Minerva's Virtual Academy vs Wendover Online School
Both schools' own figures for 2026/27, read on 2 November 2026: what a year costs with the registration fee and any VAT added, how much is taught live, and who has checked them.
The first year's cost
| Minerva's | Wendover | |
|---|---|---|
| Key Stage 3 | £9,365Years 7 to 9 | £11,997Years 7 and 8 |
| GCSE | £9,365Years 10 and 11 | £14,895Years 10 and 11, 8 GCSEs |
| A level | £9,365Sixth form | £18,597Years 12 and 13, 3 A levels |
The year's fee plus the one-off registration fee, with VAT added where the school adds it for UK families. Exams are extra at both unless we say otherwise below.
- At Key Stage 3, Minerva's is £2,632 cheaper in the first year (£9,365 against £11,997).
- At GCSE, Minerva's is £5,530 cheaper in the first year (£9,365 against £14,895).
- At A level, Minerva's is £9,232 cheaper in the first year (£9,365 against £18,597).
Side by side
| Minerva's | Wendover | |
|---|---|---|
| Lessons | Live and recorded. 2 to 3 live lessons a day plus self-paced work, and a weekly one-to-one mentor session | Live lessons. About 22 lessons of 40 minutes a week at primary, 24 to 26 at Key Stage 3; 3 a week per GCSE; 4 hours a week per A level; a weekly one-to-one tutorial |
| Class size | Not published | Up to 6 |
| Recorded | Yes | Yes |
| Ages | 11 to 18 | 6 to 19 |
| Qualifications | IGCSE (mainly Pearson Edexcel) and some GCSEs; International A level (Pearson Edexcel, OCR, Cambridge); EPQ | English national curriculum; GCSE; A level; EPQ |
| Registration | None published | None published |
| Exams | Extra, paid to the exam boards: the school's own list says £200 to £450 for Year 11 exams and about £600 per A level. Year 11 can sit Pearson exams at home. | All exam fees are extra; pupils sit at exam centres or local schools that take external candidates. |
| Leaving | Not published on the pages we read. | One term's notice, or a term's fees instead. |
| DfE accreditation | DfE accredited Jul 2024 | DfE accredited Mar 2026 |
Minerva's Virtual Academy
One price for every year, £9,365 with the deposit and subscription in it, so it is dear for Year 7 and middling for A level. The model is a few live lessons a day plus work on your own, with a mentor each week. Popular with families of anxious or neurodivergent children. Full Minerva's fees and details.
Wendover Online School
Tiny groups of 2 to 6 and a weekly one-to-one tutorial, priced like a private day school. Fees go up with each GCSE you add, so a lighter timetable costs much less. VAT is in the price. Full Wendover fees and details.
Get next year's fees
Schools publish new fees between spring and summer. Leave your email and we'll write once, when every school's 2027/28 fees are checked, then delete your address.
Sources
- 2026/27 annual, termly and monthly fees, read 2 November 2026.
- exam arrangements, read 2 November 2026.
- sixth form price "from £8,830", MVA Flex £6,490, read 2 November 2026.
- SEND figures, read 2 November 2026.
- DfE accreditation 17 Jul 2024 to 17 Jul 2027, read 2 November 2026.
- 2026/27 termly fees, VAT inclusive, read 2 November 2026.
- lessons a week, tutorials, taster lesson, read 2 November 2026.
- deposit and notice, read 2 November 2026.
- DfE accreditation 31 Mar 2026 to 30 Mar 2029, read 2 November 2026.