WHEN 15-year-old Lucy Challis began to dread going to school, her mum signed her up to an online high school.

Tesni is just one of a growing number of parents choosing to home-educate, but instead of teaching herself, Lucy attends InterHigh — where her classes are all online.

In May, it was reported a higher proportion of children are home educated on the Isle of Wight than anywhere else in the country. Nationally, home education has risen by 40 per cent in three years.

Classes start at 9.30am, when Lucy logs onto her laptop.

A teacher leads the class via video link, and a chat box alongside allows the pupils to communicate — although they can private message the teacher if they need to.

Interactive presentations also allow the 20 students to get involved, and all lessons are recorded allowing students to go back over them at any time.

“At 9.20am an alarm sounds to let us know lessons are about to start, then teachers come on the webcam, and we can follow along the lesson,” she said.

Lucy, who lives in Brading, studies one subject a day, and is studying five IGCSEs — science, maths, French, geography and English.

Tesni said: “Lucy began high school, but began to find behavioural issues in the class meant she was unable to concentrate on her work.”

Suffering with severe chest problems, Lucy also had a high non-attendance rate.

Many of the students at InterHigh are international — Lucy said her best friend at school lives in Slovenia.

Young actors, or children whose parents travel, attend the school as a way to keep up with lessons while on the go.

Tesni said: “Lucy has done a maths lesson at the Isle of Wight Festival before. She’s missing less school now than she was before because it doesn’t matter if we are travelling or not at home — she can just log in to attend lessons.”

Lessons are not affected by teacher training days, or snow days.

Students meet up annually for a whole-school trip, and leavers attend a celebration in the summer.

Lucy said the school was very social, with interactions taking place using Snapchat and Whatsapp. She also attends dance classes once a week and has performed at the London Palladium and the Isle of Wight Festival.

She said: “Last year we had a weekend at PGL which everyone went too. I met up with my friends from around the world.”

Lucy now has ambitions of attending a dance college on the mainland when she finishes her IGCSEs this summer.

The school costs the family £270 a month, or just over £3,000 a year. Tesni said what it provides is ‘excellent value for money’.

She said: “It may cost, but I don’t have to pay for transport, uniform, or any other costs. We have longer holidays because her hours spent in class are more productive.”

She added: “I don’t think we would be where we are with Lucy, were it not for InterHigh.”

Video courtesy of InterHigh.