Why choose Academy Online Learning

One-to-one tutor support via state of the art videoconferencing, email or a quick phone call

If you find part of the course difficult to understand, you need help with your University application, or you just need some advice, your personal tutor will be on hand through instant messaging, telephone or our state of the art videoconferencing system. Sometimes a quick message will be enough to answer your question, but if you need something more complex explaining you can talk to them face-to-face. Our videoconferencing system allows you to look at and annotate documents together share screens and much more, so you can have the benefits of a college tutor in your own home.

Our tutors are all well qualified subject specialists, knowledgeable and experienced.

AOLL students achieve high grades

An ABB at A-Level grade is where students obtain Distinctions in all units. Nationally, 28% of Access students achieve this while AOLL students are much more likely to achieve this level of attainment.

The national average is approx 28%

Support

We recognise that returning to education can be hard so we are here to help with Careers Information and when applying to university through UCAS.

We help you with your UCAS Application

We recommend that you complete your university application via UCAS through our centre, as it greatly improves your chances of an offer. One of the first units you complete is Researching and Understanding Opportunities in Higher Education and involves you researching your options for university and preparing your application to UCAS. As part of this unit you will receive helpful feedback on your personal statement and will complete two drafts. You will also have another opportunity to submit your personal statement for checking when you are ready to submit your application.

We also provide you with an academic reference and check your application form for errors before it is submitted.

Flexibility

You can start any time you like

With a college Access to HE course you have to start in September; however, with Academy Online Learning you can start your Diploma whenever you like and get into university more quickly.

Continue working while you do your course and complete it at your own pace

Having to work to support yourself while studying can be a huge barrier that prevents people taking the step to change their life and career. With our Access courses, however, you can continue working and complete it in your own time. The course fee entitles you to 12 months of tuition, but you can take up to two years to complete the course if necessary. If you have an abundance of free time, the flexibility means you could complete it more quickly. It is not unusual for students to start a course in November, complete by the following June, and be at university the following September.

Roll-on-Roll-off - You can pause studies if personal circumstances make study difficult - pick up where you left off when ready

Life can be unpredictable and sometimes things can happen that prevent you from studying. The flexibility of the Academy Online Learning Access to Higher Education Diploma course allows you to pause your studies: if you know that you will be unable to study for a month or more we can put your studies on hold until you are able to return so that you do not use up any of the 12 months tuition included in your course fees. This has been particularly useful for our students in the military, as they have been able to fit the course around their deployments. Students who have started their course while pregnant have been able to take a break around the birth of their child and then pick up their studies later.

Can complete quickly to gain university entry at the next intake - Moderation in June and November

Many health related courses at Universities have intakes in both September and January, so we have two awards boards per year to fit in with this cycle - one in June for a September university start and another in November for a January start. This means you could start a course in June and be at University in January if you complete the Online Access to Higher Education Diploma in six months. Click HERE to read more information about the moderation process.

We offer tuition in GCSE Maths, IGCSE English and IGCSE Human Biology

Many universities insist on GCSE Maths and English in addition to the Access to Higher Education Diploma, so we provide tuition and learning materials for these courses and can help you find a centre to sit the examinations.

We also offer Functional Skills, level 2 in Mathematics and English (Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening and Communicating)

Some universities will accept Functional Skills Level 2 English and Mathematics in lieu of GCSEs, but you should check with the university before enrolling. Functional Skills are fully online, including the exam and awarded by Open Awards, an Awarding Organisation approved by Ofqual.

We can tailor the course to fit your needs

There are pathways available for Access to Nursing, Access to Midwifery, Access to Sociology, Access to Physiotherapy, Psychology and more. If you cannot find what you need, get in touch and we can put a custom Access Diploma course together with the units you need.

Thriving and supportive student community

We have a thriving support group for students where you can interact and discuss things with other students on your course. We also have a videoconferencing common room where you can meet face-to-face with other students to chat and support each other, just like you would at a college. You can be as involved as you like in our student community, so if you prefer to just get on with it, you can do that too.

Study anywhere

The flexibility of our online Access Diploma courses means that you do not need to attend a local college. It doesn't matter if you are in London, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Derry or Belfast, your Access to Higher Education study takes place online when it is convenient. (Please note, you will need to provide a UK residential address to enable your enrolment to an Access to HE course.)