Online schooling can be a great solution to help young athletes balance their training and competitions with their academic studies and maximise their performance in both fields.
Bespoke support: from learning coaches to sports psychologists, our bespoke support helps you thrive
No compromise on quality: top grades alongside gold medals
Our teachers at Highgrove Online School have extensive experience supporting young athletes to achieve their academic ambitions alongside their sporting goals.
Meet two of our high-achieving student athletes
Lily
Lily became a British champion ice-skater at age 13. Her training regime means that when other teenagers are sitting down in a classroom, she’s out on the rink, perfecting routines. And yet she still managed to fit her education around her training and ace her A levels at the same time.
As mum says, “online schooling has given Lily the opportunity to follow her dreams.” Online education allows teenagers to train intensively in the sport they love without giving up their education. The flexibility and individualisation of online schools works perfectly for young athletes who need to be able to fit education around their training.
Aubree
Aubree is a ballerina who is also studying full-time GCSEs with Highgrove Online School. She started taking ballet from an early age and currently trains daily.
“Aubree is quite academic naturally and I thought it would be a shame to waste that potential. I wanted to keep her options open for as long as possible so that’s why I started to look into alternative options,” her mum explained.
Her family wanted to find a solution that would offer academic excellence, while utilising the time spent commuting to and from her ballet studio lessons. Highgrove’s online platform allows Aubree to study on-the-go during her commute as well as from the ballet studio in between lessons.
“I don’t think I’d be able to do what I do were it not for Highgrove,” Aubree said.
How can online schooling support athletes?
Fewer fixed commitments
Our group classes learn using a combination of interactive self-study lessons, two 45-minute live lessons per subject per week, and drop-in one-to-one support. Only the live lessons are at fixed times; the self-study lessons can be taken at any time that suits.
Flexible study locations
Pupils can take lessons from anywhere with an internet connection – whether that’s a sports centre cafe, the edge of an ice rink or an airport departure lounge.
One-to-one coaching
Pupils on our full-school programmes meet with a learning coach every week. Our coaches help our athletes plan their time effectively, and liaise with teaching staff to make sure they’re aware of upcoming competitions.
Recorded live lessons
All live lessons are recorded, making it easier to catch up on missed class time.
One-to-one academic support
Our drop-in one-to-one support can be used where a pupil has taken a break in their studies and needs to catch up. For those who need even more bespoke options, we offer all our programmes via one-to-one tuition.
Our academic programmes for atheletes
Fitting in school alongside training works so much more easily online. Our extracurricular programme is second to none, and for atheletes who manage to fit in extracurricular provision, we have courses that are particularly geared towards our athletes.
Elective courses
Our extended project qualification is popular with athletes who can take a deep dive into an aspect of their sport which they want to explore in greater depth. By completing a research-based extended project qualification they can get awarded with UCAS points and give themselves a competitive edge in university applications.
No one should have to choose between getting an outstanding education and following their dreams. With Highgrove Online School, you can do both.
