SAM Learning Limited
SAM Learning Limited is a UK-based EdTech company, founded in 1998, that operates an AWS-hosted adaptive revision platform covering 27 GCSE and 17 KS3 subjects for UK secondary schools, British International Schools, and individual home subscribers, validated by a 9-year EEF-commissioned study across 300,000 students.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What SAM Learning Limited does
SAM Learning Limited is a privately held UK EdTech company founded in 1998 by Cambridge graduate David Jaffa, operating a cloud-based adaptive learning platform hosted on AWS (Ireland) for students aged 9-16. The platform delivers automatically-marked, personalised revision across 27 GCSE subjects and 17 KS3 subjects aligned to all major UK examination boards including iGCSE, with proprietary components including Question Level Analysis (QLA), a 'Try This Next' AI recommendation engine, the Three-Wave Intervention Programme, Diagnostic Activities, an Activity Builder and gamified student interface. Its evidence base is unusually strong for the segment: a nine-year Education Endowment Foundation-commissioned study by Fischer Family Trust covering 250 schools and 300,000 students found that students using SAM Learning for 30 minutes per week achieved two GCSE grades higher on average, with a +0.20 P8 lift and disproportionate gains for disadvantaged pupils.
SAM Learning Limited firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SAM Learning Limited
- Legal name
- SAM Learning Ltd
- Website
- https://samlearning.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SAM Learning Limited is a UK-based EdTech company, founded in 1998, that operates an AWS-hosted adaptive revision platform covering 27 GCSE and 17 KS3 subjects for UK secondary schools, British International Schools, and individual home subscribers, validated by a 9-year EEF-commissioned study across 300,000 students.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SAM Learning Limited industry classification
Industry- Product category
- EdTech Learning Platform
- NAICS
- Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Services (61)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Virtual Test Prep & Online Supplemental Instruction (K–12) (EDAJADAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Adaptive Learning & Personalized Instruction Software (EDAJAMAE), Adaptive/Personalized Digital Learning Content (EDAGAEAH), Early Warning & Risk Prediction (Dropout/Failure Alerts, Intervention Targeting) (EDAFAFAE)
Keywords
Where SAM Learning Limited is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
SAM Learning Limited business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- School Subscriptions: Annual or multi-year (1-3 year) subscription licences for schools. Schools pay per Centre based on Order Form. Payment terms are 21 days from invoice, with annual payment option for multi-year contracts.
- Home User Subscriptions: Monthly subscription for individual parents/guardians to access the platform for their children. Sold through self-serve e-commerce at $27/month.
- Plan B Monthly Subscription: Monthly rolling subscription at £450/month for schools with no tie-in, no minimum period, and no upfront costs. Designed for schools needing immediate virtual schooling solutions.
- Share Content Library: Teacher-created content shared across subscribing schools. Teachers contribute activities and receive Amazon vouchers as rewards, creating a content ecosystem at minimal cost.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Parent Monthly Subscription - $27/month |
| Subscription | Monthly | Plan B Monthly Subscription - £450/month |
| Subscription | Annual | School Annual Subscription - Quote-based |
| Subscription | Annual | Referral Discount - £200 off |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
SAM Learning Limited product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SAM Learning Limited provides a cloud-based adaptive online learning platform for UK secondary schools, covering 27 GCSE subjects and 17 KS3 subjects across all UK examination boards. The platform automatically marks personalised revision activities, uses an AI engine to recommend next activities, and includes Question Level Analysis and a Three-Wave Intervention Programme to identify and close student knowledge gaps. It is sold primarily via annual school subscriptions, with a separate monthly home-user subscription for parents.
Product overview
SAM Learning Limited operates a single unified online learning platform (SAM Learning Platform) with integrated modules and specialized packages. The core product is the SAM Learning Platform supporting 27 GCSE subjects and 17 KS3 subjects, which incorporates the Three-wave Intervention Programme for differentiated learning and the Activity Builder for teacher-created content. Key add-on modules include Question Level Analysis (QLA) for detailed assessment analytics and Diagnostic Activities for identifying knowledge gaps. The company also offers specialized packages including Virtual Schooling Package for remote learning, SAM Learning for British International Schools (IGCSE), and Home User Subscriptions for individual parents. A related sub-brand, the National Talent Academy, provides career coaching services for disadvantaged students. The platform is verified by the Education Endowment Foundation and Fischer Family Trust with proven outcomes of two GCSE grades better with 30 minutes per week use.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- SAM Learning Platform Award-winning online learning platform for ages 9-16 covering 27 GCSE subjects and 17 KS3 subjects across all major UK examination boards including iGCSE. Delivers intelligent, personalised revision with automatic marking and adaptive AI-driven recommendations.
- Three-wave Intervention Programme
Quantifiable outcome
- Students achieve two GCSE grades better with 30 minutes per week of SAM Learning use during academic year
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use SAM Learning Limited
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
SAM Learning Limited technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability5 records
Feature8 records
SAM Learning Limited partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Group CallcorePartnership with Group Call to provide more effective and efficient data provisioning between schools' MIS and SAM Learning. Through GroupCall XoD, schools can automatically sync learner data nightly to SAM Learning servers via SSL/TLS encryption.
- WONDEcoreIntegration partner for school data management. WONDE provides secure data sync between school MIS and SAM Learning platform, similar to GroupCall integration.
- Fischer Family Trust (FFT)coreFFT commissioned by EEF to analyze 300,000 students across 250 schools over 9 years, producing independent impact report published June 2020. SAM Learning shares anonymised learner data with FFT for educational statistical analysis only.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)coreData hosted on AWS data centres in Ireland, compliant with ISO 27001 and EU data protection requirements. AWS provides infrastructure for SAM Learning's cloud platform.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SAM Learning Limited competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Seneca Learning: UK-based free GCSE/A-Level revision platform covering multiple subjects with adaptive learning. Most direct competitor to SAM Learning's core proposition, though differentiates on freemium vs paid model and broader age range.
- Sparx Learning: UK-based EdTech providing Sparx Maths and other subject-specific learning platforms for secondary schools. Closely comparable in customer base (UK secondary schools) and school subscription model.
- GCSEPod: UK-focused GCSE revision platform with audio-visual podcasts used by secondary schools. Competes directly with SAM Learning in the same school procurement market with similar content breadth across exam specifications.
- Tassomai: UK-based adaptive learning platform for GCSE and KS3 with daily multiple-choice questions and spaced repetition. Targets the same UK secondary school market with similar subscription pricing model.
- HegartyMaths: UK Maths-specific revision platform used in secondary schools for KS3/GCSE Maths. While narrower than SAM Learning in subject breadth, it competes for the same per-school subscription budget.
- Oak National Academy: Government-backed free online classroom resource covering UK curriculum including GCSE content. Significant competitive threat due to zero cost to schools, particularly in subjects where SAM Learning's paid proposition overlaps.
- Century Tech: UK AI-driven personalized learning platform for schools and MATs, covering English, Maths and Science with adaptive pathways. Operates in the same UK secondary school procurement market but typically at higher price points and with stronger institutional backing.
- Satchel One (Show My Homework): UK homework and learning platform widely used in secondary schools, now part of the Satchel suite. Competes for the same school EdTech budget with overlapping functionality in setting tasks, tracking completion, and reporting.
- Carousel Learning: UK secondary school revision platform offering GCSE and KS3 content across subjects. Direct competitor in the same niche with similar pricing model and customer base.
Broad incumbents
- Khan Academy: Global free learning platform with growing UK presence through Khan Academy Kids and translated content. Indirectly competes with SAM Learning for student attention, though less curriculum-aligned to UK GCSE specifications.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SAM Learning Limited social profiles
Digital presenceSAM Learning Limited compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
SAM Learning Limited financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SAM Learning Limited leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
SAM Learning Limited funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SAM Learning Limited M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SAM Learning Limited
What does SAM Learning Limited do?
SAM Learning Limited provides a cloud-based adaptive online learning platform for UK secondary schools, covering 27 GCSE subjects and 17 KS3 subjects across all UK examination boards. The platform automatically marks personalised revision activities, uses an AI engine to recommend next activities, and includes Question Level Analysis and a Three-Wave Intervention Programme to identify and close student knowledge gaps. It is sold primarily via annual school subscriptions, with a separate monthly home-user subscription for parents.
Is SAM Learning Limited a public or private company?
SAM Learning Limited is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SAM Learning Limited founded?
SAM Learning Limited was founded in 1998. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SAM Learning Limited based?
SAM Learning Limited is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does SAM Learning Limited make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. School Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are home User Subscriptions, plan B Monthly Subscription and share Content Library.
Who are SAM Learning Limited's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Seneca Learning, Sparx Learning, GCSEPod, Tassomai, HegartyMaths, Oak National Academy, Century Tech, Satchel One (Show My Homework) and Carousel Learning. Khan Academy is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does SAM Learning Limited have an API?
No public API is recorded for SAM Learning Limited.
What industry is SAM Learning Limited in?
SAM Learning Limited's product category is EdTech Learning Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJADAI, Virtual Test Prep & Online Supplemental Instruction (K–12), with a secondary code of EDAJAMAE, Adaptive Learning & Personalized Instruction Software. Its NAICS code is 611691 and its SIC code is 7372.