WHY CHOOSE US?
FAQs - ABOUT PHOENIX COMMUNITY COLLEGE
What is Phoenix Community College?
Phoenix Community College is a complete interactive online private school. We have three sections: an online full-time Secondary School, After-School Tuition, Home-Schooling Support, Summer School, and a Leadership Academy, with its Department of Humanities: each giving access to a world-class curriculum for our students. Students learn on their own computers with a headset and microphone, and they interact directly with their teachers and fellow pupils. Classes are taught live, online, by expert teachers who have passion for their subjects and are dedicated to helping every student succeed.
What are the advantages of studying at Phoenix Community College?
You can expect everything from traditional brick-and-mortar schools and a lot more at Phoenix Community College. Students can study from anywhere in the world while having access to expert teachers teaching the curriculums. Classes are conducted live by real teachers and students can interact with them directly during and after the classes.
Live classes are also recorded so students can catch up on missed classes, brush up on subject matters they found difficult, and use these recordings to revise for exams.
How do students attend the College?
Students “attend” school just like any other traditional school but with one major difference: all classes are conducted online. The students do not need to travel to a regular brick-and-mortar school. They will simply log into the Phoenix Website Portal at the time of their classes and begin their learning.
The teachers teach live, using a virtual classroom which includes a whiteboard, a live video and audio feed of the teacher, and a chat-box. During the class, students can easily communicate with the teacher and each other through the chat-box and their microphone, when required.
Students submit their homework (and see their marked work) via the school platform. Everything is conducted online.
Using voice, text, whiteboard, notes, recordings, presentations and screen sharing, classes are much more engaging and interactive than at traditional schools. Students can set tasks to work through specific exercises, share their work or demonstrate to the class. This allows every student the chance to directly and privately communicate with the teacher, so no one is ever left feeling missed out or left behind.
Who are the teachers at Phoenix Community College?
Classes are taught live, online, by expert teachers who have a passion for their subjects and are dedicated to helping every student succeed.
What are your teachers’ qualifications?
Teachers have a minimum of 2 years of classroom experience, often significantly more. They also have a minimum of a PGCE or a teaching qualification equivalent in education.
Are online schools recognised?
Online schooling falls under homeschooling in many countries (including the UK) and is a legal alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar schools.
What curricular do you teach?
At Phoenix Secondary School, we teach the English National Curriculum:
- Secondary Key Stage 3 – Years 7, 8 & 9
- Secondary Key Stage 4 – Years 10-11 (GCSE & International GCSE’s)
What are International GCSE’s (IGCSE)?
International GCSEs are globally recognised qualifications and are very similar to GCSEs (which are only recognised in the UK). International GCSEs do not usually involve any coursework as they are internationally focussed.
What Exam Boards do you use?
The exam boards may change depending on the subject but, in general, we use the highly respected accredited Exam Boards such as EdExcel, AQA, OCR, WJEC, or Eduqas.
Where and how will the students sit their exams?
Students sit their formal exams in local examination centres, closest to them. There are thousands of examination centres in the UK and across the world. Usually, an “Open” Centre will accept Phoenix Community College candidates. If you need help in finding a local examination centre, support@phoenixcommunitycollege.com, and we’ll help.
What are the main College study timings?
The main school timings are from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm London time. Most students, however, will be finished by 3:30 pm. (Actual times will depend on the timetable and which subjects the students have actually chosen.)
Important Note: Students will not be studying throughout the day. Students are only expected to log on and be at their computers during class time.
FAQs - CLASSES, LESSONS, TUTORIALS
Yes. The classes are conducted live by real human teachers.
Yes. All the classes are live and in real-time. The live classes are recorded, and students can access the recordings for the subjects they are enrolled in. This is a huge advantage over traditional schools. For example, when a student has missed a class due to illness, he/she can catch up by watching the recordings.
Also, when doing homework, sometimes a student may come to realise there was a topic he/she didn’t fully understand. Or maybe he/she wants to re-watch certain subjects during exam time to consolidate the learning. In all these cases, studying at Phoenix Community College gives a crucial edge over traditional brick-and-mortar schools.
If a student is unable to attend a live class, his/her parent/guardian must inform the school via the Phoenix Parent Portal for it to be marked as an Authorised Absence. If this is not done, it will be marked as an Unauthorised Absence and will be recorded in the student’s file. In both cases, students are expected to watch the recording of the live class and submit the relevant homework on time.
Students are arranged into class tutor groups of up to a maximum of 15 pupils. At the Secondary School level onwards, classes may be of two types: Lessons and Tutorials. In Lessons, lead teachers teach new subject matter to students in larger groups at the same time. Tutorials are conducted in smaller groups where there are class discussions, exercises, etc. to consolidate understanding of the new subject matter.
Exercise is an amazing tool to help us feel happier, more energised, and more optimistic. Every student will have P.E. once or twice per week.
We have a core number of subjects depending on the academic level of the student. However, students may take as many or as few subjects as they like.
Yes. The students may take exams a year early (or even earlier) if they are ready.
All homework is submitted online via the Phoenix student Portal. They are also marked, and students will receive their grading via the same platform.
FAQs - ADMISSIONS
How can students register at Phoenix Community College?
The registration process is easy. Simply head over to this page and fill in the form. A registration fee of £50 GBP is payable with the application. Then, once accepted, the Academic Deposit is paid along with the fees. You can view the Fees Section by clicking here.
Can students register from anywhere in the word?
Yes. Students can register from anywhere in the world where there is an internet connection.
What are the school fees?
Our extremely competitive Independent School fees can be viewed by clicking here.
Do you accept payment plans?
Yes. You can pay annually or per semester/term. In some circumstances, we also allow monthly payments over ten months. You can see the details by clicking here.
What is the difference between the Annual Contract and the (Termly) Pay-as-you-Go Contract?
Our Annual Contract is binding for one Academic Year (September-July) and gives you the option to spread the cost over three Terms, or ten Monthly payments (September-June). An Academic Deposit is required. The benefits of our Annual Contract include:
- No interest charges
- One single payment or convenient payment plans
- Best value for money and the most affordable package
- A one-academic year commitment so your child’s place is secured for the year
What is the difference between the Annual Contract and the (Termly) Pay-as-you-Go Contract?
Our Annual Contract is binding for one Academic Year (September-July) and gives you the option to spread the cost over three Terms, or ten Monthly payments (September-June). An Academic Deposit is required. The benefits of our Annual Contract include:
- No interest charges
- One single payment or convenient payment plans
- Best value for money and the most affordable package
- A one-academic year commitment so your child’s place is secured for the year
Our Termly or Pay-As-You-Go Contract is a great option for families who are not able to commit to our Annual Contract. With the Pay-As-You-Go contract, you pay per Half-Term and can cancel at any time within that Half-Term. The benefits of our Pay-As-You-Go Contract include:
• No annual commitment
• Can cancel at any time during the Half-Term that you have paid for
• Pay each Half-Term without committing to the next Half-Term
Is there a sibling discount?
Yes. We offer a 5% discount on the lowest fee for siblings who are currently studying at Phoenix Community College.
What are the entry requirements for study at Phoenix community College?
The requirement is that the student must be fluent in English. Additionally, we may require a transcript or school report, from the student’s previous school.
What are the computer hardware and software requirements?
You will see all the technical requirements by clicking here.
What are the age groups that can study at Phoenix Community College?
It varies, depending on which Department of the College you apply for.
- In the Independent Day School/Home-Schooling, its 11-16 years
- In the Tuition School, it is as young as 7-18 years.
- In the Summer School, all ages are welcome.
- In the other Faculties – (Phoenix Leadership Academy) – all ages are welcome.
Where are your teachers and students from?
Our teachers are British and mostly based in the UK. Our students are from all over the world.
Which books should students buy?
Once, a student has been enrolled at Phoenix, closer to the start of the academic year, we will send a list of books to be purchased for each subject, together with links from websites and bookstores from where they may be bought. The actual books will vary, depending on which year group the student is in and, if applicable, which subjects he/she has chosen. Additionally, we have our own resources such as Phoenix Study Guides and Skills Development published texts: Click here to see them.
What are the school term dates and when are the holidays?
For the Academic Calendar details, the term dates and the holidays, you can click here.
What are the Grade levels/year levels, and which year will my child join Phoenix Community College?
Year levels in Britain
Academic Year: September 2024–July 2025
The British school year runs from September to the following August. The English National Curriculum is organised into year groups called Key Stages. At Phoenix, students are normally grouped by their date of birth, with children of the same age. However, in certain special circumstances, we can be flexible about which year your child goes into. Speak to our Enrolments Team to contact@phoenixcommunitycollege.com to find out more.
Key Stage 1: Primary School Level
| DATE OF BIRTH | AGE GROUP | YEAR LEVEL | ASSESSMENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2017 – Aug 2018 | 5-6 yrs. old | Year 1 | - |
| Sep 2016 – Aug 2017 | 6-7 yrs. old | Year 2 | - |
Key Stage 2: Primary School Level
| DATE OF BIRTH | AGE GROUP | YEAR LEVEL | ASSESSMENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2015 – Aug 2016 | 7-8 yrs. old | Year 3 | - |
| Sep 2014 – Aug 2015 | 8-9 yrs. old | Year 4 | - |
| Sep 2013 – Aug 2014 | 9-10 yrs. old | Year 5 | - |
| Sep 2012 – Aug 2013 | 10-11 yrs. old | Year 6 End of Key Stage Examinations | - |
Key Stage 3: Secondary School Level
| DATE OF BIRTH | AGE GROUP | YEAR LEVEL | ASSESSMENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2011 – Aug 2012 | 11-12 yrs. old | Year 7 | - |
| Sep 2010 – Aug 2011 | 12-13 yrs. old | Year 8 | - |
| Sep 2009 – Aug 2010 | 13-14 yrs. old | Year 9 | - |
Key Stage 4: Secondary GCSE & I GCSE
| DATE OF BIRTH | AGE GROUP | YEAR LEVEL | ASSESSMENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2008 – Aug 2009 | 14-15 yrs. old | Year 10 | Some children take International GCSEs |
| Sep 2007 – Aug 2008 | 15-16 yrs. old | Year 11 | International GCSE in final year International GCSE in final year or Other National Qualifications |