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Online School for Athletes · Ages 4–18
Sophia is a British independent school for elite young athletes — full curriculum, live lessons, exams sat from anywhere.
✓ AM and PM lesson streams, so morning or afternoon training does not cost a lesson
✓ Every lesson recorded and posted the same day — camps and tours do not create gaps
✓ Pearson Edexcel IGCSEs and International A-Levels, sat remotely under invigilation
The sophia Model
pupils in a core class, taught live by UK-qualified specialists
parallel lesson streams built around training blocks
100%
of lessons recorded and posted to the online classroom the same day
Sport partners
Athlete ambassadors
These are the Sophia High School Athlete Ambassadors. Read what they say.
KS4 · Football · Arsenal Academy
Training at Arsenal Academy is intense, and the travel schedule is demanding. Sophia High gives me the freedom to access my lessons from anywhere, so I never fall behind on my GCSEs.
@megsworld9
KS4 · Squash · England Squash
Before Sophia, I was constantly choosing between training and school. Now I don’t have to. The flexible schedule allows me to train with the England squad while keeping my grades up.
@siennahampshaw
KS4 · Football · Morocco
Representing my country requires total focus. The teachers at Sophia help me manage my workload so I can focus on the match and catch up on academics immediately after without any stress.
@walid_ouabade
KS4 · Football · Arsenal Academy
This is my fifth season playing at Arsenal. Sophia has provided the flexibility to ensure that I continue to meet my educational commitments while travelling for tours.
@maisiehenry41
KS4 · Football · Arsenal Academy
The timetable is flexible, so I can manage my time properly around training and matches. I get the sleep I need and turn up feeling prepared.
@izzy.m10
KS3 · Football · Arsenal Academy
Her adapted schedule means she is able to use her time effectively to rest, recover and still have the education she needs. Nyah is the happiest she has ever been throughout her school life.
@nyahkemp11
KS3 · Squash · England Squash
Sophia has greatly improved Sara’s balance between education and training, giving her more time, better health, and a schedule that supports both academic success and high-level sport.
@sara.ibrahim.si
Tell us the training schedule and we will show you the timetable that fits around it.
The conflict
01
Academy and squad sessions are scheduled around coaching staff and facility availability, not around the school timetable. Something has to give, and it is usually the lessons.
02
Camps, tours and overseas fixtures remove weeks from the academic year in blocks. Catch-up depends on whatever a class teacher can spare afterwards.
03
The years in which selection intensifies are the same years in which IGCSEs and A-Levels arrive. That is where athletes are most often asked to choose.
What we provide
✓ AM and PM streams. Core subjects run twice, so a morning training block does not mean a missed subject.
✓ Recorded lessons, same day. Every lesson goes to the online classroom by the end of the day. A tour is a delay, not a gap.
✓ Remote invigilated exams. Sophia has been selected for the Pearson Edexcel Remote Invigilation Service, so IGCSE and IAL papers can be sat without travelling to a centre.
✓ A calendar that knows the season. Assessment points are planned with the competition calendar in view rather than against it.
✓ A personal tutor. A weekly check-in on workload and wellbeing — the person who spots overload before a parent has to.
✓ Sophia365. Leadership, media training, financial literacy and university pathways, for the years after the sport as much as during it.
How We Compare
✦ Sophia High School
✓ Exams sat from home
✓ Twice a year
✓ Classes of 6 to 8 students
✓ Yes, with AM/PM streams
✓ 24/7 access to lesson recordings and materials
✓ Daily Holistic Horizons + mentors
What to ask
How are exams sat?
When the exams are sat?
How many students in a class?
Can the timetable accommodate training?
What happens if a live lesson is missed?
How much 1-on-1 support do students receive?
Other schools and online providers
✕ Travel to an examination centre
✕ Once a year, in May or June
✕ Unlimited or large cohorts
✕ No. One timetable fits all students
✕ Rely on peers for notes or fall behind
✕ Limited or no individual time per student
Partnerships
Education partner to England Squash, with a scholarship route for squad athletes.
Scholarship details →
Performance partner, supporting the Sophia365 athlete programme.
Cohort enrolment, timetables aligned to your training week, and a single point of contact for your player care team.
Accredited & Recognised By
FAQs
No. Athletes pay the standard fee for their phase.
See fees →
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