Immediately on enrolment we send out your child's course book(s).  These are for the most part endorsed by the IGCSE or A-level examining board (there is no examining body for KS3).  The course books are the best available and your child will find them very friendly indeed.

At the same time your child's Course Manager (see below) will prepare and send your child's Study Schedule showing you exactly when each assignment is due. This schedule is flexible, and can be altered depending on how fast your child works. But we will keep track as to how they're progressing relative to the schedule. In the event that he/she gets ahead or falls behind, we'll be in touch to see if we can help. If necessary, we'll agree with you to alter the schedule.

Your child will also receive login details to enable access to the Wolsey Hall Online Learning  Environment (WHOLE) which will contain all of his/her course resources and is accessible in just a click or two.  Among the resources you'll find there are:

• A Guide to Successful Study which is packed with suggestions on how your child can get the most out of the course,
• The Examination Syllabus
• Profiles of each of your child's tutors
• A Programme of Study, showing exactly what your child needs to cover before each assignment.
• Your child's Assignments.  These are submitted to your child's tutor online via WHOLE and your child will normally receive them back within 5 - 7 working days. 
• A number of relevant web links which will enrich and enhance the course book(s).

Who will support your child during their course?

Your child will have three key supports during their course:

A.  His/her Tutors. You are invited to contact your child's tutors by email as soon as possible after enrolment, and to set up a Skype conversation with each of them, so that your child can get to know them.  

The tutors will assess and grade all of your child's assignments.  All tutors will be readily available by email, and your child can also make an appointment to talk via Skype at a mutually convenient time if he/she has an academic problem that they simply can't resolve either on their own, with your help or having contacted their tutor by email.

Please note that tutors do NOT presently teach online, although we expect to offer that facility by the middle of 2012 if not earlier.

B.  Your child's Course Manager who will be your and your child's key link with Wolsey Hall, and who will deal with any admin issues, such as changing your child's schedule, finding exam centres, or anything else on which you need advice or help. Again, using email or Skype is the easiest way to contact your child's Course Manager.

C.  You, the Parent(s).  Your role is vital as mentor and morale booster.  Unless your child has been previously home schooled, in which case you probably need little advice from us, you will need to appreciate that studying alone can be lonely. 

Unless your child is unusually mature and committed to learning, they will need your support on a regular basis for advice and support.  We're not suggesting that you become their surrogate teacher (unless you are academically skilled in the subjects concerned), our tutors are there for that.

But working out with your child a daily and weekly study plan, so that they have a detailed structure which enables them to know what they are doing at each hour of the home school day, is important.  The Study Schedule that your child receives from us covers the submission of assignments.  It does not cover how the hours during the day should be spent.  This will naturally differ between children. For example: Is your child a fast or a slow learner? How much time can they study effectively during the day without losing concentration? And so on. 

We recommend breaking the day down into "periods" of about 30 - 40 minutes, just as if your child was at school.  30 minutes may be long enough for an 11 year old, 40 minutes more suitable for a 14 year old.  It is well known that the most effective learning will take place at the beginning and the end of each period.  Hence the importance of breaking up the day into manageable "periods", and allowing about 10 minutes spare time between each.

And at the end of the day, take a little time with your child to review how they did relative to their study plan and whether they had any problems that they couldn't resolve.  This is obviously more important for younger than for older children.  But every child likes to have parents who show interest and support.......