Why online learning is the perfect choice for expat children 

Living overseas can be an incredible, life-changing experience for any child. From learning new languages to embracing diverse cultures, there are so many ways for expat children to bloom in a new country.

However, moving abroad isn’t without its drawbacks, and one of the biggest challenges is often education. As an expat parent, finding an international school where your child can truly thrive in their academics and well-being is rarely easy. That said, there is one potential solution that eliminates many of the difficulties you’d ordinarily face: online learning.

Just as in traditional schools, students who attend virtual schools get live lessons from expert teachers, a community of students to befriend, extra-curricular activities to enjoy, and plenty of educational resources. But, online learning also offers many benefits over physical schools, including smaller class sizes, innovative technology, and several unique advantages for children moving overseas.

Here are just four of the many reasons why online learning is the perfect choice for expat children.

Study anywhere

For expats, the key benefit of virtual schooling is the ability to study anywhere in the world — from Britain to Brazil and beyond. When you enrol your child at an online institution, they’ll be able to continue their education with the same teachers, classmates, and curriculum no matter where your travels take them.

This makes learning online particularly useful for expat families who move abroad frequently as well as families intending to move back to their home countries in the future. Changing schools multiple times can be jarring for any child, so a school that moves with you will be a true asset.

Get high-quality education

If you’re concerned about finding the right school in a new country, you’re not alone. Numerous parents feel the strain when moving abroad, struggling as they navigate unfamiliar schooling in search of the best education. Teaching standards vary across the globe, so finding a high-quality school that meets your expectations isn’t always easy.

Since they aren’t constrained by location, the best virtual schools will always be available to you, no matter what education in your new country is like. At King’s InterHigh, for example, we offer a world-renowned British curriculum to students in countries around the world. Our highly qualified and passionate teachers deliver each lesson live through our proven online learning model, which has led over 10,000 students to success across the past 16 years. Our innovative technologies, meanwhile, help to create an even more enriching and effective classroom experience for every student.

If you’re moving abroad from the UK, sticking with the British curriculum will be even more valuable to your child. Adjusting to a new scheme of learning takes time, leading many students to fall behind when they enrol at a new school abroad. An online British school, on the other hand, will keep your child’s education seamless, bringing them the same subjects, assessments, and teaching styles. Plus, studying for GCSEs and A Levels will keep your child on track to apply to UK universities when the time comes.

Enrol at any time

In an ideal world, most expat parents would choose to move abroad before the start of a new academic year. Of course, as most know, international moves don’t always go so perfectly. Whether you find yourself with a last-minute job offer, a personal emergency, or a commitment that requires regular moves, the need to uproot mid-year is not uncommon.

That said, trying to change schools in the middle of the academic year often presents a whole host of problems. For one, many children struggle to catch up with classes in a new school when they’ve already missed months of work. Unless you can afford one-to-one tuition, it’s unlikely that teachers will be able to repeat those past lessons for your child alone. Instead, most students end up struggling through textbooks alone to get up to speed.

On top of the difficulties students face with mid-year moves, the best international schools often have long waiting lists. In fact, these lists are sometimes so lengthy that you need to apply a year or more in advance to secure a place for your child. More stressful still, if you’re moving at the last minute, you may not even have time to go through the extensive international school application process before you leave.

With online schooling, you can often enrol at any time during the academic year. Plus, virtual schools tend to process applications and get children onboard much faster than traditional international schools. At King’s InterHigh, no matter when you need to move, you can apply and enrol within just a few days. This means your child can even start settling into our school before you arrive in a new country, easing some of that moving anxiety. Since all our live lessons are recorded and uploaded for 24/7 viewing, students also have no trouble catching up with classes they’ve missed.

Fit learning around any lifestyle

Every country has its own wonders to offer, from natural beauties to unparalleled leisure. Enjoying all of these adventures should be one of the best parts of being a child expat, yet many children abroad get few chances to explore. When students spend most of their week inside a school building, there’s little time to take in the world around them.

This is where the flexibility of learning online comes in handy for all expat families. While virtual schools do follow a set timetable, your options are likely to be far more flexible than the scheduling you’re used to in a traditional school. If your online school of choice offers lesson recordings, you’re also free to take your child on excursions, trips, and journeys whenever the opportunity arises — without worrying about missing class.

This is another big benefit for families who move abroad frequently. You won’t have to worry about changing time zones, making new school applications every few months, or trying to reschedule flights around your child’s education. Anywhere and everywhere in the world, online students can take their classes whenever suits them.

Consider King’s InterHigh

If you can see everything online schooling has to offer your family, consider King’s InterHigh. Bringing a high-quality British education to students around the world, we offer speedy enrolment, recorded lessons and flexible timetables, and exceptional learning with expert teachers. For more information, join one of our open days or ask your questions to our Admissions Team.