First online school ever to offer esports BTEC in the running for Creative School of the Year award

A forward thinking online school has been nominated for a prestigious education award, having become the first online school ever to offer an innovative BTEC in esports.

Ahead of the awards ceremony next month, Minerva’s Virtual Academy (MVA) has been announced as a finalist for ‘Creative School of the Year’ at the Education Today awards which recognise the suppliers, schools, and individuals who work tirelessly to improve the education sector. 

Launched by Pearson and the British Esports Association in 2020, MVA introduced the Esports BTEC in September for students aged 16-18. 

Esports, short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games usually in organised, multiplayer competitions between professional players. The most popular esports games include League of Legends and Overwatch.

Covering a range of skills designed to offer students a solid foundation from which to build a career in the esports industry, students will learn everything from how the industry works through to marketing fundamentals, competitive play and even how to safeguard their mental health and wellbeing as an esports player.

Lawrence Tubb, Headmaster at Minerva said:

“We are delighted to be nominated for Creative School of the Year by Education Today. We are incredibly proud that as the first online school ever to offer this qualification, we have led the way for our students to carve out a career within an industry that has already experienced tremendous growth. 

“Our goal is always to help pupils enhance the skills they already have and develop new ones, ensuring that each MVA student graduates with a valuable set of transferable skills that will equip them for careers across a wide range of industries and sectors.

“Our esports BTEC is a fantastic example of how, as a school, we are constantly striving to offer our students increasingly innovative opportunities to prepare them for the workplace of the future. This recognition by Education Today is testament to that.”

Minerva’s Virtual Academy is an award-winning online independent school for pupils aged 11 to 18. It has pupils from across the UK, as well as overseas.