When Mainstream School Isn’t Working | Hugh Viney

What happens when a young person wants to learn — but the traditional school environment simply isn't working for them? In this episode of *Headship After Hours*, Paul Collin is joined by **Hugh Viney, founder and CEO of Minerva Virtual Academy (MVA)**, to explore online and hybrid education, school attendance, SEND, emotionally based school avoidance and what happens when we begin designing education around the needs of the child. Hugh shares the story behind Minerva Virtual Academy and why growing numbers of families began looking for alternatives when their children were struggling with anxiety, neurodivergence or the demands of mainstream education. The conversation explores: - Why some pupils thrive outside a traditional classroom - SEND, anxiety and barriers to school attendance - Emotionally based school avoidance - The four barriers some children experience in mainstream education - Making the school fit the child rather than forcing the child to fit the school - Online, asynchronous and flipped learning - The role of one-to-one mentoring and pastoral support - Using engagement data to identify when pupils need help - Maintaining academic expectations alongside wellbeing - How schools and local authorities can use alternative provision - Whether hybrid schooling could become a mainstream option - Why online education doesn't necessarily mean isolation Hugh also challenges one of the biggest assumptions surrounding virtual education: that learning online automatically means less community, fewer friendships and weaker outcomes. For some young people, he argues, removing barriers associated with the physical environment can actually allow them to engage, build relationships and rediscover confidence in learning. **About Minerva Virtual Academy** This episode is supported by **Minerva Virtual Academy (MVA)**, a DfE-accredited online school working with young people for whom traditional school attendance may not currently be working. MVA works with families, schools and local authorities to provide an online educational pathway, including live teaching, independent learning, mentoring and pastoral support. For school leaders considering alternative or complementary provision for a young person, further information about Minerva Virtual Academy can be found at: **Minerva Virtual Academy:** www.minervavirtual.com **About Hugh Viney** Hugh Viney is the founder and CEO of Minerva Virtual Academy. After founding Minerva Tutors, Hugh launched MVA in 2021 as an alternative educational model for young people who may not thrive within traditional mainstream schooling. In this conversation, Hugh shares his perspective on the future of virtual and hybrid education and why he believes alternative models should increasingly be viewed as a genuine educational choice rather than simply a last resort. Connect with Hugh Viney on LinkedIn. 🎧 *Headship After Hours* — honest conversations about the realities of school leadership, education and building better systems for young people. 00:00 – Why Some Children Thrive Outside Mainstream School 01:50 – About Minerva Virtual Academy 02:10 – Introducing Hugh Viney 08:19 – Why Minerva Virtual Academy Grew So Quickly 11:38 – SEND, Attendance & School Avoidance 13:09 – Why Families Look Beyond Mainstream School 15:22 – What COVID Revealed About How Children Learn 18:57 – Making the School Fit the Child 19:52 – The Four Barriers to Mainstream School 24:20 – The Power of One-to-One Mentoring 27:19 – Technology, Learning & Human Connection 33:18 – What School Leaders Can Learn From MVA 34:44 – Can Online School Lead Pupils Back to Mainstream? 37:22 – The Future of Hybrid Schooling 39:12 – The Biggest Myth About Online School 41:10 – Belonging, Happiness & High Expectations