Similarities & Differences - Online School vs. Traditional School
- Cambridge Online School
- Mar 4, 2024
- 6 min read
Updated: Oct 1
In this article, we will be looking at where online schooling aligns with and diverges from traditional face-to-face schooling.
Similarities & Differences Summary:
Similarities:
High standard of British education, structured curriculum, progression standards
Scheduled classes, timetables, and homework
Highly-qualified and dedicated teachers, pedagogical goals
Assignments, grades, attendance, and student assessment
Peer interaction, extracurricular clubs, communication and socialisation
Student support and guidance, determining goals and future pathways
Differences:
Location, commute, distance to travel to access education
Schedule flexibility, working around students' commitments
Class size and learning personalisation, tailored lessons content
Interaction and social environment, digital vs face-to-face communication
Accessibility, global reach, international communication
Continuity across learning, transitioning between year groups and schools
Uniform, supervision, monitoring students' progress and behaviour
Exams and assessments, where they are sat, how they are sat
Similarities: What Online & Traditional Schooling Share
Even though the delivery is very different, many core educational principles remain common:
Curriculum Structure & Content
Whether online or in brick-and-mortar schools, students follow a structured curriculum, often featuring the core subjects (maths, English, and science), with assessment cycles and progression standards. While online schooling does offer more flexibility over the curriculum, both still align with recognised exam boards and cover the content necessary for further study progression.
Our online school provides a high standard of UK education, following the UK National and Cambridge International curricula for primary school and KS3, before moving on to either the Pearson Edexcel and Cambridge International exam board curricula, depending on student preference, for KS4 (IGCSE) and KS5 (A-Level). We also follow the British Education System, as followed by physical UK-based schools, with children beginning their education at age 5 in primary school, before moving onto secondary school at age 7, and finally moving onto sixth form from the age of 16 to 18.
Scheduled Lessons & Timetables
Online schools still have scheduled lessons, timetables, and deadlines. Similarly to how students attend traditional school classes, online school takes a digital approach where students are hosted in live classrooms online. Homework assessments are also set outside of classes to help further progress students' learning and understanding.
Our online school provides timetables for each year group where students can highlight which classes they are taking. Additionally, they are able to see all upcoming classes on their dashboard calendar. Our live lessons are held at scheduled weekly times (based on UK time), but we offer more flexible alternatives for those unable to attend at the set times.
Qualified Teachers & Pedagogical Goals
Both online schooling and traditional schooling models employ subject-specialist and highly-qualified teachers who are experienced in teaching and have a passion for making a real difference in children's lives. The goal is the same: guide/support students, provide feedback, challenge pupils, and foster deep understanding.
Our online school's teaching team is comprised of friendly, experienced, and qualified teachers, each with a love for teaching and ensuring every student is able to excel in their studies.
Student Assessment & Evaluation
Exams, quizzes, assignments, and grades remain central. Whether in a physical classroom or a virtual one, assessment is a core mechanism for monitoring progress and accountability.
Our online school uses regular homework assignments and in-class activities to assess student progress and determine stronger and weaker content understanding points. Lessons are then tailored to students' needs to ensure they can develop their knowledge and build a deeper understanding, reflecting on key points and concepts.
Peer Interaction & Extracurricular Opportunities
Schools (both online and offline) recognise the importance of social learning through group discussions, clubs, collaborative activities, and socialising outside of class time. Both online school and traditional school keep classes engaging and interactive, encouraging teamwork and communication amongst the class.
Our online school offers a wide selection of extracurricular clubs to help students connect with peers outside of their classes, as well as keeping class sizes small with 10 or fewer students per group to enable more engagement and better interaction opportunities.
Student Support & Guidance
Just as traditional schools offer learning support and guidance, online schools also offer support for student well-being, learning difficulties, and university/career advice. Both school models focus on creating a supportive learning environment. Teachers are also available as a point of contact for any questions and concerns, both online for virtual schools and in-person for traditional schooling methods.
Our online school's teachers are all trained in SEND, with a focus on creating a comfortable and inclusive learning environment with individuality at the forefront of our focus. We strive to enable learners to thrive in their education, providing support and guidance to help them progress onto further study and future career pathways. As a UCAS-registered centre, we are able to support students with their university applications and plan out their future goals.
Key Differences Between Online Schooling and Traditional Schooling
While there is overlap in the quality and standard of education provided, the differences between the two school models are more noticeable. Below are the major areas where online and face-to-face schooling diverge:
Location & Commute
Whilst students attend traditional schools face-to-face in person, online school is fully remote, meaning it is accessed from home or anywhere with an internet connection without the need for travel. This is particularly convenient for students who would have to travel a distance to get to school, and saves time on transport.
Flexibility of Schedule
Online school typically offers greater flexibility around students' schedules, with less rigid transitions, the ability to catch up via recorded lessons, and the option to study either part-time or full-time depending on pupils' individual needs. This is particularly convenient for students who have busy schedules due to sports, travel, or medical conditions.
Our online school offers full control over the number of subjects studied, whether students attend classes live or on demand, and even offers tailored solutions for students looking to advance their education faster (starting a year ahead), or for those looking for additional support (starting a year behind).
Class Size & Personalisation
Online school typically has smaller and more personalised classes, enabling more personalised attention and individual support to ensure every student has the opportunity to progress and flourish in their studies.
Our online school has classes of no more than 10 students per group, allowing for more interaction, better engagement, and more tailored support from teachers. This also provides more time for questions, enabling learners to form a better understanding of the content covered.
Interaction & Social Environment
Compared to traditional classrooms, where students interact face-to-face with peers, online school interaction happens via the class chat, direct microphone communication, video, and breakout rooms. Additionally, some online schools also offer extracurricular clubs for further interaction outside of classes.
Our online school does not require interaction in classes, often making it a more suitable option for students with special educational needs and disabilities, but we do encourage it amongst those who are comfortable. We strive to create a learning environment that is both interactive and inclusive.
Accessibility & Global Reach
Students worldwide can join an online school, creating a community that is internationally diverse. This creates an environment for pupils to interact with peers across the world, from different backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs. This benefits students as it deepens their understanding of the wider world and enables pupils to respect and appreciate differences, moulding them into well-rounded members of society.
Continuity & Familiarity
Online schools don't require a large transition between primary school, secondary school, and sixth form, which can help reduce stress and anxiety amongst students, and it also creates more continuity across learning.
Uniform, Attendance, & Supervision
Online schooling, unlike most traditional schooling options, doesn't have a uniform. This can help to save money on expensive school uniform items.
Attendance for our online school is monitored through digital registers, and interaction in class is also tracked to ensure any abnormalities in engagement are reported. Parents are kept updated with absences, grades, behaviour, and student progress. For those who don't attend classes live, we also have additional methods in place with regular check-ins to ensure students are keeping up with content and are progressing as they should be.
Exams & Assessments
Traditional schools typically have students sit their GCSE and A-Level exams at the school they attend. On the other hand, online schools don't have their own physical centre, so exams are booked with a local centre close to the student taking them. With the addition of online exams, students can also choose to sit some Pearson Edexcel International GCSEs and A-Levels from home.
Our online school offers Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel International GCSE and A-Level courses, and we provide guidance to help pupils and parents find centre options local to them for sitting exams. Our online school is also excited to announce that we are now a Pearson approved online centre.
Final Overview
Online schooling is not simply a digital imitation of traditional school; it is a distinct educational ecosystem with its own affordances, challenges, and best practices. Our online school focuses on schedule flexibility, individualised support, experienced and dedicated teachers, small class sizes, and infrastructure to bridge time zones and diverse learners.
Ultimately, the school model that works best for you will depend on the student, family, the context, and goals. Those exploring options should visit schools or try demos, depending on whether the school is of the traditional or online variant, to ensure the decision is right for you. Our online school offers free trial opportunities that enable students to experience classes first-hand before making the decision to enrol. If you would like to book a trial, please schedule a consultation appointment below:
If you are interested in finding out more about our online school, please get in touch. You can contact us either by email or by using our website chat box/contact form.