.   

Our membership with the Council of International Schools and accreditation pathway helps to ensure that we have a quality assessment framework in place in regards to the data and evidence to support our school development. 

Shaping the future of education. 

LEAP Fellows involvement will help our team to further address Level 3 from the Nesta Standards of Evidence with a particular focus on our cohort of learners most impacted by Inequitable Access to Education globally. 

We hope the Leap Fellows will help us to identify the most appropriate assessment and monitoring process to put in place for disenfranchised children and how can this be accessed by all children ie: language barriers, access requirements.  We appreciate most global children do not have English and their first language

Beyond purely academic starting points in Literacy and Numeracy and progress over time, what is the most appropriate tools of measurement of the wellbeing and happiness for these children.   For many of these children, the measurement of Mental Wellbeing is more important than academic development. 

As an outcome of the LEAP sprint we would hope to have in place a set of diagnostic tools that are fit for purpose for the cohorts of children that we are working with in regards to measurement of wellbeing and happiness and for academic progress and development in line with each child's unique circumstance.

Secondly we would aim for partnerships to be put into place that would support access arrangements for children to be able to join online lessons either from home or in learning hubs / schools and to explore the potential for grants / scholarships for children and opportunities for partnerships with wider schools to develop the program on a global scale. 

Successful outcomes of the project would see partnerships in areas that are impacted by lack of access to high quality education join the program so that we are able to begin to teach more children who otherwise would not be in full education.  MOU's in place with wider partners and organisations who are interested in using online education to address the SDG4 and begin a roll out so that we can provide case study analysis to wider government organisations and education focused groups addressing the problem in order to identify initial cohorts to onboard into the program.