The best way to find out if Apricot is the right provision for your students is to try a free Taster Session. Tasters are offered every Wednesday.
Ring us on 01242 604985 to sign up.
The quickest way to get started is to ring us on 01242 604985. We will talk you through the process and schedule a short student induction. You can also download a referral form here and send it in to info@apricotlearningonline.co.uk. We can’t wait to start this adventure with you.
We understand that trauma exposure can impact an individual's neurological, biological, psychological, and social development. Our staff are ACEs and SEND trained and, therefore, highly aware of how trauma negatively impacts the mental and medical health needs children we teach. This is why we say that we teach the whole child; not just the subject. The help we give students in learning behaviours and 21st c. skills is demonstrated in our relationships and reflected in our reporting.
Currently the DfE is creating a compliance framework for online education provisions. Apricot was invited to consultation meetings with the DfE and has participated in their pilot inspection. We have been quality assured by numerous LAs and councils as part of their vetting process for their Approved Provider Frameworks/DPS.
As an alternative education provider, Apricot is not subject to direct scrutiny by Ofsted. However, we recognise that our clients generally are and, therefore, seek to uphold Ofsted’s expectations on their behalf. Taking a best fit approach, we observe Ofsted’s section 5 inspection criteria along with the statutory guidance for alternative provision issued to local authorities by the DfE. We do all we can to justify your decision to work with us and are happy to participate in your Ofsted inspection on request.
Currently the DfE is creating a compliance framework for online education provisions. Apricot was invited to consultation meetings with the DfE and has participated in their pilot inspection. We have been quality assured by numerous LAs and councils as part of their vetting process for their Approved Provider Frameworks/DPS.
As an alternative education provider, Apricot is not subject to direct scrutiny by Ofsted. However, we recognise that our clients generally are and, therefore, seek to uphold Ofsted’s expectations on their behalf. Taking a best fit approach, we observe Ofsted’s section 5 inspection criteria along with the statutory guidance for alternative provision issued to local authorities by the DfE. We do all we can to justify your decision to work with us and are happy to participate in your Ofsted inspection on request.
We teach KS2 (Y5/Y6), KS3, KS4, and KS5 – basically ages 8 and up. However, you don’t have to stick to lessons based on the year group of your students’ chronological age. We will teach to the current level of your students and catch them up to their age group level.
We teach all core subjects and a myriad of others. Check out the full offer of subjects here.
We follow the English National Curriculum for all keystages and offer full GCSE and A Level qualification courses. We also offer Functional Skills and some BTEC courses. Groups are usually comprised by year group/keystage, but this can be flexible. Differentiation within our small groups is paramount to ensuring everyone gets tailored learning opportunities.
Baseline assessments take place discretely during the first 2 weeks of lessons, which allows our teachers to get the information they need to prepare lessons and resources at an appropriate level and pace. Short assessments termly and mock exam questions (KS4-KS5) are utilised to gauge expected progress.
Yes. We have several interventions for key marginal students and those who have gaps in their learning. Click here to learn more.
All Apricot teachers have QTS and years of experience in traditional classroom settings. The diversity of character, expertise, and teaching styles within our team enables compatibility matching between teachers and student, creating positive working relationships that lead to successful learning.
Yes, we do set weekly homework through the learning platform. Students can upload their work securely by simply responding to the assignments that are set. Simples!
Live Reports Cards are accessible on our student information system and include:
• Attendance
• Progress Tracking
• Academic attainment through grades and individual AO
• 21st c. Skills
• Learning Behaviours
• Termly ILPs with teacher comments
Our reports are really in-depth and you can find out more and download a sample report on this page.
Apricot is not an exam centre and, until final advice is forthcoming from the government, every school has their own requirements for teacher grading and evidence. Some examples are: letters from teachers, proof of QTS status (Qualified Teacher Status), course numbers, random evidence of student work and grades, and some form of assessment (defined by the individual schools). Rest assured that whatever the requirements, Apricot has always been able to satisfy schools with what they need. We will continue to do so.
We teach a maximum of 12 students per group – the general rule, however, is 5-10 students per group.
Yes – one full term. However, your students can begin their lessons at any point in the school year – we will work out the number of weeks for your commitment.
Once the minimum provision threshold has been met, our notification period is only 48 hours. This must be made in writing (email is fine).
Yes – lessons are timetabled. Each group or 1:1 student will meet with their teachers on a regular basis each week in our online classrooms.
Our provision can be accessed anywhere there is a computer/laptop with a good broadband connection. Students can login to their lessons from any safe environment.
You will need a computer, headset, and the internet. No printer is required, as we provide all learning resources online.
We offer a range of price points. Please get in contact to discuss your needs on 01242 604985.
No. Apricot does not charge any setup fees.
Frequently our students are already isolated by their circumstances. So we encourage enrolment in a group programme to enable a sense of awareness of learning alongside others and to promote the ability to interact with peers. Your students can join our existing nationwide groups or you can create groups that are only open to students referred by you. Our 1:1 teaching service is available for those unable to access group learning.
Groups are purchased by seat. Once a student is booked on one of our group programmes, the seat is interchangeable with another student. This provides you with a roll on / roll off education service.
Flexi-schooling is when students opt to be taught at home part-time, meaning they spend some time in school and some time learning at home. This option can be seen as the best of both worlds for both educational and social wellbeing.
Homeschooling is the process of educating students at home rather than in a traditional setting, like a school or college. Parents take full responsibility for educating their children.
Not in England or Wales, according to the Department for Education. Whether your child currently attends a private or state school, you simply need to write to your child’s head teacher to let them know you are withdrawing your child’s name from the register and they will let the local authority know. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, you need permission from your local authority, although this can’t be unreasonably withheld.
If your child is already at school, you must write to the head teacher to ask for their name to be removed from the register. The head must accept your decision if you’re taking your child out of school completely. But they can refuse if you want to send your child to school some of the time and home educate the rest of the time (known as flexi-schooling).
If your child isn’t at school, but you have been offered a school place, you must formally remove your child’s name from the register at the school that they’re due to start attending. This is usually done through the local authority.
If your child hasn’t started school and you haven’t applied for a place at school, you don’t need to do anything.
In each case there is no obligation for you to contact the local education authority although they might contact you to ask what provision you have made for your child’s education once they realise that they’re no longer registered at a school.
You can choose to home educate your child at any stage.
If your child attends a special school, you will need permission from the local council before their name can be removed from the register. This can’t be unreasonably denied, but is intended as an extra check to make sure you’re able to cope with your child’s needs and can provide them with a suitable education.
If your child has an education, health and care (EHC) plan you must inform the local authority if you’re going to home educate.
If your child attends a special unit at a normal school, you don’t need permission to de-register them.
Between the school term after their fifth birthday and the last Friday in June in the school year they turn 18. After 18, education is optional.
Either parent can home educate a child without the other parent’s consent as long as their name is on the child’s birth certificate. This can be challenged in court, though.
Your child must be educated full-time. The law doesn’t specify how many hours, but children normally receive formal teaching at school between 22 and 25 hours a week for 38 weeks of the year. You don’t have to stick to a school-style timetable or follow school terms.
You don’t have to follow the National Curriculum, but the Education Act says that children have the right to an ‘efficient’ and ‘suitable’ full-time education, defined as, ‘an education that equips a child for life within the community of which he is a member.’ It’s up to you to decide how to provide that education – it could be through following the National Curriculum closely, using it as a guide, or letting your child’s interests dictate their learning.
If you withdraw your child from school, it’s likely your local authority will want to discuss your plans for providing a home education and, although this isn’t a legal requirement, home education support groups advise that you comply with their request. This could be through a home visit or a meeting outside the home, a letter setting out your educational philosophy, or written evidence such as a report, samples of work, or verification from an independent teacher. You are allowed a reasonable time to prepare this.
No. Any parent has the right to home educate, whether they are a qualified teacher or have any experience.
Not by law – unless it appears you aren’t providing a suitable education or the local council is concerned about the welfare of your child. If you’re in Scotland, the local government can suggest an annual contact, but this isn’t compulsory. In practice, most local authorities tend to make contact with home educators once a year to see how things are going, but you’re not obliged to meet with them either at your home or elsewhere. Many parents update their educational philosophy annually and send this to the home education contact at their local authority to keep them up-to-date.
If your child is on role at a school, then you should ensure that the school registers them to sit exams onsite. You should start this process in September of the year they are taking exams, as the date for the end of registration is January. If your child is not on role at a school, then you should register them privately through your LA or Council.
No – unless you live in Scotland, in which case you can still claim Education Maintenance Allowance once your child turns 16. Otherwise, you must be prepared to assume full financial responsibility – including paying for public exams should your child sit them. Depending on where you live, you might be eligible for practical support, such as extra borrowing rights at your local library, free entry or discounts to your nearby leisure centre, or access to local school resources.
