Straight answers about Nudge Education Online.

At launch in September 2026, Nudge Education Online is an online alternative provision. We are taking steps to complete the voluntary Ofsted accreditation to be recognised by the DfE as an online school. That application can only be made once we are operating — so the pathway is: launch as AP, build the evidence base, then apply.

In 2021 the Department for Education launched a voluntary accreditation scheme for online schools, recognising that online schools are something distinct from tuition agencies or online businesses — they are schools, with the same standards as physical schools in every meaningful way (apart from things like toilets and fire escapes). The scheme is the regulatory route an online school takes if it wants to be recognised by the DfE as a young person's full-time school option.

We are pursuing accreditation because we want to evidence that we keep young people safe and hold the same aspirations for them as any registered school. The pathway requires us to launch and be operational first — Ofsted can't accredit a school that isn't running yet — which is why we open in September 2026 as an online alternative provision and apply for accreditation from there.

They share a parent organisation — Nudge Education Ltd — and the same ten years of practice, but they are deliberately separate services. Nudge Education's existing work is one-to-one, face-to-face alternative provision delivered by practitioners in young people's homes and communities. Nudge Education Online is a structured online school provision with qualified subject-specialist teachers, a full timetable, and its own admissions process.

If a young person is already working with a Nudge Education practitioner face-to-face, they are not automatically enrolled in Nudge Education Online — joining NEO is a separate application and a separate commissioned placement. The two services can run alongside each other where that's the right thing for the learner, but they are commissioned, staffed and accountable separately.

Alternative provision (AP) is the sector term for education delivered outside a mainstream school, commissioned by a Local Authority or a school for young people who can't currently attend. Nudge Education Online is AP that is delivered online — wrapping a structured curriculum around Nudge Education's practitioner-led model.

Nudge Education Online is a new service from Nudge Education, the UK practitioner-led organisation that works with Local Authorities across the UK. Everything about how we work — the trust, the safeguarding, the relational approach — comes from ten years of practice with young people whose needs aren't being met in mainstream.

No. Nudge Education Online can be funded through Local Authority commissioned placements or via existing frameworks. Some learners will have EHCPs, others won't — we accept both.

Yes — Section 19 placements are the main route into Nudge Education Online. Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 places a duty on Local Authorities to arrange suitable full-time education for children of compulsory school age who, by reason of illness, exclusion or otherwise, would not otherwise receive it. Many of the young people referred to us — particularly those experiencing emotionally based school non-attendance (EBSNA), medical needs, or transitions between settings — sit under this duty.

In practice: the Local Authority commissions the placement and remains the statutory accountable body; we deliver the education and report back on attendance, engagement and progress. Families don't navigate this alone — the referral conversation usually starts with your Local Authority's SEND, inclusion or alternative provision team, and we're happy to help you frame it.

Not at launch. The legal arrangement and statutory responsibility for a young person stays with the Local Authority and/or their school. We work closely alongside both. Once we complete the voluntary Ofsted accreditation, we expect that to change.

Learners can join at the start of any half-term, not only at the beginning of the academic year. For commissioned referrals, the process from referral to start is typically around 15–20 working days — covering screening, a referral meeting, a written offer and induction. Direct family applications follow a similar timeline. We move as quickly as we safely can because the young people referred to us are usually out of education — delay makes things worse, not better.

Placements are commissioned by the term or year, with flexibility to extend or transition out. The goal is always the young person's readiness — onward placement conversations start from week one, not at the end.

The Discovery Phase is for learners who aren't yet ready for a full timetable. It's a flexible, relationship-building period where we assess readiness and build trust before formal courses begin. There's no qualification pressure — the focus is on connection, confidence and settling into online learning. Learners move into their full programme when they're ready, not when a calendar says so.

Learners work towards Pearson Edexcel International GCSEs (graded 9–1). At launch, our subject offer includes English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Human Biology and Art & Design, with RSHE delivered as a statutory strand. Functional Skills and ASDAN courses are also available where appropriate. Edexcel's modular assessment route means learners can sit units across multiple exam series rather than facing a single high-stakes sitting. For learners who aren't yet exam-ready, we offer personalised pre-qualification pathways through our Discovery Phase. Full detail is on the curriculum page.

Yes. Every live lesson at Nudge Education Online is delivered by qualified, subject-specialist teachers. This is distinct from the practitioner role — practitioners are mentors and the named point of contact for each learner, co-ordinating with the teaching team and providing pastoral support, but they don't teach the curriculum. The two roles work side by side, and that's deliberate: the teacher brings subject expertise, and the practitioner brings the relational continuity that holds a young person in the learning when things get hard.

Practical learning is one of the genuine design challenges of an online school, and we take it seriously. Pearson Edexcel International GCSEs include a practical strand that is designed to be deliverable in flexible settings, and our Head of Science is building the science curriculum with this in mind. Where appropriate, we send practical kits to learners' homes so they can carry out experiments alongside live teacher support — with safety guidance built in for both the learner and the adult supporting them. Where a practical isn't safely deliverable at home, we use high-quality demonstration, simulation, and supported observation.

The aim is equitable access to a real science education — not a watered-down version of one.

Yes — the launch subjects (English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Human Biology, Art & Design) are a deliberately focused starting point that lets us go through the accreditation process well, rather than spreading too thin. They form a strong core that any sixth form, college or apprenticeship destination will recognise.

We open additional subjects as we have enough learners to make a viable group — and our intensive placement route allows for some subjects to be taken in smaller groups or one-to-one where the cohort isn't yet there. We anticipate offering noticeably more subjects than the launch five over time. The registration form has space to tell us which other subjects you'd like for your young person, and we use that to plan what opens next.

Some subjects are genuinely easier to deliver online than others, and we've been honest about that in our launch choices. Drama, music and other performance-led subjects need group work and the kind of shared physical space that an online classroom can't fully recreate. Where families and commissioners ask for these, we look at what can be done online (script work, theory, composition, devising, ensemble work over video) and what is better facilitated through local provision the young person can access in person — partner organisations, community arts settings, or visits where appropriate.

We don't pretend online does everything equally well. We do work with families to find the right combination for the young person in front of us.

No. We chose Pearson Edexcel International GCSEs in part because they offer online proctoring, which means learners can sit their exams online in the environment they've learned in, with their access arrangements in place. We also work with online exam centres and physical exam centres across the country.

For many of our learners, being asked to walk back into the school that didn't work for them in order to sit an exam would be a barrier they couldn't get past. Removing that barrier is part of how we make qualifications genuinely accessible.

Every learner has a named practitioner who builds the relationship and coordinates their learning. Monday to Thursday, learners follow a structured timetable of four 45-minute live sessions delivered via Google Meet, with scheduled breaks built into the day. Between live sessions, Google Classroom holds materials, assignments and feedback that learners can work through at their own pace. Friday is Cornerstones Day — dedicated to Relational Intelligence, Digital Skills, RSHE, SDG projects and creative work. The balance between live, asynchronous and independent work is adjusted to each learner's needs.

Connection is the starting point, not the add-on. The practitioner relationship is consistent from the first session. Group and peer elements are built in progressively as the young person is ready — we don't force it on day one.

Our named pedagogical framework: Connection, Movement, Creativity, Reflection, Rest, and Nutrition. Not a list of values — a way of designing each session so that wellbeing and learning sit together, not one after the other.

The six Cornerstones — Connection, Movement, Creativity, Reflection, Rest and Nutrition — shape everything from the timetable structure to how lessons are delivered. Live sessions are 45 minutes with scheduled movement and rest breaks between them. The day opens with a Morning Connection anchor and closes with a Reflection anchor. Friday is Cornerstones Day — dedicated to Relational Intelligence, Digital Skills, RSHE, SDG projects and creative work, not a day off. Your child's practitioner will attune to their energy and regulation throughout the day, and Cornerstone check-ins are part of every session.

We teach through Google Classroom for lessons, assignments and feedback, with live sessions on Google Meet. Every learner receives a nudgeeducation.online Google account. Timetables and due dates appear in Google Calendar, and guardian email summaries can be enabled on request.

All lessons run through Google Classroom and Google Calendar. Each class in Google Classroom has a Meet link pinned at the top — click it to join. Lesson times appear in Google Calendar on your school account. Make sure all class calendars are ticked in the left-hand menu. Google Calendar shows when the lesson happens; Google Classroom shows where to join.

Guardian Summaries are automatic emails from Google Classroom giving you a snapshot of your child's learning each week. You'll see completed work, upcoming tasks, missing assignments, and class announcements. They arrive weekly by default (every Friday), but you can choose daily updates instead. We'll send an invite email from Google Classroom — click 'Accept' to start receiving them. Add classroom.google.com to your safe sender list so they don't get lost.

No. Nudge Education Online does not require a uniform. Removing uniform costs reduces financial pressure on families and supports comfort — particularly for neurodivergent learners or those with sensory needs.

We simply ask that learners wear comfortable, appropriate clothing for online sessions and are camera-ready in a safe and respectful way.

Please let us know before 9:00 am on the day of absence by emailing neo@nudgeeducation.online. For planned absences, let your child's practitioner know in advance.

Prompt reporting helps us maintain accurate attendance records, follow safeguarding protocols, and minimise disruption to your child's learning.

Accessibility is built into everything we do. Our virtual classrooms are designed to work for every learner, including those with EHCPs and complex needs:

Live sessions are supported by captions where appropriate. Resources are available in dyslexia-friendly and easy-read formats. The pace, structure and delivery adapt to each learner's needs — that's the practitioner-led model in action. Parent and carer guidance is available in accessible formats on request.

We review our accessibility approach regularly and act on learner and family feedback.

Learners need a laptop, desktop or tablet with a camera and microphone, plus a stable internet connection. We deliver all lessons through Google Meet and Google Classroom, which work on most modern browsers. Where a commissioning arrangement includes device provision, we can supply a configured Chromebook. If connectivity is a barrier, speak to us — we can work with commissioners to find a solution.

Cameras are optional in lessons. We mean that — there's no expectation that learners look polished, smile, or even sit upright. Duvets over heads, cats on laps, the back of a head — all welcome. For many of our learners, low-pressure visibility is part of how trust gets rebuilt.

What we will ask: when a learner joins a live session and no practitioner or adult from home is physically present with them, we'll usually ask to see them briefly at the start of the session. This is a safeguarding check, not a performance moment — we need to know it's the right learner and that they're OK to be in the session today. After that, the camera can go off.

We hold the same baseline for everyone in the room: a brief hello at the start, then full flexibility. Camera-on isn't a pressure we place on individuals.

Yes — live lessons are recorded, for two specific purposes:

• Safeguarding. Access to recordings is restricted to authorised safeguarding staff, in line with our Safeguarding policy, and is used only to review a session if a concern is raised.
• Internal staff training. Short excerpts may be used by NEO staff to refine practice — for example, looking at how a particular Cornerstone showed up in a session.

Recordings are not shared with families, commissioners, awarding bodies or third parties, are not used in marketing, and are not used to train AI systems. They are held under our Data Protection, Confidentiality and Privacy Policy with a defined retention period. If a learner's camera is off during a session, there is no video footage of them in the recording — only their audio if they spoke. Full detail is in the policies folder.

No. Every image of a young person on this website is AI-generated. We made that choice deliberately, and we want to be transparent about it.

We don't share photos of real NEO learners online — not for marketing, not for case studies, not for proud-progress posts. This is a safeguarding principle, not a brand choice: children's images, once on the public internet, are very hard to take back. We hold the same line for our staff, where the images you see are also AI-generated.

We've also tried to make the imagery itself more honest. The live-lesson image on the homepage shows a real-feeling moment — classmates appearing in the call in different ways, including a learner with a pet in view — rather than the older render where everyone was on camera and smiling. A real session might still go further: one learner with a duvet over their head, two on cameras-off, a practitioner asking gently whether everyone managed breakfast. That's what we're aiming for as our imagery keeps growing — but we wanted to start by being plain about how the images get made.

Three views, one truth. Your child has their own dashboard — their sessions, their portfolio, their progress, and their voice in it. They can see what they've learned and how it links to what's coming next, and can export a personal knowledge file that becomes part of a sixth form personal statement or CV if they want it to.

Parents and carers see attendance, engagement, and session-level notes written in plain English after every session — no jargon, no six-week delay. Commissioners see the same facts, framed for their reporting needs: attendance, engagement, progress against personal targets, and the safeguarding log all in one place, exportable whenever needed.

The three views all draw on the same underlying record. Updated after every session, not filed away for termly reports.

We track both academic outcomes and personal development. On the academic side, learners work towards Pearson Edexcel International GCSEs where appropriate. On the personal side, we evidence growth in confidence, communication, regulation and independence — because for many of our learners, those gains matter just as much.

Progress is measured against national expectations and, where applicable, individual EHCP goals. Our tracking platform gives commissioners and families real-time visibility, not just a termly snapshot.

Transition planning starts early, not at the end of a placement. Every learner has access to careers education and guidance on their options — whether that's sixth form, college, apprenticeships, or supported pathways.

We work with approved providers to ensure learners hear about every route available to them, with all sessions safeguarded and accessible. Your child's practitioner coordinates this alongside the commissioning LA.

Some learners join Nudge Education Online for a term or two and then transition back into a mainstream setting — that's a successful outcome, not a lost one. To support those transitions, we keep our progress reporting in language that mainstream schools and commissioners can use directly: curriculum coverage by topic, assessment evidence, and a clear picture of what's been completed and what's still to come. The receiving school gets the information they need to pick up where we left off, without the young person being asked to retell their whole story.

Yes. We can be commissioned directly by Local Authorities or through existing regional frameworks. Nudge Education is already a trusted partner to Local Authorities across the UK, so in most cases there's no new contract shape needed.

Our tracking platform gives commissioners real-time visibility on attendance, engagement and progress. You get a weekly view — not a termly report three months after the fact.

Nudge Education Online operates to KCSIE 2025 with a designated safeguarding lead, clear escalation routes, and consistent session notes logged in our tracking platform. Our full safeguarding and child protection policies are in the policies folder.

Yes. Some commissioners bundle Nudge Education Online places with Nudge Education's existing 1:1 intervention for the same young people. Talk to us about cohort or bundled arrangements.

Pricing varies by placement type and tier. Detail is shared in our commissioner pack and at our open events. Request a pricing brief → to talk through your context.

Tuition covers the full timetable of live lessons, the named practitioner, ongoing pastoral support, attendance and progress reporting, and access to the platform. Examination entry fees are charged separately and not included in tuition.

Fees are invoiced termly in advance. Notice of withdrawal is a full term — once notice is given, the placement runs to the end of the following term.

Local Authorities commissioning five or more places benefit from dedicated account management and consolidated invoicing. Get in touch to discuss multi-placement arrangements.

The Local Authority, usually through a commissioned placement or an existing AP framework. Some placements are part-funded by schools out of their own AP budgets. Parents have occasionally self-funded, though this is rare and needs conversation with us first.

A lower-cost Curriculum Access route is also available for learners already working with a Nudge practitioner, or with parental support, who aren't ready for the full live school yet — it provides asynchronous access to NEO's curriculum materials without joining live online lessons. Talk to us if that sounds relevant.

Our full policy set lives in this Google Drive folder. It includes safeguarding and child protection, SEND, behaviour and regulation, online safety and acceptable use, data protection, equal opportunities, health and safety, complaints, and admissions.

Our online safety and acceptable use policy covers platform controls, digital wellbeing, reporting routes and parental oversight. We also produce a Digital Consent and AI Safety Parent Guide for every family at onboarding.