School of Philosophy and Economic Science

What School of Philosophy and Economic Science does

The School of Philosophy and Economic Science is a UK-registered educational charity (Charity numbers 313115 and SC039950, legal entity: Fellowship of the School of Economic Science) that has delivered philosophy and economics tuition continuously since its 1937 founding by Leon MacLaren. It serves adult learners seeking personal development through Practical Philosophy, Economics with Justice, Horizons Saturday Studies, Sanskrit language courses, and meditation instruction, delivered both in-person across approximately 25 UK branch cities plus international affiliated schools (Wellington, Australia, South Africa, North and South America, Canada, Trinidad, Israel, Europe) and online via Zoom.

The organisation's product portfolio is anchored on a proprietary classical curriculum spanning Eastern and Western traditions — Advaita philosophy, Vedic meditation, Greek philosophy, Sanskrit studies (introductory through Panini grammar), and Renaissance thought including Marsilio Ficino. Technology is intentionally minimal and off-the-shelf: Zoom for synchronous online delivery, Shopify for e-commerce and course enrollment, Constant Contact for email marketing of the quarterly Insight newsletter, and standard social platforms (Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube) for community engagement. The 2019 rebrand from School of Economic Science to School of Philosophy and Economic Science, paired with Stephen Silver's election as Principal, marked the most recent material repositioning.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across five streams: course fees (one-time per course at ~£89.13), event tickets (£5-£75 for Summer Evenings lectures and concerts), residential retreats at Waterperry House (£180-£260 inclusive of accommodation and meals), venue hire across three UK properties (Mandeville Place London, Nanpantan Hall Loughborough, Waterperry House Oxford), and donations via CAF Donate. The delivery model is structurally low-cost because all tutors are volunteers who have themselves progressed through the curriculum; paid headcount is limited to a small administrative core (Director of Operations/General Manager, Head of Finance, plus recent Management Accountant recruitment). Customer acquisition is community-led, with personal recommendation and word-of-mouth as the primary top-of-funnel channel.

Name

School of Philosophy and Economic Science

Legal name

Fellowship of the School of Economic Science

Website

https://schoolofphilosophy.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The School of Philosophy and Economic Science is a UK-registered educational charity offering Practical Philosophy, Economics with Justice, Sanskrit, and meditation courses to adult learners across approximately 25 UK branches and international affiliated schools, delivered both in-person and online via Zoom.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Course Fees: Primary revenue from course enrollment fees for Practical Philosophy, Economics with Justice, Sanskrit, and Horizons courses. Both online and in-person options available at standardized pricing.
2. Event Tickets: Revenue from Summer Evenings lectures, concerts, and special events held in-person and online.
3. Venue Hire: Rental revenue from Mandeville Place (London), Nanpantan Hall (Loughborough), and Waterperry House (Oxford) for external events, weddings, conferences, and private functions.
4. Retreats: Residential retreat programs at Waterperry House with accommodation and meals included in the program fee.
5. Donations: The School accepts donations through CAF Donate platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The School of Philosophy and Economic Science is a registered educational charity that sells ten-week introductory Practical Philosophy courses, ten-session Economics with Justice courses, Sanskrit language courses (introductory through advanced), Horizons Saturday Studies, residential retreats at Waterperry House, Summer Evenings lecture/concert events, and meditation instruction, delivered both in-person at UK branches and online via Zoom. It complements teaching with venue hire services (Mandeville Place, Nanpantan Hall, Waterperry House) for weddings, conferences and private functions, and accepts charitable donations.

Product overview

The School of Philosophy and Economic Science offers a unified programme of educational courses rooted in classical wisdom and practical enquiry. The core offerings include Practical Philosophy courses (exploring wisdom, self-knowledge, awareness, justice, and truth), Economics with Justice courses (examining economics as a human subject based on ethics and values), and Sanskrit language courses. Additional offerings comprise Horizons Saturday Studies, residential retreats at Waterperry House, Summer Evenings events, meditation practice, and venue hire services. The School operates face-to-face across multiple UK locations and internationally, supplemented by online Zoom-based delivery, with a quarterly Insight newsletter connecting the global student community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Insight: Quarterly email newsletter connecting students of philosophy from across the globe
• Sanskrit Courses
• Practical Philosophy
• Economics with Justice

Products and services

• Practical Philosophy Courses Ten-week introductory courses in practical wisdom for adults (18+, no prior qualifications), exploring philosophical ideas from East and West — self-knowledge, awareness, justice, reason, beauty, unity, truth — through personal enquiry, classroom discussion and mindful exercises. Delivered online via Zoom and in-person at London and UK branches.
• Economics with Justice Courses Ten-session courses examining economics as a human subject — the study of relationships between individuals, institutions and communities grounded in human values and ethics. Topics include natural law, justice, sustainability, work, wealth, exchange, trust, finance and taxation. Available online via Zoom and in-person.
• Horizons Saturday Studies Saturday study programmes offering additional philosophical study opportunities for existing students seeking to deepen their understanding of philosophical concepts, in addition to the regular weekly Practical Philosophy and Economics with Justice courses.
• Sanskrit Courses Foundation and advanced Sanskrit language courses for philosophy students — from introductory Sanskrit through Sanskrit 1-9 levels, plus Mahabharata, Panini grammar, Ashtavakra and Pancadashi study — delivered globally online via Zoom with time-zone-friendly scheduling for students in the UK, USA, Australia, South Africa and Ireland.
• Meditation Instruction Meditation instruction and practice integrated into the philosophical curriculum, drawing on Vedic and classical traditions, taught by volunteer tutors alongside the Practical Philosophy and related courses.
• Summer Evenings 2026 Ticketed interactive philosophical presentations and concerts, delivered Thursdays in person at 11 Mandeville Place London and online via Zoom, covering topics such as the Bhagavad Gita, the art of service, self-discovery, and musical performances. Includes the separately ticketed Choral Contemplations Concert.
• Waterperry Retreat Programme 2026/27 Programme of residential retreats at Waterperry House (83-acre country house near Oxford) covering Marsilio Ficino, Sanskrit, Sacred Geometry, Economics with Justice, Bhagavad Gita, Treasures of Waterperry and Plato. Includes weekday retreats (£260, accommodation and meals included) and Sanskrit weekend retreats (£180, accommodation and meals included). Discounted rates available for bookings two or more weeks in advance.
• Venue Hire Hire of three owned heritage venues — Mandeville Place in central London (MacLaren Hall seating ~100, boardrooms and meeting rooms for smaller gatherings); Nanpantan Hall in Loughborough (Victorian house with six meeting rooms for 10-80 people); Waterperry House near Oxford (residential retreat centre on 83 acres). Available for weddings, conferences, meetings, private functions and external retreats; bookings via [email protected].

Quantifiable outcome

• Students report changed thinking, feeling more relaxed about daily situations, and better preparation for life's challenges
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• New Acropolis: An international non-profit cultural and educational movement offering philosophy, classical wisdom, and practical self-development courses across dozens of countries. Its volunteer-led, multi-country branch model directly mirrors the School's UK-and-overseas structure.
• The School of Life: Founded by Alain de Botton, The School of Life offers popular practical philosophy, psychotherapy, and cultural education aimed at everyday fulfilment. It is the closest direct competitor in delivering 'philosophy for the public' through classes, events and content.

Peers

• Findhorn Foundation: A Scottish learning and retreat community running personal-development programmes, workshops, and conferences from a residential campus — comparable in combining retreat/residential offerings, philosophy-adjacent curriculum, and charitable operation.

Broad incumbents

• Maharishi International University: A US-accredited university founded on Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Vedic tradition of consciousness and meditation, with explicit historical links to the School (Maharishi visited the UK in 1959 per company history). Comparable in Vedic-philosophy heritage and meditation curriculum, though degree-granting and broader.
• The Open University: The UK's largest distance-learning higher-education institution. Both organisations share an adult-learner, distance-delivery ethos and a UK charity/public-benefit orientation, though the Open University operates at significantly greater scale and offers accredited degrees.

Others

• Royal Institute of Philosophy: A UK charitable organisation promoting philosophy through lectures, publications, and events. It is non-degree and overlaps with the School's adult philosophy audience, but does not deliver cohort courses or Sanskrit studies.
• Rudolf Steiner Schools / Anthroposophical Society: Anthroposophy and the worldwide Waldorf/Steiner school network offer a philosophy-based educational alternative rooted in Western esoteric tradition. Comparable to the School as a long-running, philosophy-driven educational movement with international branches.

Emerging players

• The Philosophy Foundation: A UK-based charity that runs philosophy workshops, courses, and teacher training across age groups. Overlaps the School's philosophy-education remit but focuses more on schools and young people, making it an adjacent niche competitor for community and grant funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/schoolofphilUK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Philosophycourse/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/SchoolofPhilosophyandEconomicScience
• Instagraminstagram.com/schoolofphilosophyuk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/school-of-economic-science

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 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 School of Philosophy and Economic Science