K-12 learning 🇬🇧 London, United Kingdom Since 2020

Minerva Virtual Academy

A DfE-accredited online school for ages 11 to 18 with live lessons and mentors.

Visit minervavirtual.com All companies
a year, 2026/27, VAT included
£9,365
ages, Years 7 to 13
11–18
full-time students, June 2026
1,500+
on Trustpilot, 28 reviews
4.3

About Minerva Virtual Academy

Minerva Virtual Academy (MVA) is an online school in London for ages 11 to 18. It teaches the British curriculum from Year 7 to Year 13: Cambridge Lower Secondary in Years 7 and 8, Pearson Edexcel IGCSEs in Years 10 and 11 and International A Levels in the Sixth Form. Students join 2 to 3 live lessons a day, study on the Canvas platform between lessons and meet a personal mentor every week. The 2026/27 fee for UK families is £9,365 a year including VAT. The Department for Education accredited MVA on 17 July 2024 after an Ofsted visit, and Phoenix Equity Partners took a majority stake in June 2026.

MVA runs a full-time online secondary school. Teachers give live lessons on video, students prepare and revise on the Canvas learning platform, and every student has a mentor who meets them once a week. The school adds assemblies, after-school clubs and in-person trips around the UK.

Hugh Viney founded Minerva Tutors, a home-schooling and tutoring agency, in 2014. He registered Minerva’s Virtual Academy Ltd in London in October 2020, and the first students started in December 2020. Suzanne Lindley has been Principal since March 2024. Since October 2025 the academy company also owns Minerva Tutors.

In June 2024 Ofsted visited under the voluntary Online Education Accreditation Scheme and found that MVA meets all the DfE standards for online education. At that time 747 school-age pupils studied full time and about half had a diagnosed special educational need. In June 2026 Phoenix Equity Partners bought a majority stake through Noctua Topco Limited. Hugh Viney kept a stake of 25 to 50% and remains a director.

History

  1. 2014 Hugh Viney registers Minerva Tutors Ltd in June, a home-schooling and tutoring agency.
  2. 2020 Minerva’s Virtual Academy Ltd is registered in London on 26 October.
  3. 2020 The first intake of about 180 students starts in December.
  4. 2023 Hertford King and Timothy Levett join the board as directors in September.
  5. 2024 Suzanne Lindley, deputy head for pastoral care, becomes Principal in March.
  6. 2024 Ofsted visits on 26 and 27 June and finds that MVA meets all DfE standards for online education.
  7. 2024 The DfE accredits MVA on 17 July, with accreditation running to 17 July 2027.
  8. 2025 Launches a Gulf Standard Time timetable for families in the Middle East in September.
  9. 2025 Minerva’s Virtual Academy Ltd becomes the owner of Minerva Tutors Ltd in October.
  10. 2026 Phoenix Equity Partners takes a majority stake on 10 June and announces it on 18 June.
  11. 2026 August IGCSE results: 72.2% of entries at grade 4 or above and 31.7% at grade 7 or above.
  12. 2026 Launches MVA Flex, a one-A-Level Sixth Form pathway for £6,490 a year.

Leadership

  • Hugh Viney Founder, CEO and director
  • Suzanne Lindley Principal
  • Rebecca Pinfield Vice Principal Pastoral
  • Harry Allen Vice Principal Middle East
  • Emma Davies Assistant Vice Principal and Designated Safeguarding Lead
  • Chris Thorn Exams Officer
  • Gemma Schofield Head of Admissions

Roles from the MVA website on 7 October 2026. Hugh Viney is also listed as the proprietor. Philippa Iles joined the board as a director on 10 June 2026.

How Minerva Virtual Academy teaches

live lessons a day
2–3
mentor session every week
1:1
of pupils with a diagnosed SEN, Ofsted 2024
~50%
  • Flipped learning
  • Live lessons on camera
  • Lesson recordings
  • Canvas learning platform
  • Weekly 1:1 mentor
  • Progress reports every two weeks
  • Weekly assemblies
  • After-school clubs
  • In-person school trips
  • Wellbeing programme
  • Gulf Standard Time timetable
  • Remote IGCSE exams via Pearson
In August 2026, 72.2% of IGCSE entries were at grade 4 or above, against a national average of 67.0%, according to MVA. The Good Schools Guide notes that the school relies on students to report their results.
minervavirtual.com, 7 October 2026; Good Schools Guide, July 2026

Year groups and subjects

Years 7 and 8, ages 11–137

  • English, Maths and Science (Cambridge Lower Secondary)
  • Digital Literacy
  • French, Spanish or German
  • Global Perspectives
  • History
  • Wellbeing
  • Carousel: Art and Design, Classical Civilisation, Computing

Year 9, ages 13–147

  • Maths
  • English
  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Physics
  • Wellbeing
  • Up to four electives: Art, Classical Civilisation, Computer Science, French, Geography, German, History, Music, Spanish

Years 10 and 11, IGCSE21

  • English Language
  • Maths
  • Science
  • Wellbeing
  • Business
  • Classical Civilisation
  • Economics
  • English Literature
  • French
  • Further Maths
  • Geography
  • German
  • Global Citizenship
  • History
  • Latin
  • Religious Studies
  • Spanish
  • Computer Science
  • Art and Design
  • Music
  • Psychology

Sixth Form, International A Level18

  • Biology
  • Business
  • Chemistry
  • Computer Science
  • Economics
  • English Language
  • English Literature
  • French
  • Geography
  • History
  • Maths
  • Physics
  • Psychology
  • Religious Studies
  • Sociology
  • Spanish
  • Extended Project Qualification
  • Esports BTEC, UK students only

Subjects listed on minervavirtual.com on 7 October 2026. IGCSEs are mainly Pearson Edexcel. International A Levels come from Pearson Edexcel, OCR and Cambridge. Sixth Form entry needs five GCSEs at grade 5 or above and grade 6 in each A Level subject, grade 7 for Maths or Physics.

Products

  • Full-time online school Live lessons with qualified teachers for Years 7 to 13, usually 2 to 3 a day, plus weekly assemblies and clubs. Ofsted noted in 2024 that all lessons are recorded for catch-up. About MVA
  • Virtual Learning Platform Course modules on Canvas with videos, readings and quizzes. Students work through a topic before the live lesson and return to it afterwards. The Four Pillars
  • 1:1 mentoring Each student has a mentor who meets them weekly, plans the workload and sends parents a progress report every two weeks. General FAQ
  • MVA6 and MVA Flex International A Levels with the EPQ and a Careers and Futures programme. MVA Flex combines one A Level with an EPQ or an Art Diploma. Online Sixth Form
  • For local authorities and schools Placements for students who cannot attend school, with attendance reports for the local authority and EHCP support. Local authorities

How much is Minerva Virtual Academy?

  • Best value Annual fee £9,365 a year one payment, includes the £930 deposit and £95 annual subscription
  • Termly payment £3,550 a term UK residents, costs more in total than the annual fee
  • Monthly payment £1,100 a month 10 payments, plus £930 deposit and £95 subscription, UK residents
  • MVA Flex, Sixth Form £6,490 a year one A Level, with an optional EPQ or Art Diploma
  • Gulf timetable (GST) US$12,540 a year AED 46,800, includes US$1,254 deposit, plus US$75 registration fee

Is Minerva Virtual Academy free?

There is no free plan. Families can book a free discovery call or join a virtual open event. The Good Schools Guide mentions six-week trials.

Fees on minervavirtual.com for the academic year 2026/27, checked on 7 October 2026. UK prices in pounds include VAT. Students who join mid-year pay pro rata from the half term they start. Exam board entry fees and optional trips are extra, and GCSE Art and Music add £790 a year. International families pay the full year upfront.

MVA for local authorities and schools

partnerships@minervavirtual.com
  • 01British curriculum for Years 7 to 13 with live lessons by qualified UK teachers.
  • 02Mid-year and short-term placements.
  • 03Attendance tracking and reports for the local authority.
  • 04An EHCP coordinator and a SEND team that contributes to annual reviews.
  • 05Help with GCSE and A Level exam entries.
  • 06Some local authorities name MVA in Section I of an EHCP, according to the school.

On request.

Apps and ratings

4.3Trustpilot · Excellent 28 reviews · company profile claimed in February 2026

Is Minerva Virtual Academy worth it?

What parents like

What parents criticise

What parents write in reviews, not our rating. 15 of the 28 Trustpilot reviews were posted between 24 and 31 March 2026. The UK fee for 2026/27 is £9,365 a year including VAT.

Minerva Virtual Academy reviews

  • Just the right place for our daughter
    “It allowed her space to recover whilst still learning and engaging in lessons, and she is back to her happy, confident self.”
    Katie · 26 July 2026 · App Store
  • Excellent choice for young athletes
    “Super flexible & understanding school for young athletes.”
    Michelle Jelicic · 18 April 2026 · App Store

Latest news

  1. MVA’s 2026 IGCSE and A Level results
  2. MVA Summer Festival 2026 marks five years of the school
  3. Addleshaw Goddard advises Phoenix Equity Partners on its investment in MVA
  4. Phoenix announces partnership with Minerva’s Virtual Academy
  5. Tes: what it is like to teach at an online-only school

Contacts and company data

Legal entity
Minerva’s Virtual Academy Ltd, 3space International House, Canterbury Crescent, London SW9 7QD, United Kingdom
Companies House
12973171, England and Wales
Registered
26 October 2020
Status
Active
Nature of business
SIC 85590, other education
Directors
Hugh Viney, Philippa Iles
Parent company
Noctua Bidco Limited, since 10 June 2026
DfE unique reference number
150780, online provider
DfE accreditation
17 July 2024 to 17 July 2027

Alternatives to Minerva Virtual Academy

How we built this profile

  1. Sources. Facts come from the company’s own website, press room, imprint and careers page, from Wikipedia, the App Store, Google Play and Trustpilot. Every source is listed on the page.
  2. Checks. Kinescope checked every number on 7 October 2026. Prices, ratings and job counts change, and we refresh them with each update.
  3. Our words. Descriptions are written by the Kinescope team. Quotes from reviews are marked with the author and source, and we do not rate the company ourselves.
  4. Corrections. The company can send new facts or corrections, and we update the profile.

Other k-12 learning companies

All 38 k-12 learning companies

More EdTech from United Kingdom

Is this your company?

Send us new facts, products, numbers or a fresh logo, and we will update the Minerva Virtual Academy profile on the EdTech map.

Update this profile Add another company
Featured on Kinescope EdTech Map
Show the badge on your website <a href="https://kinescope.com/edtech-map/minervavirtualacademy"><img src="https://kinescope.com/images/edtech-badge.svg" alt="Featured on Kinescope EdTech Map" width="220" height="56"></a>

Minerva Virtual Academy FAQ

For UK families the 2026/27 fee is £9,365 a year including VAT, paid at once. UK residents can also pay £3,550 a term or £1,100 a month over 10 months, which costs more in total. On the Gulf timetable the fee is US$12,540 a year. Exam board fees and trips are extra.

Years 7 to 13, ages 11 to 18. Years 7 and 8 follow Cambridge Lower Secondary in English, Maths and Science. Years 10 and 11 take IGCSEs, mainly Pearson Edexcel, from more than 20 subjects. The Sixth Form offers International A Levels from Pearson Edexcel, OCR and Cambridge, plus the EPQ.

Both. Students join 2 to 3 live lessons a day with cameras on, and prepare on the Canvas platform in between. Ofsted reported in 2024 that all lessons are recorded, so students can catch up or rewatch.

MVA does not publish a class size and calls its classes small. In 2022 Tes reported 10 to 20 students per live lesson.

Host your courses on Kinescope.

DRM, a white-label player and analytics for online schools and EdTech platforms.

Start for free
Video hosting for EdTech
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.