What B Squared does

B Squared Ltd is a UK-headquartered education technology company founded in 1999 that develops assessment, evidence, and CPD products primarily for schools supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The company serves an estimated quarter of UK schools plus an Australian customer base, with named reference schools spanning mainstream primary, special schools, Welsh and Scottish schools, and partner programmes across multiple tiers.

The core platform comprises Connecting Steps (continuous-assessment software tracking pupil progress across 22 frameworks from Early Years to age 25), Evisense (an evidence-capture and two-way parental-communication hub with a free Explorer tier and paid Bronze/Silver/Gold storage tiers), B Squared Analytics (free with Connecting Steps, providing standardized scores and whole-school views), and the SENDcast / SENDcast Sessions (a free weekly podcast with 300+ episodes and a 150+-session CPD library). The platform is hosted on Microsoft Azure (UK South primary with UK West failover for UK customers; Azure Australia regions for Australian customers), and AI features are delivered via Azure OpenAI Service.

B Squared monetizes via per-school perpetual Connecting Steps licenses plus annual hosting fees, paid assessment framework add-ons, tiered Evisense subscriptions, an AI Advanced Features add-on (£1/pupil/year), and SENDcast Sessions training subscriptions (single sessions at £10/school; annual subscription at £100+VAT). The company is privately held by founder/Managing Director Dale Pickles, is bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding, operates with 11–50 employees, and conducts direct UK sales via phone, email, and Calendly demo bookings; international presence is currently concentrated in Australia.

Name

B Squared

Legal name

B Squared Ltd

Website

https://bsquared.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

B Squared Ltd is a UK-based education technology company that builds assessment software (Connecting Steps), evidence and parental-communication tools (Evisense), and CPD training (The SENDcast) for schools supporting pupils with SEND. The company serves thousands of schools across the UK plus a smaller Australian customer base.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Assessment Software (SEND)

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Assessment, Testing & Analytics Platforms (Formative/Summative) (EDAJAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parent/Student Portals, Communications & Consent Management (EDAFAEAK), Gradebook, Transcripts, Credits & Academic Records Management (EDAFAEAG), Exam Prep & Standards-Aligned Review Courseware (Within Curriculum) (EDAFACAO), Tutoring & Homework Help Marketplaces (On-Demand) (EDAFAIAG)

Keywords

• SEND assessment software
• Pupil progress tracking
• Education technology platforms
• SEND CPD training
• Parental engagement tools

Headquarters

HQ city

Blackwater

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Connecting Steps Software License: Perpetual software license purchased upfront for total number of students required. This is the primary initial cost, followed by annual hosting fees. Multiple frameworks available as add-on purchases. Licensing model is per-school with per-pupil pricing tiers.
2. Annual Hosting Fee: Annual recurring hosting fee for Connecting Steps. The company aims to keep ongoing costs as low as possible after initial purchase. Example: £215/year for small primary school (up to 30 SEND pupils), £875/year for 1-form entry primary (250 pupils).
3. Assessment Framework Add-ons: Paid frameworks (e.g., Autism Progress, Early Steps, Progression Steps Core) priced based on number of pupils. Some frameworks are free (Primary Curriculum, Development Matters, EAL, Maths for Life). Purchasing additional frameworks does not increase annual hosting costs.
4. Evisense Subscription: Tiered annual subscription model for Evisense evidence and communication platform. Four tiers: Explorer (free, no media storage), Bronze (£3.13/student, 1GB/1000 photos/2hrs video), Silver (£4.09/student, 2GB/2000 photos/4hrs video), Gold (£4.69/student, 5GB/5000 photos/10hrs video). Annual pricing scales with pupil count.
5. SENDcast Sessions Training: Individual 1-hour online CPD training sessions priced at £10 each for whole school access. Bundle deals available (e.g., 3 sessions for £25). Annual subscription for whole school access to 150+ sessions at £100+VAT. Free weekly podcast with 300+ episodes.
6. AI Advanced Features Add-on: AI-powered report writing, next-steps summarising, and lesson plan drafting as an add-on to Connecting Steps. Priced from £1 per pupil per year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

B Squared develops and sells a cloud-hosted SaaS suite for the UK (and Australia) education market centred on tracking and evidencing progress for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The flagship product, Connecting Steps, is continuous assessment software licensed per school that uses 22 curriculum-aligned frameworks (from Early Years to Post 16) to show small steps of progress from each pupil's starting point. Evisense extends the system with secure evidence capture and two-way parental communication, while The SENDcast delivers CPD training via podcast and on-demand sessions.

Product overview

B Squared is an education technology company offering a portfolio of assessment, evidence, and CPD products designed to reduce teacher workload and improve outcomes for pupils with SEND. The core offering consists of Connecting Steps (assessment software), Evisense (evidence and parental communication), and The SENDcast (podcast and CPD training). Connecting Steps serves as the primary assessment platform with 22 curriculum frameworks covering Early Years to Post 16, complemented by the Analytics Platform for school-wide progress analysis. Evisense provides evidence capture and two-way parental engagement, available in free Explorer tier or paid Bronze/Silver/Gold tiers. The SENDcast ecosystem includes a free weekly podcast and paid SENDcast Sessions training library. Products are licensed per school with per-pupil pricing on frameworks and optional AI-powered Advanced Features add-on.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Connecting Steps: Assessment software that delivers information in a user-friendly format to help schools show progress from starting point.
• Evisense
• The SENDcast
• B Squared Analytics
• My BSquared

Products and services

• Connecting Steps Continuous assessment software that tracks pupil progress from starting point across 22 frameworks (Early Years to Post 16) for SEND and Age Related Expectations pupils, simplifying reporting for senior leaders and freeing up teaching time. Licensed per school with per-pupil pricing.
• Evisense Secure evidence capture and parental communication platform for schools, supporting photos, videos, audio, documents, and observations with two-way parental engagement; integrates with Connecting Steps for a complete pupil progress picture. Sold via tiered subscriptions (Explorer free, Bronze, Silver, Gold).
• The SENDcast SEND education platform providing a free weekly podcast and the associated SENDcast Sessions CPD training library (150+ paid online training sessions) for teachers, parents, and SEND professionals.
• B Squared Analytics Platform Analytics platform included free with Connecting Steps for analysing student progress across the entire school, with standardised scores, progress bands, bar charts, and line graphs.
• Advanced Features (AI) AI-powered add-on for Connecting Steps that speeds up reporting: generates report summaries from pupil assessments, outlines next steps, and drafts reports using Azure OpenAI, with translation into 40+ languages.
• My B Squared Administration portal for managing students, groups, parents, users, frameworks, and other system configuration across B Squared products.
• SENDcast Sessions Online CPD training sessions for school staff covering SEND topics. 150+ one-hour expert-led sessions priced at £10 per session (whole school access) or annual subscription £100+VAT for all sessions.
• Evisense Explorer (Free Tier) Free entry-level secure communication tier included with Connecting Steps: unlimited users can post class blogs, newsletters, event reminders, and progress updates; parents can comment in a safe private space; no media (photo/video/audio) uploads.
• Connecting Steps – New Assessment Frameworks 2025/26 Portfolio of new assessment frameworks released within Connecting Steps covering Executive Function, Social Emotional and Mental Health, Personal Development for Alternative Provision, English as an Additional Language, and Maths for Life.
• Autism Progress Framework Paid assessment framework enabling schools to build an autism profile across four areas: Communication, Social Interaction, Flexibility of Thought, and Emotional Regulation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 17,107,462 pupil assessments created last year by B Squared customers
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Alliance for Inclusive LiteracyminorOthers · 8 June 2026B Squared became a Member Organisation of the Alliance for Inclusive Literacy in June 2026. The Alliance brings together organisations across the UK to challenge inequalities in literacy education. B Squared's membership aligns with its mission to support inclusive education for all learners.
• Microsoft AzurecoreTechnology or IntegrationMicrosoft Azure is the exclusive cloud hosting provider for all B Squared products (Connecting Steps, Evisense, B Squared Analytics, My BSquared). UK customers hosted on Azure UK South (primary) and UK West (failover). Australian customers hosted on Azure Australia regions. Azure OpenAI Service (UK South, region-pinned) is used for AI features (Advanced Features) in Connecting Steps — assessment summarising, next-steps summarising, lesson plan drafting.
• The Bell FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bell Foundation collaborated with B Squared to create the English as an Additional Language (EAL) assessment framework. This framework is provided FREE for all Connecting Steps users. It tracks English language development across listening, speaking, reading, and writing through every stage of acquisition.
• Connections in MindminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConnections in Mind collaborated with B Squared to develop the Executive Function assessment framework. The framework helps staff track key EF skills across 11 areas and 5 levels of development — from emotional regulation to planning.
• Philip Parker (InspirEd)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhilip Parker of InspirEd developed the Personal Development Assessment Model which forms the basis of B Squared's Alternative Provision framework. Priced from £50 for up to 30 students.
• NASEN (National Association for Special Educational Needs)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerB Squared has a strong relationship with NASEN. NASEN Awards have recognized both Connecting Steps and SENDcast. B Squared exhibits at NASEN Live events and collaborates on SEND community events. NASEN is a major trade body for SEND in the UK.
• Headteacher ChatminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHeadteacher Chat is listed as a Proud Member of B Squared. It appears to be a community/platform for headteachers that collaborates with B Squared on marketing and awareness.
• Sensory ClassroomminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJordan Garratt from Sensory Classroom collaborated on a webinar about linking sensory curriculum to B Squared's frameworks. This partnership provides content for the B Squared webinar series and positions the collaboration as thought leadership in sensory learning and SEND assessment.
• SENDcast Partner Schools (Partner Programme)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSchools in the B Squared Partner Programme (Bronze, Silver, Gold tiers) act as reference and advocacy partners. Partner schools receive discounts and in return provide testimonials, case studies, and logos for B Squared's marketing. Gold Partners include Bluebell Park School, St Edmund's Primary School, St Edmund's and St Thomas' Catholic Primary.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• CPOMS: UK school safeguarding and child-protection software widely adopted in UK primary and special schools. Comparable UK school buyer, per-school licensing model, and direct competition for school-wide software budget allocation.

Direct peers

• Crick Software (Clicker): UK SEND-focused literacy and learning-support software. Comparable in the SEND buyer persona and school-Licence GTM, though the product centres on reading/writing scaffolding rather than assessment.
• Provision Map: UK SEND-specific provision mapping and intervention management tool. Comparable buyer (SENCOs, SENDCos) and overlapping SEND workflow focus, though narrower in scope than B Squared's assessment-plus-evidence stack.
• Texthelp: UK and global SEND reading/writing support software (Equatio, Read&Write, Wriq). Comparable SEND buyer, UK education GTM, and overlapping concern with accessibility, parental engagement, and inclusive classroom outcomes.
• EduKey: UK SEND and EAL-focused software provider. Overlaps with B Squared on SEND tools, EAL frameworks, and the SENCO buyer, though with a narrower product footprint and a stronger EAL specialism.
• ScholarPack: UK primary school MIS with built-in assessment and SEND tracking. Direct overlap on primary assessment workflows, pricing tier structure, and the primary school buyer persona.
• Target Tracker: Direct UK primary school assessment competitor. Target Tracker is a widely used pupil tracking and assessment system in UK primary schools — overlapping closely with Connecting Steps on age-related expectations, progress tracking, and reporting workflows.
• OTrack: UK-based school assessment and tracking software serving primary and special schools. Directly comparable in target customer, use case (continuous assessment), and per-pupil pricing model.

Broad incumbents

• SIMS (Capita): The dominant UK school Management Information System (MIS) used by the majority of UK state schools. SIMS is a broad incumbent — it touches assessment and SEND data as part of a wider administrative portfolio, and competes with B Squared in MAT-wide and Local Authority procurements.
• Renaissance Learning: Global K–12 assessment and learning-analytics incumbent (Star Assessments, Accelerated Reader). A broad incumbent in school assessment with deeper international reach, but a more general (not SEND-specialist) positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/b_squared_uk
• Facebookfacebook.com/bsquareduk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/b-squared-sen-publishing-ltd

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 B Squared