What a year at each online school really costs
2026/27 fees for 14 UK online schools, read from each school's own website, with the registration fees, deposits and exam costs they add on. Checked 2 November 2026.
GCSE (Years 10 and 11)
First-year costs, cheapest first.
The 7 cheapest of the 14 schools with a GCSE price. Each bar is the published year's fee, plus what the school adds in the first year. Exams come on top almost everywhere.
Year's feeAdded in the first year
Exams are extra almost everywhere.
Most online schools leave exam entry to you. As a private candidate, expect about £200 to £325 per GCSE at an exam centre: the exam board's £50 to £60 plus the centre's own charge.
£200–£325 per GCSE
A year of online school against a year at home
A GCSE year with 8 exams at £250 each.
Accreditation, plainly.
17 online providers hold the DfE's accreditation. 8 of them only take pupils sent by councils. Accreditation is voluntary: a school without it isn't breaking any rule. See the full list.
17/8
accredited providers / council-only providers
Guides
- 01Cheapest online schools for GCSE
- 02King's InterHigh vs Minerva's
- 03Online school or home education: a year's cost
- 04DfE accredited online schools
- 05Sitting GCSEs as a private candidate
- 06The Children Not in School register
- 07Taking a child out of school in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland
- 08Do online schools charge VAT?
- 09Courses for home educators
- 10Questions and answers
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.