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Keep in the loop with our latest news and blogs

Here you can find all the latest information on what we are doing at Academy21, as well as industry insights and useful resources. We are an online solution to alternative provision, with live lessons, homework provisions, one to one support and 24/7 access to attendance and progress data.
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Our latest

Academy21 is now accredited as the UK’s first online alternative provision

Read Allesandro's blog reflecting on the Ofsted inspection and subsequent DfE accreditation and what it means for the future of Academy21

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Our New Look

We’ve modernised our logo and updated how we look but we haven’t changed our commitment to high-quality online education or the services we provide. You do not need to do anything. Our refresh will not change anything about our provision, the way we support your students, or the way we work in partnership with you.

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Student Voice at Academy21

This term's student voice surveys shine a light on the true impact of online alternative provision for the many hundreds of students who need us when they are unable to attend mainstream education.

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Unifrog at Academy21

This term we launched Unifrog for Academy21 students as part of their provision. Unifrog is a brilliant platform for students to explore their interests and discover different options for education, training or work. It really is the one-stop futures directory.

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Personalised learning for your students with Academy21’s AI-powered platform

Inspired AI is a revolutionary online platform creates a personalised learning pathway for every individual student, filled with bite-sized learning tasks that bridge their specific knowledge gaps and solidify understanding through perfectly tailored activities, that keeps them motivated to learn to mastery. 

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How educators can support anxious students: 5 strategies that work

Fostering a supportive, inclusive, and empowering school environment is one of the best ways for educators to cultivate strong, long-lasting relationships with students. In a nurturing environment, children feel safe to express their feelings and worries, which is particularly crucial for young people dealing with anxiety.

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Lilia’s story; long-term absence to GCSE Success

The start of secondary school should be an exciting time, but for Lilia from Cambridgeshire, Year 7 was fraught with difficulty from the start. Now, following three years with us at Academy21, Lilia has started Sixth Form this year armed with excitement, stellar GCSE grades, and the confidence to return to the classroom.

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Case study; Apollo, Haybrook College Trust

Julia Holder, Head of Apollo at Haybrook College Trust, Slough has partnered with Academy21 for over 10 years. In this video case study she explains how Apollo is set up to deliver provision to vulnerable learners who do not attend a mainstream setting.

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What’s driving the increase in anxiety among pupils?

There has never been a more urgent time than now for educators to collectively work together to support young people experiencing anxiety disorders and other mental health issues.   

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Online alternative provision – the flexible, inclusive solution schools need.

Alternative Provision is in the spotlight - rightly so. The challenges facing schools are significant. For young people who require something different be it an altered environment, flexible timetable or adapted teaching, these challenges must be overcome. At Academy21, we are hugely optimistic about how online alternative provision can be a major part of this solution.

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Flexibility built in – 7 ways to implement Academy21 to support your students

Flexibility is built-in to the way we work, giving the schools, pupil referral units and local authorities we support a range of options in how they use our provision for their students. Last year, we supported more than 4500 pupils from 800+ establishments. Here are 7 examples of how our live, online provision was deployed. 

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Meet the New Executive Head of Academy21

Sandro began his teaching career as an English teacher, qualifying through the Teach First programme. Now an experienced senior leader, Sandro has a wealth of experience, having led in the areas of inclusion, pastoral care, staff development and the curriculum as a deputy headteacher.

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Celebrating our teachers on Thank a Teacher Day

In this post we recognise and thank our teachers for the amazing work that they do. We know our passionate and experienced teachers make a world of difference to the students they teach, so on this year's thank a teacher day its wonderful to read some of the thank you notes submitted by our students for their teachers.

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The stepping-stones for supporting vulnerable students

Read these useful tips from Clare Brokenshire Head of Academy21 on how using alternative provision can help students reignite their interest in learning, create a routine and boost their confidence, enabling them to return to a mainstream school setting.

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Support for pupils during the mental health crisis

Much is often written about the mental health crisis facing pupils but what are the practical steps that teachers and schools can take to help support students? In this guest post by the head of Academy21, Clare Brokenshire suggests some approaches that teachers and schools can take to support their anxious pupils. 

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Student and customer portal updates

We are always striving to improve our platform and improve the pupils and mentors experience , here is a run down of some of the latest portal updates, where they can be found and how they will help our mentors and learners.

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Helping to Get Absent Learners Back into Schools

School absence has hit the headlines recently and continues to rise post-pandemic. We take a look the data and consider some of the primary causes of school absence and how we can support pupils who are persistently absent from school.

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8 Top Tips for Getting the Most Out of Online Alternative Provision

We’ve been supporting schools and local authorities for over 12 years and have found that our provision has been most effective for students whose schools have followed some, or all, of these approaches.

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Academy21 Highlight Issues Teachers Are Facing In The Classroom Since The Pandemic

At Academy21 many of our learners come to us as they can no longer attend mainstream schools due to high levels of anxiety or other emotional needs. We’ve seen first-hand an increase in demand for services like ours and know that the whole sector is under pressure - especially since the pandemic. Unfortunately, the waiting lists for CAMHS, and other types of services that assess and treat students struggling with emotional, behavioural, or mental health difficulties, are increasing and many services are stretched to capacity making it far harder to access.

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Making a World of Difference: Greenwood School Case Study

Greenwood Pupil Referral Unit have been working with Academy21 since 2019. They use Academy21's online classes to support their students who need offsite provision. They have found the service to be incredibly useful for their students with EBSA and speak highly of the collaborative approach that they are able to take by working in partnership with Academy21. They say “Academy21 has been a lifesaver for our learners. When we have visited learners in their homes, we’ve seen how grateful they are for the support and the opportunities that have been opened up for them.”

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New Tutorial Booking System

Our tutorial booking system, which has been substantially improved, is now available to our mentors. Among the enhancements that we’ve made is the ability for mentors to self-book tutorials for your students, to monitor student attendance and to be able to view notes from the tutor. Subject to teacher and student availability, tutorials can now be booked for any time during the school week.

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Katy’s Story

Katy was a motivated and determined student but when chronic migraines prevented her from attending mainstream school she chose another way.

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The Hare and the Tortoise, finding every child’s area of excellence

Our support spans school refusers, which are students who routinely refuse to learn in classroom. Students may do so for a variety of reasons, including behavioural and mental health challenges, including anxiety, which can cause them to struggle to learn in a busy classroom.

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Meet Malcom, award winning leader of learning and champion of online education

My role at Academy 21 is leader of learning - I prepare and deliver lessons designed to help students progress with their education.

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Helping Students Thrive at Greenwood School

Many students have struggled to transition back into full time brick and mortar schooling. The constant school closures and Covid-19 lockdowns, coupled with the uncertainty and anxiety caused by the pandemic still casts a shadow over their lives.

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Cyber Security at Academy21: Preventing Attacks in Light of Current Events

In light of current world events, we need to be prepared for an increase in cyberattacks that could significantly broaden potential security risk for all organisations.

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Teacher Assessed Grades: Expectations vs. Reality

Haybrook College Trust in Slough supports students with personalised teaching and learning pathways to equip them with the skills to achieve both academically and socially and become valued members of society.

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Supporting Chronically Withdrawn Young People

Haybrook College Trust in Slough supports students with personalised teaching and learning pathways to equip them with the skills to achieve both academically and socially and become valued members of society.

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Vale of Glamorgan Council: Supporting students through alternative provision

Over the past few years, many Local Authorities (LA) have been exploring alternative curriculum provision and education other than at school (EOTAS) solutions for those schools, pupils, and families with additional learning needs.

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How to reignite students’ interest in learning

Engaging students in learning can sometimes be a challenge for educators. Even with all the resources in the world at their disposal, if they aren’t interested in or engaged with their studies, then they are of minimal use.

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Online alternative provision: Why consistency is key

While all of us have felt the impact of Covid-19 – from furlough and economic downturns to mental wellbeing and social distancing restrictions – parents and teachers were faced with the unfortunate job of navigating the challenges that school closures presented.

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Identifying and supporting vulnerable students

All students are unique, and the most effective methods of learning varies between individuals. This is particularly true for vulnerable students who often either need additional or differing forms of support. But being able to identify vulnerable students is the first step in providing them with the support they need to ensure they receive the high-quality education they deserve which is why it is crucial that educators are aware of what distinguishes vulnerable students.

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Education Podcasts with Academy21

With insights from industry leaders and academics, our podcasts discuss the latest developments in education and the topics which are affecting both teachers and learners today.

Listen here
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