Online School UK: How Full-Time Online School Works for Home-Educated Children
By Alfred Ouko, Founder · November 2026 · 9 min read · First published
A full-time online school gives a home-educated child a real school day without a school building: live lessons with subject teachers, a timetable, homework that is marked, reports, and IGCSE and A-Level exams at the end. Thousands of UK families now use one, for anxiety, special educational needs, bullying, sport, travel or simply a better fit. This guide explains how online school works in the UK, where it sits in the law, how exams work, and what to ask before you choose.
Where online school sits in UK law
In England and Wales, parents must make sure their child receives an efficient, full-time education suitable to their age, ability and aptitude, at school or otherwise. A child taught by an online school is, in law, home educated: you deregister them from school first if they are on a school roll, and the local authority may ask how the education is provided. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own equivalent duties; in Scotland, withdrawing from a council school can need the council's consent.
In England the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 will add local authority registers of children not in school, and a duty on parents to provide information for them, once its home education sections commence, expected from 2027. It does not ban home education or impose the national curriculum. An online school's timetable, syllabus, marked work and reports are exactly the records an authority asks to see.
What a day looks like
Students log in to live lessons on a weekly timetable: mathematics, English, sciences, languages and options, taught by the same subject teachers all term. Classes are small, so cameras and questions are normal rather than optional. Work is set, submitted and marked online, and parents see attendance and results. At Smartious the live timetable falls in the UK morning and early afternoon, Monday to Friday, because our teachers are three hours ahead of the UK (two in British Summer Time).
GCSE or IGCSE?
Most home-educated children take IGCSEs rather than GCSEs. Many GCSEs include coursework, practical endorsements or speaking assessments that a school must supervise, which is hard to arrange as a private candidate. Cambridge and Pearson Edexcel IGCSEs are assessed by exam and are designed to be sat by private candidates; sixth forms, colleges and universities accept them alongside GCSEs. At 16 to 18, International AS and A-Levels follow the same pattern.
Sitting exams as a private candidate
An online school student sits exams at an exam centre that accepts private candidates: an independent school, a college or a specialist centre. Cambridge and Pearson each publish lists of centres that accept private candidates. Centres set their own fees and entry deadlines, which fall months before the summer series, so plan from the start of the year. Our guide to sitting IGCSEs as a private candidate in the UK covers this step by step.
Who online school suits
Children with anxiety or school-based trauma who need a calmer start; children with SEND who learn better in small groups at home; young athletes, dancers and performers with training schedules; families who travel or are moving abroad; children who are far ahead or behind their year group; and families in rural areas a long way from the right school or sixth-form subjects.
What it costs
UK online schools vary widely in price and model, from self-paced courses to fully live timetables. Smartious fees start from USD 423 a month for Primary, payable termly, and vary by curriculum and level. Exam entry fees are paid separately to the exam centre.
Questions to ask any online school
Are lessons live, and how many students are in a class? Who are the teachers, and are they subject specialists? Which exam boards do students sit, and does the school help with private candidate entries? What reports and records will you receive? What accreditation does the school hold, and what does that accreditation actually cover? A school that answers clearly, including what it is not, is one you can plan with.
Smartious in the UK
- Online school in the UK — Our main page for UK families.
Read next
- Sitting IGCSEs as a Private Candidate in the UK — Centres, costs and deadlines.
- The Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 — What it means for home educators.
- Homeschooling in the UK: The Complete 2026 Guide — Home education, start to finish.
Online school works best when the plan is clear: the curriculum, the exams, the exam centre, and the records the local authority may ask for. Book an assessment and we will set out the route for your child.
Frequently asked questions
Is online school legal in the UK?
Yes. A child taught by an online school is home educated in law, which is legal across the UK. Parents must make sure the education is suitable and full-time.
Do online school students in the UK sit GCSEs?
Most sit IGCSEs, which are assessed by exam and designed for private candidates, rather than GCSEs with school-supervised coursework.
Where do online school students sit exams?
At centres that accept private candidates, such as independent schools and colleges. Cambridge and Pearson publish lists, and each centre sets its own fees and deadlines.
How much is online school in the UK?
Smartious starts from USD 423 a month for Primary, payable termly; fees vary by curriculum and level. Exam fees are paid to the centre.
Next steps
- Online School & Homeschool in the United Kingdom
- Fees: from USD 423/month for Primary, payable termly; varies by curriculum and level
- January 2027 Intake: Join Smartious Online School
What parents say
Rated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 130+ reviews. Read our Google reviews
“I'm very much pleased by the teaching methods at Smartious eschool, the tutors are caring, they never fail to reach out to their students in any need. Highly recommend!” — Valentine M., Google review