London-based MVA (Minerva’s Virtual Academy) has grown from four to more than 1,000 pupils in less than five years but has maintained its bespoke 1:1 support for all children.
As MVA took the wraps off its new website today founder Hugh Viney said he was stepping up his mission to ensure education leaders take online schools seriously as they present the answer to many obstacles and crises facing youngsters across the globe.
“MVA is reintroducing itself – not just with a fresh website, but with a renewed commitment to what online education should be,” said Hugh.
“After four years of working closely with families, mentors, and students across the globe, we’ve learned a lot and are reintroducing ourselves with a clearer, bolder vision for what modern online schooling should feel like: personal, grounded, and deeply connected.
“Our main purpose is to offer an education that is academically rigorous, emotionally supportive, and built around each individual child. One that’s flexible and global, but never impersonal.
“But we are still facing a lack of understanding when it comes to recognising the opportunities online schools offer to improve accessibility to an excellent education for all.”
Every student at MVA learns on their own terms, supported by weekly 1:1 mentoring, a strong academic structure, and a pace that works for them. It’s not just flexible – it’s truly personalised.
Hugh said they had also addressed many of the concerns over online schooling over the last four years including proving that community still matters even if children are learning together in different parts of the country or even the world.
“We’ve built a thriving parent and student community. From regular parent forums to meet-ups, school trips and peer circles, families don’t just enrol – they feel they belong,” he added.
“And plans are now in the pipeline for residential trips, where youngsters will come together even more often in a physical setting. Our students meet and travel together creating lifelong memories.”
The school also has its own Careers and Futures Programme which helps to prepare students for life beyond just getting their best grades.
Minerva has also recently launched its new Gulf Standard Time (GST) timetable which means more students across the Middle East can now join live lessons in their local hours – making quality British education more accessible worldwide.
“We’re also proud to be accredited by the Department for Education and supported by a glowing seven-page Ofsted report. We’re also trusted by world-class organisations like Tennis Europe, RGMMC, and GB Snowsport to deliver flexible education to young athletes competing at the highest level,” said Hugh.
“It is now time for online schooling to be taken seriously not just as a valid alternative to mainstream physical settings but as an education sector in its own right which has particular strengths and advantages that are desperately needed and should be used to their full potential.
“The new website is designed to reflect this evolved identity – clean, human, and focused on outcomes that matter to families. It brings clarity to what we offer, showcases real student experiences, and invites parents into a school that feels both future-ready and deeply human.”
To take a look at the new website visit www.minervavirtual.com