What Gaia Learning does

Gaia Learning Ltd is a Cambridge-registered International Online School, founded in 2019 by Kate Longworth and headquartered in Manchester, UK. The company delivers live, personalised online education to neurodivergent children aged 8–16, including those with ADHD, autism, PDA, dyslexia, anxiety, and emotionally-based school avoidance (EBSA), who cannot thrive in mainstream settings. Its core service is Online Alternative Provision delivered through 1:1 sessions and small-group classes (capped at eight learners), built on a proprietary three-year spiral curriculum rooted in the Cambridge framework and aligned with the English national curriculum and GCSE requirements.

The company's primary technology asset is Bloom (also branded as Gaialytics), a proprietary virtual classroom and impact-tracking platform that captures real-time learner activity, engagement, mood, attendance, EHCP target progress, and developmental outcomes. Bloom is positioned as a world-first innovation for SEN impact tracking and underpins reporting for families, schools, and local authorities. Gaia also operates as an approved Pearson Edexcel Online Learning Centre (since November 2025), enabling modular iGCSE and Functional Skills delivery via remote invigilation.

Commercially, Gaia earns revenue through per-session tuition (£65+VAT for 1:1, £35+VAT for small groups), commissioned alternative provision contracts with English local authorities and schools/MATs, exam registration and invigilation fees, and charitable-funded places (notably through the Sanjay Mortimer Foundation). Go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer enquiry and taster sessions with inside sales via HubSpot, plus relationship-led commissioning with LAs and schools. The company raised its largest round to date — £550,000 led by Nesta Impact Investments with GC Angels — in October 2024, employs 12 staff, and has tripled its learner base in the 2024/25 academic year. As of October 2024, revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

Gaia Learning

Legal name

Gaia Learning Ltd

Website

https://gaialearning.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gaia Learning is a Cambridge-registered International Online School delivering personalised live education for neurodivergent children aged 8–16 with SEND, anxiety, and EBSA, via its proprietary Bloom impact-tracking platform, commissioned by UK local authorities, schools, and self-funded families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Online School

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (611710), Other Schools and Instruction (6116)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Integrated Tutoring + Learning Content Platforms (Curriculum + Tutors) (EDANAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Assistive Technology & Learning Accommodations Tutoring (AAC, text-to-speech, note-taking tools) (EDANAFAI), Inclusion, Special Needs & Early Intervention Training (IEPs/IFSPs, Neurodiversity) (EDACAIAF)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Online alternative provision
• SEND tutoring
• Neurodivergent education
• Virtual learning platform

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Session-based Tuition Fees: Gaia Learning charges per session for 1:1 and small group online classes. 1:1 sessions are priced at £65+ VAT per session, while group sessions are £35+ VAT per learner per session. This is the primary revenue stream for self-funded families.
2. Commissioned Provision (Local Authority/School Funding): Gaia Learning receives funding from local authorities and schools to provide commissioned online alternative provision for learners with EHCPs, those awaiting placement, or those at risk of exclusion. This represents institutional revenue contracted through local authority and school commissioning processes.
3. Exam Registration and Remote Invigilation: As a Pearson Edexcel approved online centre, Gaia Learning charges fees for exam registration and remote invigilation services. Exam fees include £64.60 per full iGCSE, £129.20 for Double Science, £300 for remote invigilation per GCSE, and £170 per learner for Functional Skills exams.
4. Charitable/Funded Places: Through partnerships with charities like the Sanjay Mortimer Foundation, Gaia Learning offers funded places for neurodivergent children who cannot access school full-time. From September 2025, they can offer up to 8 children 2x1:1 STEM interest-based tuition sessions per week free of charge through the SMF partnership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gaia Learning is a Cambridge-registered International Online School that delivers live, personalised online education for neurodivergent children aged 8–16 with SEND, ADHD, autism, PDA, anxiety, and EBSA. The company offers commissioned 1:1 and small-group alternative provision for schools, local authorities and families, and runs its own proprietary Bloom platform for real-time learner engagement, wellbeing and progress tracking. It also operates as an approved Pearson Edexcel Online Centre delivering modular iGCSEs and Functional Skills exams.

Product overview

Gaia Learning is a Cambridge-registered International Online School delivering live, personalised online education for neurodivergent children aged 8–16 with ADHD, autism, PDA, anxiety, and EBSA. The company's core portfolio consists of its own Bloom platform (comprising the virtual classroom accessible at bloom.education and a comprehensive impact-tracking/reporting ecosystem), a structured Online Alternative Provision service (combining 1:1 and small-group live sessions, a spiral curriculum, and personalised learning plans), and iGCSE/Functional Skills exam centre services via Pearson Edexcel approval. The Bloom platform serves as the unifying technology layer that powers real-time learner monitoring, reporting, and progress tracking across all service lines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bloom Platform Proprietary virtual classroom and impact-tracking platform that captures, measures and interprets SEN learner activity, engagement and developmental progress in real time. Provides wellbeing trends, early identification of emerging needs, and evidence-based insights for EHCP reviews and reintegration plans for educators, families and local authorities.
• Online Alternative Provision Service Live, personalised online alternative provision for neurodivergent children aged 8–16 with ADHD, autism, PDA, anxiety, EBSA and other SEND needs. Combines 1:1 sessions, small-group classes (capped at 8 learners), a spiral curriculum aligned to the Cambridge and English national curriculum, and personalised learning plans. Delivered to self-funded families and commissioned by schools, MATs and local authorities.
• iGCSE and Functional Skills Exam Services Approved Pearson Edexcel online exam centre service enabling learners to sit modular iGCSEs (Maths, English Language, Double Science, History) and Functional Skills (Entry Level through Level 2). Exams can be taken unit-by-unit, with retakes supported, delivered via remote invigilation or through partner centres such as Tutors & Exams.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tripled learner numbers in the latest academic year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.

• Pearson EdexcelcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 November 2025Gaia Learning became an officially approved Pearson Edexcel Online Learning Centre in November 2025, enabling them to offer modular iGCSEs, remote invigilation, and more adaptable exam pathways. This approval marks a significant milestone in expanding flexible, inclusive education options for learners in the UK and beyond.
• Sanjay Mortimer FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Gaia Learning announced a partnership with the Sanjay Mortimer Foundation, a charity based in England to support neurodivergent learners who have a keen interest in STEM. From September 2025, Gaia Learning can offer up to 8 children, 2x1:1 STEM interest-based tuition sessions per week, free of charge through this partnership for a period of 6 weeks.
• Kelly Davis (Fractional COO)minorOthers · 23 July 2024Kelly Davis was appointed as Gaia Learning's Fractional Chief Operating Officer, bringing experience from education and EdTechs. She was Co-Founder of the successful American online school Kubrio and has been an educational technology consultant working with various EdTechs globally.
• Praetura Ventures (PraeSeed Programme)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Gaia Learning was shortlisted as one of 12 companies for Praetura Ventures' PraeSeed programme designed to identify promising start-ups in the North of England and support them with equity funding, workshops, and mentorship across their '6Ms' model.
• Newchip AcceleratorminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 December 2021Gaia Learning graduated from Newchip's Global Pre-Seed Stage Accelerator Program in December 2021. During the 6-month program, the company's sales increased by 60 percent.
• Tutors & ExamssupportingTechnology or IntegrationGaia Learning partners with Tutors & Exams, a nationwide network of approved in-person exam centres, for learners who wish to sit iGCSEs in person or subjects not currently offered by Gaia Learning. Current Gaia Learning learners are eligible for a partnership discount with Tutors & Exams.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Nisai Group: UK-based online education provider specializing in SEND, alternative provision, and virtual school placements for learners excluded from mainstream settings. Nisai is the closest UK competitor to Gaia in terms of LA-commissioned SEND alternative provision and similar target learner profile.
• Cambridge Home School: UK-based online school following the Cambridge curriculum with international student enrollment. Comparable to Gaia in being a Cambridge-registered online school, though with less of a SEND specialization.
• Tutorful: UK online tutoring marketplace connecting families to vetted tutors, including SEND specialists. Comparable as a UK D2C channel for finding SEND tutors, though marketplace-based rather than delivering proprietary curriculum or platform reporting like Gaia.
• Tute Education: UK online tutoring provider delivering live lessons to schools, including SEND and alternative provision learners. Comparable to Gaia in the LA- and school-commissioned online tutoring model, though with a broader curriculum footprint and less SEND specialization.
• Wolsey Hall Oxford: UK home-learning/online school offering Cambridge and Edexcel curricula to UK and international students. Comparable as an established online school serving families seeking alternatives to mainstream schooling, though it is not SEND-specialized.
• Wey Education (INTERHigh / Online Education Services): UK-listed group operating INTERHigh (online school) and Online Education Services (IES, alternative provision for schools). Closest publicly visible UK peer operating both an online school and a school-commissioned AP arm, mirroring Gaia's dual model.
• Kubrio: US-based online school co-founded by Kelly Davis, who is now Gaia Learning's Fractional COO. Directly comparable as a small, learner-centred online school, with closer ties via the shared executive and similar learner-experience philosophy.

Broad incumbents

• MyTutor: One of the UK's largest online tutoring platforms, used extensively by schools and parents. A broad incumbent rather than a SEND specialist, but competes for the same school commissioning budgets and parent D2C spend.
• Third Space Learning: UK online maths tuition provider widely commissioned by primary and secondary schools. Comparable as a school-commissioned online tutoring model, though focused on maths and mainstream pupils rather than SEND provision.

Emerging players

• Oryx Learning: UK-based online alternative provision and SEND tutoring provider serving schools and LAs. Comparable in the SEND AP space, though operating at an earlier or similarly small scale to Gaia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/learnwithgaia
• Facebookfacebook.com/gaialearningonline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gaialearning

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gaia Learning