Minerva Online Academy Platform

[Sofaspuddy]

Hi all,

Looking for some feedback on Minerva Online Academy.

Would anybody who has children there be able to share what the online platform is like. I cannot find a video or screenshots of what they actually use day to day.

We are going through an absolute nightmare - been 14 months now and we have had enough. We have registered for tribunal and are going to deregister under protest and put DD into online from Jan and hope to reclaim costs back at the tribunal (slim I know but we cannot wait anymore)

Anyway, I know there are lots of other choices of schools, tutors etc but we have decided on Minerva.

Would love general feedback on MVA but more specifically around the day to day tool- are the classes good, is it easy to use etc.

Any screenshots (no children please) of it would be great.

Thanks

Hello! I wouldn’t feel comfortable putting DD’s dashboard online - but what would you like to know?

Best thing we ever did BTW

I get that totally.

Is it easy to use, is it like Teams or Zoom?

Do many people have Cameras on as my DD does not want to have hers on.

Is there like a calendar view and all they have to do is click on the lesson or how do they navigate.

Worlsey and Kings Interhigh show their platform but I cannot see anything for Miverna

Yes, classes are good. Mentor system excellent. Work before and after classes means you will build your own timetable around your own commitments. So for example for a while DD had a home school sports class on Monday. Had it clashed with a live lesson that might not have worked but as it didn’t, we just rearranged other work around the class.

So you’ll get your timetable in the parent portal, print it out or export it, then build it so you have all your “prepare” work before the class in question and all your “build” work afterwards.

When you sign up to Classlist, there are local groups for meet-ups. Welcome aboard!

Yes you have a calendar view, also a subject view. It is like Zoom. They encourage camera use but don’t insist - many don’t / can’t, esp at first. A third of the kids are autistic. Very easy to use. Better than Teams / Zoom.

Thank you.

I think she will eventually turn hers on but does not want to at the start.

Other questions going around my head!:

If they don’t go to the live lesson I believe they are recorded and she could watch it when it was right for her.

Do they have to do a minimum number of subjects?

She is coming from not being at school through autistic burnout and so will probably need to build up to a full timetable.

Does your DD chat with others outside of lessons - not sure on how interactive people are.

If you have any other feedback I would welcome it.

Yes - all lessons recorded. They have actors and sports people. But there is an attendance team in the normal way - although one which understands about autistic burnout so they’ll understand what you’re dealing with.

Not sure about the minimum subjects thing. We started with 9 GCSEs and dropped a couple.

Yes DD has friends through the local group and others through lunchtime clubs (ND club, craft) / wellbeing classes.

Really interested in this. Does anyone have a child doing A levels at Minerva? And how does the social side of it work?

Hi @Sofaspuddy did your DD start at Minerva in January after all and how are you finding it?

I'm considering it for my own DD for similar reasons and would be interested to hear your experiences of it if you don't mind sharing them.
Thanks.

Hi @LetMeJustCheckMyCitrusPocket yes she did and has now done a half term.

So has it been plain sailing- no. Not the fault of MVA who have been terrific. She was so traumatised by mainstream and we think she has some PDA going on that sometimes it’s still overwhelming.

However we ended up with 85% attendance so compared to 0-10% at mainstream we will take that as a win.

If you have specific questions, I’ll happily answer them.

@Sofaspuddy thank you, would you mind if I PM you with a few questions?

Absolutely, feel free

My DD dropped out of school in May of Y10 and started at Minerva. She did amazingly and got 9GCSEs at 7 and above (ASD, very bright, not coping at all in school, burnout but from school / social not academic). Minerva was the best thing we ever did. Would still be there for A'levels except they don't do the subjects she wanted to do and couldn't afford another two years. My advice: keep going with the EHCP / tribunal stuff. Much easier to get in place pre-16. We are going through it now at 16 and it's going to take to the end of Y13 to sort (currently going through waiting tribunal).

@DeQuin that's great to hear how it was such a good move for your DD.

We are in this situation right now and trying to decide what best to do, and we're considering Minerva. I'm just really concerned about changing schools at such a key point and how that works continuing GCSEs where she's already missed work etc through burnout. She doesn't want to repeat year 10 but at the same time I'd hate her to struggle on the academic side too... she's average to bright but has missed a lot and is now very low in spirit.

Sorry for the hijack @Sofaspuddy x

@LetMeJustCheckMyCitrusPocket the issue is that your DD will likely have to change exam syllabus: it was the third school DD attended since starting GCSEs so the third exam board she needed to work with. Humanities subjects are harder because there is a wider variation in what they are expected to do. DD was determined to get her GCSEs on time and chose to do extra work to catch up (she worked through the summer and had access to all content that had been taught earlier in the year if she wanted it). History was the hardest; she was lucky that the texts they did in English Lit before she joined she'd also done (Macbeth), but it's a bit of a minefield. Minerva are really supportive and have seen it all before and are really able to be flexible depending on the needs of the child. Some people just can't manage it even online (too burned out) so it really depends on the YP.

A lot of the Y10s at Minerva have repeated for exactly this reason

Thanks @Robotindisguise, I am concerned about this and how it would affect my DD's motivation.