From real parents: What to expect when you join King’s InterHigh

Deciding to swap the mainstream pathway for an education that truly suits your child can feel daunting. Even when you know online school is the right step, it’s natural to have questions: What will the first week look like? How will my child settle in? Will they make real friends?

That’s why we asked parents like you to share their insights at our recent King’s InterHigh Voices: What to Expect When Joining Us webinar. Alongside our Head of Admissions and Head of Administration, mums Helen and Cara talked honestly about what it’s really like to join our school.

From making the decision to settling in and wondering how they ever considered another path, we’ve wrapped their experiences into a practical guide covering everything you need to know about joining us.

Step 1: Simple, supported enrolment

The first thing to know about joining King’s InterHigh is that getting started is more straightforward than you might expect.

Talking through the decision

“We try to make the enrolment process as easy and smooth as possible, because we know it’s a big decision to make,” says Lynn Rich, our Head of Admissions. Lynn’s friendly team is with you from the very first conversation, helping you understand everything from subjects to school life before you choose to join us.

The enrolment process

When you’re ready to move forward, the process begins with a simple online registration form that takes around 10–15 minutes to complete. You’ll then receive login details for your Enrolment Dashboard, a user-friendly platform you can work through at your own pace.

The dashboard is divided into three sections: your information, your child’s details, and their previous school. You’ll upload documents (such as proof of address, ID, and any relevant SEN paperwork), which our team will verify within 24 hours on average. After that, all that’s left is to sign your contract and make your first payment.

If you ever get stuck, you’ll be able to reach us via phone and live chat. Thanks to our advanced systems, our admissions advisors can even log in and see exactly what you’re seeing to help in real time.

Once enrolment is complete and your child becomes an official student, Lynn’s team hands over to Fiona Henderson’s administration team, who support your family from that point forward. There’s always a connected, knowledgeable team available whenever you need them.

Start when the time is right

After you enrol, our teams build your child’s timetable and set up your family’s logins, all ready for a welcoming induction. Induction sessions run twice a week throughout term time, so if you complete enrolment on Wednesday, your child can start as soon as Friday.

For families moving quickly after a difficult time in mainstream school, that pace can be a real relief. For those planning ahead, King’s InterHigh’s flexible model means you can also enrol now and choose a future start date that works best for your family.

Step 2: First days that might surprise you

The King’s InterHigh induction process is carefully designed to ease students in gently. It gives your child time to get comfortable with their new environment, understand how online classes work, and get to know key people before their full timetable begins.

Getting to grips quickly

While moving to online school can seem like a big step, you may be surprised by just how fast your child settles in. Cara, whose son joined at age seven, still remembers how quickly things clicked. “Within two weeks he needed no support from me — and it was minimal to begin with,” she says. “They adapt that quickly. By his second term, he was telling the teacher, ‘You can fix that [tech question] this way, right?’”

Extra support is always available

We also know that some children benefit from extra help getting to grips with a new platform, including students with special educational needs or those who speak English as an additional language. Alongside video guides and walkthroughs, our team takes note of any follow-up a new student may need to feel fully comfortable.

For those joining at the start of the academic year alongside a larger intake of new families, we put additional support in place to make sure no one gets left behind. “Fiona ran extra sessions this year on how to log into the Parent Hub,” says Helen, whose Year 12 daughter joined us five years ago, “and that really helped in the first weeks of term.”

Step 3: Finding your feet as a parent

“It’s so important that parents have support as well as the children,” says Helen, and that support is very much available to you at King’s InterHigh.

The Parent & Caregiver Hub

The Parent & Caregiver Hub is your one-stop platform to keep track of your child’s education. Here, you can update us on your child’s changing needs, sign up for co-curricular opportunities, and manage much of your child’s experience directly. Many features are self-service, but we’re always here if you need a hand to navigate things.

Communication is key

Our multilayered support and communication are some of the key reasons Head of Administration Fiona describes King’s InterHigh’s approach as a genuine partnership between families. Once you’re enrolled, you’ll find numerous ways to get in touch, with specialist teams to help you along the way: family liaison teams for each key stage, support technicians for IT queries, and an exams team for IGCSE, A Level, and IB guidance. Parents can even book video calls with their child’s tutor or teachers for deeper insights into their progress throughout the year.

A welcoming parent community

But perhaps the most unexpected source of support for new families is the King’s InterHigh parent community.

“Our parent community is a real community,” says Helen. Our parents’ WhatsApp groups are at the heart of this network with more than 80 year group-based, local, and regional communities to join. Volunteer parent admins (like Helen and Cara, who have been through the journey themselves) are always on hand to welcome new families, answer questions, and point people in the right direction.

For new parents, it’s an immediate circle of people navigating the same experience. “My son is at the local bricks-and-mortar school,” Helen adds. “He’s very happy there, but I have no connection to any parents there. I have this amazing, supportive community with King’s InterHigh.”

Step 4: Seeing the community click

Once you and your child find their footing, King’s InterHigh quickly stops feeling new and becomes a community you truly feel part of. Beyond lessons and learning, there are so many ways to get involved and connect.

Making friends for life

One of the most common questions parents ask before joining us is about friendships. Can children really form meaningful bonds at online school? Mum Cara’s answer is unequivocal. “When you listen to these children online chatting to each other, having laughs, and sharing a joke, these are really solid friendships,” she says. “When they see each other in person, it’s like they’ve been friends for years.”

Numerous ways to find their people

King’s InterHigh students can join up to three weekly clubs every term, themed around a vast range of interests. Co-curricular clubs, our social platform for ages 13+, and all our regular community events (like competitions and festivals) are included in your tuition fee.

Off-screen, we also have an ever-growing range of in-person opportunities, from academic trips to our popular bowling social meetups. Plus, parents in our WhatsApp community organise their own local days out and regional gatherings. Cara’s Year 5 group meets for regular day trips throughout the year, and one group of parents has even coordinated a cruise together.

Connections beyond mainstream school

“The global nature of my son’s friend group is far greater than anything he would ever have got from a bricks-and-mortar school, and I’m very grateful for that,” says Cara. She recalls a child who joined in Year 4 from Romania, “completely isolated” after his closest friend moved abroad. A shared love of Minecraft sparked a summer gaming group that has since grown to include 15 Year 5 students who play together regularly. “He has some of the closest friends you can imagine now,” says Cara.

For parents like Helen, meanwhile, whose daughter is autistic and found making friends in mainstream school difficult, there’s nothing quite like seeing that joy firsthand. “She’s on the school newspaper now, and she is so happy,” says Helen. “The friendships she’s building there in just a short time… she comes out of it buzzing.” For students who have felt out of place elsewhere, King’s InterHigh shows that belonging is always possible with the right environment.

Step 5: Looking ahead to exams

King’s InterHigh’s personalised, family-first approach continues through every milestone, including IGCSEs, A Levels, and the IB Diploma.

Get support for examinations

We know that every family’s circumstances are different, from our students taking exams abroad to our young people who need access arrangements. “There are quite a few different options that exist, which is brilliant for students at an online school,” says Fiona, “and it’s really important that families understand those options.”

Her team works to bring all essential information together in one place, so nothing feels overwhelming. Our dedicated exams team can then provide bespoke guidance, while our Key Stage 4 tutors are trained in examinations so they can answer common questions directly.

The best way to find out? Take the first step

From the moment you first get in touch with us, you’ll find people who care about your family’s circumstances, your child’s specific needs, and what you want out of their education. Throughout your time at King’s InterHigh, you’ll find teams ready with tailored support at every turn.

It’s an environment that’s flexible for your child, with a community that makes the journey just as smooth for you. As Fiona says best, “the joy of our school is that it’s really individual in what it can offer.”