Homeschool Students
Where Education Meets Your Lifestyle
Striking the Perfect Balance
Virtual High School’s innovative approach to education fosters the skills, qualities, and knowledge that students need to thrive in post-secondary studies, the workplace, and beyond. We believe in providing learning experiences that adapt to meet individual student needs and preferences. That’s why we work closely with homeschooling families to deliver flexible, online courses that suit any lifestyle.
Inspected OSSD Credits
After more than 20 years of developing and teaching Ontario Secondary School Diploma courses online, VHS is unrivaled in terms of experience, credibility, and expertise. Many VHS graduates attend major universities and colleges in Canada and across the world, so homeschool students can rest assured that the credits they earn here will set them up for success.
Certified Teachers
VHS teachers have the training to teach in an online environment, offer individualized attention to students, and provide invaluable feedback on all assessments. Putting trust in our teachers enables parents and guardians to focus on supporting their students in all of the other important areas of their homeschooling journey.
Self-Paced Learning
We recognize that homeschooling families have busy schedules and need an education option that will fit into their lives. Students at VHS complete their courses wherever and whenever they like, helping students strike the perfect balance between school commitments and life’s adventures.
Tight-Knit Community
We facilitate online extracurricular events to encourage students to connect with each other, offering them the chance to interact with people from different cultures, learn new skills, and share their passions.
Admission Requirements
Students who have covered topics similar to those included in the Ontario curriculum in their studies at home may be eligible to have waivers for VHS courses that have prerequisites. For courses without prerequisites, students are welcome to register and begin anytime!
Looking to complete credits without earning the Ontario Secondary School Diploma?
Fill out a Prerequisite Waiver Application. The application and all supporting documentation must be submitted and approved by our Guidance Team before a student can complete the registration process.
Looking to earn the Ontario Secondary School Diploma?
Fill out an Equivalent Credit Assessment Application. Successfully completing any level of high school outside of a traditional school setting may enable a student to receive equivalent credits that can count toward the OSSD. After an application has been reviewed, our Guidance Team will provide a detailed list of both the equivalent credits that have been granted and the credits that still need to be completed to fulfil the diploma requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Typically, home educators in Ontario would submit an annual letter of intent to their local school board if they planned to homeschool their children. Since Virtual High School is inspected by the Ontario Ministry of Education and responsible for teaching students the curriculum, a letter of intent is not required to take courses at VHS.
If a homeschool student has applied to Reach Ahead at VHS during their Grade 8 year, a letter of intent may be required by the local school board since the student is not actively enrolled in an elementary school.
- Students who plan to earn the Ontario Secondary School Diploma and wish to receive credits for courses that they completed through homeschooling must submit an Equivalent Credit Assessment Application. This process allows our Guidance Team to appropriately place students into the Ontario education system as seamlessly as possible without having students repeat prerequisite material. Once an Equivalent Credit Assessment has been completed, the expectation is that all remaining OSSD requirements will be fulfilled through an Ontario high school.
Without an Equivalent Credit Assessment, any courses that a student has previously completed outside of an Ontario curriculum school will not count toward the OSSD.
- A prerequisite is a course that must be completed before a student can proceed to the next level in a subject area. If a student has not attended an Ontario curriculum high school before, they will need to complete a Prerequisite Waiver Application. Our Guidance Team will review the student’s academic documentation to determine if they have covered topics similar to those included in the Ontario curriculum in the selected subject area. If approved, a student may be granted a waiver to enrol in their chosen course.
- We recognize that different approaches to homeschooling help students build knowledge in different ways, which is why it’s important to record what is taught, the methods used, and the student’s progress.
Evidence of homeschooling may include a combination of the following:
- A summary of the resources used for each subject
- The time frame in which each course was completed
- The total number of hours spent in each course
- Report cards for every year of study or a transcript generated by a parent/guardian with all final grades
- Samples of student assessments where necessary
- We want to make sure that our students can get started on their courses as soon as possible, so we guarantee that Prerequisite Waiver Applications will be reviewed within 3–5 business days and Equivalent Credit Assessment Applications will be processed within 5–7 business days.
- Every student taking a course with Virtual High School must either have an existing Ontario Student Record at a previous school of registration or have an OSR created by our Guidance Team. If a student needs to have their OSR transferred to or created by Virtual High School, our Guidance Team will be in contact shortly after registration.
What Our Community Has to Say
Next Steps
- Complete Application
Complete ApplicationEquivalent Credit Assessment
Learn how you can earn your Ontario Secondary School Diploma.
Complete Application- Apply Now
