I am thinking of starting a school pod, city to be decided. It would school around 20 children of various ages with two full-time teaching administrators (one of which would be an Oxford, Harvard, Cambridge, Stanford, Yale, or MIT grad), supported by many specialists teachers that come in or teach via Skype. It would be run from a super-cool residential unit.
The plan is to eventually have 1000’s of pods around the world, making them the most revolutionary pods since the iPod.
I am looking to talk to:
- Parents who have a child between the age of 4 and 9 that:
- Are willing to pay at least US$12k per annum per child for a vastly better education, and ideally US$20k.
- Want the school to work around their child, rather than their child work around the school.
- Believe it’s important their children get the best grades possible.
- Want their child to speak several languages.
- Want their child to specialise and achieve excellence in certain extra-curricular activities (e.g. sports, music, debating), rather than take part in many and achieve excellence in none.
- Are concerned about the negative influences of school, such as bullying and pornography. And want their child to be influenced by graduates from the world’s top universities.
- Graduates from the world’s top universities that enjoy teaching and want to be part of what could be the biggest revolution in education since school began.
- Anyone else that wants to get involved.
Here are the key differences between our pods vs conventional schools:
- Children in pods will outperform those in conventional schools, in term of grades, by miles (and miles). I am 100% confident.
- No terms/semesters. Pods run all year around. Children take up to 12 weeks off when they want, but no time off in lead up to exam. Range of times children can be dropped off or collected to the pod to accommodate parents’ schedule.
- Children learn at their own pace. No classes. Regular tutorials.
- Strong emphasis on motivating the children, explaining why grades are important, and the role of hard work.
- Focus on maths and languages until around 6-9. Then focus on public exams until around 13-16 (when they do 18+ exams). Then a combination of:
- Learn a few more languages
- Becoming amazing at a sport
- Starting a business
- Learning to code
- Go to university early – entrance exam preparation for the very top universities.
- Using technology to teach. E.g. Khan Academy, teaching via Skype.
- Monthly independent assessments to ensure child is progressing well.
- Academic teaching geared towards exams.
- To get best grades possible, one or two public exam (e.g. GCSE) are taken at a time when the child is ready, rather than all exams being taken at some predetermined time.
- All pods to have CCTV, with parents having full access.
- Older children make their own lunch every day, cleaning up themselves.
- Extra-curricular activities to be taught by top professionals.
- Teaching administrators rewarded on excellent grades and children’s achievements.
- School fees to be reduced if grades below expectations, bonuses if certain goals achieved.
If you know anyone that might be interested, for example anyone with kids younger than 9 that isn’t happy with their school, please forward this to them…
My email is my first name followed by @launchpadstartups.com (I don’t want bots scraping this email address and sending me junk).
The Wonder Years 
I want to get involved. I have this same vision and will pursue it in future. I can give input into this pod schooling system.
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Hi, i am a mother of two kids but my kids are 10 and 11. Am i too late for this?
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Tehmina, no, you’re not too late. Too late would be 14. Of course you won’t get your kids doing their GCSE when they’re 9 or 10, but they might do it a few years early and will likely get much higher grades.
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Thank you so much for your prompt reply. I am from Pakistan and I am really interested in your pod that you are about to start. How can i sugn up?
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Hi there. This is a very interesting concept. I’m currently homeschooling my 4 and 2 year old for the same reasons you homeschool your kids. Please be sure to keep us updated on this intriguing idea.
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Fauzia, it may happen one day. I hope so…
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Al salamo alikom
I am an egyptian mom with 3 sons
4 , 2 and 9 months
I would like to homeschool them
None of them went to school before
The eldest is studying french
He isn’t writting nor reading any language up tell now
His mother tounge is Arabic
He is learning Quraan
I am very intrested in teaching him with you but don’t know how
Really need your help
Thank you
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WS, Rasha, you don’t need help! Just start trying and you will find it easy after a few months of struggle.
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Any guide lines where to start from if you please and you were talking about teaching them online?
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Hi, I am a mother of four kids 13,8,6 and 1 years old . Iam from Egypt .Am I late ?
and two other kids . plz tell me the way to make this .
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Eman, not too late at all. Well, a little late for the 13 year old but the others are all fine.
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ممكن نتواصل لو حضرتك تحبي
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Rasha, you’re not too late. Even the 13-year-old can easily benefit.
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Hello Asim,
I have gone through your blog and find a lot of similarities in our thoughts. I am an Engineering graduate of IIT Kanpur. For last 10 years I am involved in grooming students of class 8th to 12th for various Engineering and medical entrance exams. My wife is teaching chemistry. We have 4 year old daughter. For whom we are interested in homeschooling.
I would like to know more about this ‘school pod’ concept. May be I can contribute in this concept of yours. I am also planning to make youtube videos for basic and advance physics / mathematics for these classes.
regards,
Nitin Varshney
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Nitin, it’s just an idea and I’m looking to push it forward. But I need to find the right person to run it.
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I’m so glad that I stumbled upon your quora page which led me to this site…. your concept is like taking the best ideas from all the different methods of teaching, I think it is simply brilliant!!
Were are you thinking to make this a for-profit model….. I mean each pod operating as a franchise for example. Please keep us posted on this amazing initiative!
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Hi Asim,
Thanks for sharing this great idea. I done with my PhD in Neuroscience from Sheffield University. Currently I working in academia. I am very interested in virtual learning. My vision is very similar to yours. I really would like to be involved in your project.
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