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Get Key Updates About Our Online School

It's Nearly Here

Our online school, specifically designed for students with anxiety, is launching in January and you can help to shape its future.

Based around an 8 hour school week and incorporating core subjects, life skills and mentoring, we've linked with the leading online classroom provider, Pencil Spaces, to bring a nurturing and supportive environment specifically for students with SEMH who are learning at home.

I'm Curious. Tell Me More

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Built for students with anxiety

Our key value at Next Steps Education is People First! and that means designing a school that works around you and your needs. Check what we have ready for you:

Camera, sound, chat:  you decide how to interact

Attend live lessons, revisit content, work at your pace, chat with tutors

The latest in online classrooms & accessibility tools

1:1 Mentoring & coaching sessions included
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Year 9 Student, Devon

Liz & Sarah,

Thank you so much for all that you've done for me, for all the effort you've put in to raising my self esteem and confidence. Everytime I'm in public, I look back on how hard it was for me just to walk down the street. I'm not scared to make eye contact anymore, though it's usually unintentional. Without you, I would still be scared to breathe too loud, I would never leave the house and I'ld probably be touchy with everyone.

Thank you so much.

Learn more

The Next Steps Story

Next Steps Education started because we recognised a need. Working as teachers in areas of deprivation we were familiar with the inequalities existing in education and the opportunities many students miss, not through any lack of willingness or know-how from schools and teachers, but because ‘the system’ just didn’t have the means to provide the change these children and families were crying out for.

We felt that we could do something about it by sitting outside of schools and offering strong, enabling support, not just to our students, but to the schools and senior leaders we work with and the families we support too.

Our business aims to be a positive catalyst for change in every dimension and for everyone who touches our service. That positive environment for everyone builds from our primary value – People First! The contributions each one of us brings – our organisation, tutors, mentors, family members, schools, local authorities – build together for a child showing them they are valued, capable and supported. From the platform of security we create together, our students can make the most of opportunities that education can offer them.

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FAQs

Yes. We only work with qualified professionals. This means that all our tutors have Qualified Teach Status and most have 15+ years of experience.

Our coaches and mentors are trained educators with a wealth of experience working with SEND and SEMH students.

As an organisation, we follow government KCSIE Safer Recruitment guidance - the same guidance used by schools - to check the suitability of our staff. Everyone who works with us has a DBS.

We take your safety and safeguarding very seriously.

Our director Liz is also our Designated Safeguarding Lead with Level 3 training and all our staff renew their Safeguarding Training every year.

Our online classroom partners, Pencil Spaces, take the safety of your data seriously too. They are compliant with COPPA, FERPA, GDPR, HIPAA and SOC2.

We ask for a minimum attendance of 6 weeks although a significant number of students stay with us for much longer.

We are hoping to be able to offer bursaries to some students in the near future. We're not sure what this will look like yet but as an organisation we champion removing all and any barriers to learning. We don't think that finance should be a barrier to a great education.

Before your child joins a class we create a Relational Learning Plan with you, and your child if they wish to join. Our plan looks at your child's strengths and interests as well as the best ways our team can support them in class and in their 1:1 mentoring sessions.

We don't offer trials simply because students coming and going can be overwhelming for others in a class. However, we are happy to meet with you and your family and discuss any questions or concerns that you have before signing with us.

Still have questions?

We want you to feel fully informed and comfortable with your child's education journey. If you'd rather talk things through just let us know