How did Minerva Virtual Academy become the UK's fastest growing school? In conversation with Hugh Viney

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Educator’s Corner

Kai Vacher

27 episodes

1 week ago

The Educator’s Corner podcast offers engaging conversations with educators from all over the world about the issues, challenges and opportunities we are facing in our schools and our communities. Creating, innovating and redesigning education that prepares our students to be best for the rapidly changing world requires courageous, empathetic and humble leadership. Together we will have conversations where we stay curious for a little longer about what matters in preparing our young people to live fulfilling lives.

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How did Minerva Virtual Academy become the UK's fastest growing school? In conversation with Hugh Viney

Educator’s Corner

39 minutes 3 seconds

3 months ago

How did Minerva Virtual Academy become the UK's fastest growing school? In conversation with Hugh Viney

With 1.28 million students persistently absent from school in the UK, it’s clear that the traditional classroom isn’t the right fit for everyone. But what does that mean for the future of education? For many families, the answer lies online.

In this episode, Kai talks to Hugh Viney, founder and CEO of Minerva Virtual Academy. Starting with just four students in 2021, Minerva now supports over 1,200 learners worldwide. It has become the UK’s fastest-growing school and a shining example of how online learning can help meet the diverse needs of today’s students.

They discuss:

Why online education is better than traditional schooling for some families
How Minerva Virtual Academy grew from 4 to 1,200 students in just four years
The role of one-to-one mentoring, flexibility, and community in student success
Hugh’s vision for the future of global education

In this episode, Kai and Hugh discuss:

2:48 Which students thrive at Minerva Virtual Academy?

5:36 Inside the flipped model, where 60% of lessons are self-directed

6:11 How MVA ensures every student gets personalised attention

7:13 Building a real global community

8:43 What does a typical week at MVA look like?

22:24 The real impact of virtual learning on results and attendance

27:25 How MVA plans to expand beyond the UK

About Our Guest

Hugh Viney is the founder and CEO of Minerva Virtual Academy, the UK’s fastest-growing school. Launched in 2021, Minerva serves over a thousand students across 60 countries, offering GCSEs and A-levels through a flexible online model that combines self-directed learning, live lessons, and weekly one-to-one mentoring. Hugh is also the founder of Minerva Tutors and has been recognised as a pioneer in reshaping education for the modern era.

ResourcesMinerva Virtual Academy website

Classlist (Parent community app)

Pupil absence in schools in England. Autumn 2024/25

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Related episodes:

Episode 20 - Going Remote: the solution to the teacher recruitment crisis? With Mark Steed

Episode 13 - Why AI must not replace teachers. With Priya Lakhani

Credits

Hosted by Kai Vacher

A BSM BSS production

Post-production by Communicating for Impact