Part 3: The Birth of a Baby and a School
Part 3 of the IOS Story
Now… setting up a school is a strange sort of adventure. It isn't unlike having a baby. In some senses, you have no idea what to expect, and there seems like so much you need to get ready - but in other ways, there is so much you can't do. It has to involve faith… as much as work counts, faith is paramount.
An online school with a live track was interesting as we were starting with nothing and no one. We knew the first inquiry would ask how many students we had, and we knew we would have to say that they were the first inquiry - not ideal for sales and marketing.
One of our very first live track enquiries was from a lovely Christian doctor. She asked a few questions, and we responded as best we could, also citing NorthStar in case she had heard of it. Many enquiries came in, but no one seemed to actually enroll or confirm interest. We were getting into August, and by that time, we only had two confirmed on the live track.
We agreed a model that live track tutors would be paid a portion directly of fees, and split between six of our original tutors, this wasn't terribly much. It would have still been quite humble allowing even 12 in a class, but 2 was going to be asking a lot of them! We had to put in place all the infrastructure for a live timetable regardless. Publishing digital packs… timetables… the learning portal being set up for all courses.
It became clear in August that it would be wisest to just pilot with a Year 8 group only as numbers were not pouring in.
Ruth's blood pressure and pre-eclampsia meant she had to go in every few days for monitoring and scans. She'd take her laptop in! Jonathan would bring a laptop to the hospital, and they'd both be working. It provided distraction and was enjoyable, but the uncertainty was difficult. Of the school and also the baby. What on earth was going to happen this year?
The baby was due on 2 October, and Jonathan had planned a physical meet-up launch in central London, at the British Museum, for Saturday 28 August. We thought we then had some time to prepare for the start of term, and Ruth wondered if she might even waddle along to the launch, though heavily pregnant.
Of course… this is where the drama comes in again. By 24 August, Ruth's blood pressure started to rise and she had been diagnosed with pre-eclampsia. The doctors wanted her to stay in the hospital overnight for monitoring. They were concerned that Ruth's internal organs were starting to shut down based on urine results and the rising blood pressure was a big concern.
Jonathan had gone back home overnight to look after their daughter and had to work the next morning. At this point nothing exceptional was expected. To make a long story short… around mid-morning the midwife alerted the team that the baby appeared to have bradycardia (a low heart rate). Together with Mum's condition, an emergency C-section was scheduled. Immediately.
Ruth texted Jonathan and other family members and she was rushed into the operating theatre. Samuel Christopher Benjamin Marvin was born on 25 August while Jonathan was driving to the hospital. Many weeks too early.
When Hannah arrived (his big sister), her first words were (to the nurse) "Is he fully formed?".
And he was… fully formed and beautiful and incredibly, incredibly tiny: 1.6kg… going down and then up again, but breathing OK without oxygen and immediately moved to NICU to an incubator. He seemed healthy and normal and all the tests came back normal… including the one for achondroplasia (dwarfism), and other skeletal issues were ruled out. Most strangely… the nurse (not knowing perhaps our journey) commented that he was tiny but long… and tall! He was gorgeous.
But… he had come early, and we had a mountain of work to get done (together) before the start of term in a few days, with the launch happening while Sammy was still in NICU and Ruth was recovering from the surgery! Fortunately, the BP and all vital signs returned to normal almost immediately after the birth.
And Ruth and Jonathan found themselves… in between moments of marvelling at little perfectly formed Sammy… working in the NICU and hospital canteen on enrolment… enquiries… timetables… learning portal and coding stuff.
Jonathan did go ahead and launch in London, and there were a total of three families who came along, as well as Steve and Lyn and one of our tutors. Ruth was obviously unable to make it… still admitted.
But a baby had been born. And a school had been started. Our precious Sammy, whom Hannah had prayed for for so long, and Immanuel Online School.
