Is interest in Online Schooling rising in the UK?

In January, Mark Steed and Kai Vacher hosted an excellent conference about online and hybrid schooling. They brought together an impressive line‑up of speakers and panellists and feedback was so positive that they are already planning the next event for January 2027.

My own LinkedIn post about this conference (and remember that I was simply a member of the audience) picked up 2,600 views shortly afterwards and 50 responses.

But - should we be surprised?

It’s tempting to assume that the surge in interest in remote learning began with the pandemic. But, in reality, the pandemic simply accelerated a shift that was already well underway.

Long before Teams lessons and virtual classrooms became mainstream, the Open University was pioneering distance learning since 1971: delivering flexible, multimedia‑based education through a combination of printed materials, television and radio broadcasts and in‑person summer schools.

In many ways the OU model has laid the foundations for today’s online education landscape. Moreover, the popularity of the OU has not waned. In 2023/24, the OU enrolled more than 130,000 students in the UK, and over 200,000 students when international learners are included.

The OU is not an outlier either. The International University of Applied Sciences in Munich is now one of Germany’s largest universities, with more than 130,000 students on roll. In the United States, Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) has over 180,000 students, most studying remotely. The University of Phoenix is reporting more than 85,000 online learners.

There is clearly strong demand for on line schooling out there.

By comparison, UK online secondary schools are still relatively small, though several are growing quickly. Precise enrolment figures are not easily found in the public domain. But there are estimates that Kings InterHigh has at least 7,000 students on roll. Minerva Virtual Academy, Wolsey Hall (part of Faria On Line) and Sophia High School are also reporting plenty of users.  

Looking over to the US, we can see large‑scale operators such as K12/Stride, Connections Academy and Florida Virtual School showing us what a mature online‑schooling ecosystem could look like in the UK in years to come. K12/Stride alone is operating in more than 30 states and is reported to be educating over 100,000 students.

So no – we should not be surprised.

After all, there are many drivers behind this surge of interest in online schooling. Two of the biggest drivers here are flexibility and cost. Fees for online schools are significantly lower than those charged by traditional independent schools. At the same time, faster broadband, widespread device access and increasingly sophisticated EdTech platforms have made online learning smoother, more interactive and more credible. With structured, teacher‑led lessons aligned to national standards, online schools are no longer being seen by parents as fringe alternatives but as viable, mainstream options for families.

The picture becomes even more interesting when we add hybrid models into the mix. These schools offer students the academic flexibility of online learning alongside opportunities for social interaction, extracurricular activities and community engagement.

Dukes Education, for example, now offers a hybrid model at London Park School, with students spending one day on campus and four days learning remotely. Kings InterHigh is offering summer camps across the Inspired Education Group’s international schools, bringing a hybrid element to the on line experience.

From this, I think it is a safe bet to predict that the UK’s online and hybrid schools are looking set for an exciting period of growth.

I, for one, will be watching their progress with interest.

Contact Mark Hanley-Browne, mhb@the-team-lab.com