Independent Thinking
Independent Thinking Ltd is a UK-based education services company that delivers professional development, training, and publishing to schools, MATs, and international education clients via a network of 40+ associate practitioners and its award-winning Independent Thinking Press imprint.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersSt Clears, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Independent Thinking does
Independent Thinking Ltd is a UK-based education services company founded in 1994 by Ian Gilbert and headquartered in St Clears, Carmarthen, Wales. The company delivers professional development services — including speaking engagements, training, and consultancy — to schools and educators through a curated network of more than 40 associate practitioners who are leading figures in UK education. It operates an award-winning publishing imprint, Independent Thinking Press, and a digital content platform, ITLOnline, which together generate revenue from speaker fees, book sales, and digital learning content sold on a B2B basis to schools, Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs), local authorities, and international education clients such as the International School of Helsinki.
The business model is asset-light and founder-led, employing approximately 22 core staff who support the associate network, publishing operations, and commercial activities. Go-to-market combines direct sales to individual schools, trust-level contracts with MATs, partnerships with faith-based and independent school groups, and international engagements. Pricing is structured around per-event speaker fees and training packages, with a satisfaction guarantee on professional development engagements. Books and the ITL Manifesto function as brand-building and lead-generation assets that reinforce speaker credibility and feed the sales pipeline.
Independent Thinking differentiates itself through 30+ years of accumulated brand authority in the UK education market, a high-profile roster of associate practitioners, and a publishing-plus-services flywheel. The company has disclosed no external funding and operates as a private, owner-managed business. Structurally, the model is exposed to UK education budget cycles, the booking patterns of individual school decision-makers, and the availability of named practitioner talent, while offering diversification across segments, geographies, and delivery formats (in-person and digital).
Independent Thinking firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Independent Thinking
- Legal name
- Independent Thinking Ltd
- Website
- https://independentthinking.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Independent Thinking Ltd is a UK-based education services company that delivers professional development, training, and publishing to schools, MATs, and international education clients via a network of 40+ associate practitioners and its award-winning Independent Thinking Press imprint.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Independent Thinking industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Educational Consultancy Services
- NAICS
- Educational Services (61), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Academic & Scientific Conferences (MPAGAGAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Online Public Speaking & Debate Programs (Live/Recorded) (EDAMAOAD)
Keywords
Where Independent Thinking is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- St Clears
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Independent Thinking business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Professional Development Services: Revenue from providing educational speakers for conferences, INSET training sessions, workshops, twilight sessions, and consultancy services. Services are booked directly with educational institutions on a project-by-project basis.
- Publications and Books: Revenue from the Independent Thinking Press publishing arm, which produces educational books and resources including titles like 'The Working Class', 'Square Pegs', 'When the Adults Change', and 'Messy Maths'.
- Digital Content: Revenue from live webinars and prerecorded session content provided to educational institutions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Customized service packages based on event type and duration |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Independent Thinking product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Educational speaker bureau and consultancy providing CPD, INSET training, conference keynotes, workshops, twilight sessions, webinars, and tailored consultancy services for schools, colleges, multi-academy trusts, and local authorities, alongside education book publishing through Independent Thinking Press.
Product overview
Independent Thinking is a service-based educational consultancy, not a software platform. The company operates as a network of leading UK education practitioners providing professional development and speaking services. The core offerings include conference keynotes, workshops, INSET training, twilight sessions, live webinars, and prerecorded content delivered through ITLOnline. The company also publishes books through Independent Thinking Press. All products and services are human-delivered professional offerings rather than software products or digital platforms with technical integrations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Independent Thinking Press: Award-winning education publishing imprint producing books for educators, including titles like 'The Working Class', 'Square Pegs', 'When the Adults Change', and 'Messy Maths'
- ITLOnline
- ITL
Products and services
- Conference Keynotes Keynote talks delivered by leading UK education practitioners at education conferences and events for school leaders and educators.
- INSET Training In-service training and development days for school staff, typically delivered on-site at schools or remotely for the whole staff team.
- Twilights Short after-school professional development sessions typically lasting 60-90 minutes, designed for teaching staff and school leadership teams.
- Conference Workshops Hands-on, interactive workshop sessions led by experienced educators for conferences and external events.
- Live Webinars Real-time online training sessions on education topics, delivered via the ITLOnline platform to school staff and educators.
- Prerecorded Sessions Pre-recorded online training sessions accessible on-demand through the ITLOnline platform for educators and school leaders.
- ITLOnline Online learning platform providing on-demand access to live webinars and pre-recorded professional development sessions for educators and schools.
- Consultancy Tailored consultancy services for schools, multi-academy trusts, and educational organisations on teaching, learning, and school improvement strategies.
- Student Events Speakers and events designed for students in schools and colleges, focused on motivation, engagement, and personal development.
- Parents & Governors Sessions Training and information sessions for parents and school governors on educational topics and school leadership.
- Independent Thinking Press Publishing arm producing education books written by the Independent Thinking associate network, distributed via Crown House Publishing.
Companies that use Independent Thinking
Customer profileNamed customers19 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Independent Thinking technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Independent Thinking partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Independent Thinking competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Speakers for Schools: UK charity connecting notable speakers with schools for student and teacher audiences. Comparable in operating a speaker-network model serving UK schools, though delivered free of charge.
- National Education Show: UK education exhibition and conference organiser bringing CPD content and exhibitors to educators. Comparable in aggregating educator audiences around conferences and CPD offerings.
- Whole School SEND: UK SEND-focused CPD consortium supporting schools with specialist training and resources. Comparable in delivering specialist CPD and consultancy to UK schools on defined subject areas.
- The Key: UK subscription-based support service for school leaders and governors, providing guidance, CPD content, and consultancy. Comparable in serving school leadership personas with CPD and decision-support services.
- Best Practice Network: UK teacher training and CPD provider working with schools, MATs, and individual educators. Comparable in delivering professional development services and qualifications to educators.
- Optimus Education: UK-based provider of CPD, training, and conferences for school leaders and teachers. Closely comparable in target customer (UK schools/MATs) and core offering (CPD and educational events).
Broad incumbents
- TES: Major UK/international education media and resource platform offering CPD, jobs, and news to educators. Overlaps with ITL on CPD content distribution and educator audience, but operates at much larger scale.
- Teach First: Large UK teacher training and leadership development charity. Tangentially comparable as a mission-led educator development organisation, though operating at materially larger scale and with a different core model.
- Chartered College of Teaching: UK professional body for teachers offering CPD content, publications, and a community platform. Comparable as a broader, membership-based educator CPD provider competing for the same school budget.
Others
- Crown House Publishing: UK education publisher that distributes the Independent Thinking Press imprint. Adjacent/partner rather than competitor — relevant as the publishing and distribution partner enabling ITL's book revenue stream.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Independent Thinking social profiles
Digital presenceIndependent Thinking financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Independent Thinking leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Independent Thinking subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Independent Thinking funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Independent Thinking 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 Independent Thinking
What does Independent Thinking do?
Educational speaker bureau and consultancy providing CPD, INSET training, conference keynotes, workshops, twilight sessions, webinars, and tailored consultancy services for schools, colleges, multi-academy trusts, and local authorities, alongside education book publishing through Independent Thinking Press.
Is Independent Thinking a public or private company?
Independent Thinking is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Independent Thinking founded?
Independent Thinking was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Independent Thinking based?
Independent Thinking is headquartered in St Clears, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Independent Thinking make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Professional Development Services are the primary driver. The others are publications and Books and digital Content.
Who are Independent Thinking's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Speakers for Schools, National Education Show, Whole School SEND, The Key, Best Practice Network and Optimus Education. Broad incumbents are TES, Teach First and Chartered College of Teaching. Crown House Publishing is listed as an others.
Does Independent Thinking have an API?
No public API is recorded for Independent Thinking.
What industry is Independent Thinking in?
Independent Thinking's product category is Educational Consultancy Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAGAD, Academic & Scientific Conferences, with a secondary code of EDAMAOAD, Online Public Speaking & Debate Programs (Live/Recorded). Its NAICS code is 61 and its SIC code is 8200.