SEND

What SEND does

Specialist SEND Group is a UK-based, privately-held education services provider founded in 2016 and headquartered in Lymm, operating across four service lines under the SEND Recruitment, Specialist SEND Tutoring (SST), SEND International, and SEND Training sub-brands. Its core business is the recruitment of qualified SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) teaching staff, teaching assistants, therapists, and senior leaders for mainstream and specialist schools in the UK, supported by a 12-week temp-to-perm model. The Specialist SEND Tutoring division delivers bespoke 1:1 outreach and EOTAS (Education Otherwise Than At School) provision for children unable to access mainstream settings, reporting an 80–90% reintegration rate across 88 students supported in the prior year.

The company generates revenue through professional-services fees: hourly tutor rates of £25–£37, daily SEND teacher rates of £200–£300, permanent placement fees, and CPD course fees of £100+VAT per seat for its Understanding & Responding to Behaviour and Understanding SEND courses. SEND International extends the recruitment model overseas, with placement services and bespoke packages for schools in the Middle East (Qatar, Bahrain), Asia, and Europe, including relocation support. Distribution is primarily direct field sales to schools and local authorities, supplemented by a self-serve website job portal and CPD open courses in Manchester and London. Marketing is content-led through blog content, free resource hubs, social channels, and industry event participation such as the TES SEND Show 2024.

Underlying technology is conventional: a WordPress-based website with a job board, social media channels, and standard professional-services workflows. The proprietary IP is human capital and curriculum — Director Paul Bray's Routledge-published book on RSE for special learners, CPD-accredited training content based on attachment and neuroscience research, and a relationship-first tutoring methodology. With 25 employees and no disclosed funding, the company operates as a founder-led specialist in the UK SEND staffing and alternative provision market.

Name

SEND

Legal name

Specialist SEND Group

Website

https://specialistsendgroup.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Specialist SEND Group is a UK-based, privately-held education services firm providing SEND-specialist recruitment, 1:1 tutoring, alternative provision, and CPD training to schools, local authorities, and international clients across the UK, Middle East, Asia, and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Educational Needs (SEND) Staffing, Tutoring, and Training Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Education Staffing & Contracted Providers (Paras, Therapists, Specialists) (EDAJAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialized Learning Support (Dyslexia/LD Coaching, Assistive Strategies) (EDAJALAJ), Training Delivery Providers (In-Person, Virtual, Train-the-Trainer) (BPACANAM), IEP/504 Academic Support Tutoring (EDANAFAA)

Keywords

• SEND recruitment services
• Special educational needs staffing
• Specialist SEND tutoring
• CPD training courses
• International teacher placement

Headquarters

HQ city

Lymm

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. SEND Recruitment Services: Recruitment for permanent and temporary SEND teaching and support staff positions. Operates temp-to-perm model with 12-week trial periods. Full-time, part-time, day-to-day, long-term, and permanent roles.
2. Specialist SEND Tutoring (SST): 1:1 tutoring services for children with SEND unable to access traditional school settings. Works with local authorities, SEND teams, inclusion services, and schools for EOTAS provision.
3. CPD Training Courses: CPD-accredited training including Understanding & Responding to Behaviour and Understanding SEND courses for schools and educational professionals.
4. International Recruitment: Placement services for SEND educators relocating internationally, with positions in Qatar, Bahrain, and other international schools.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Specialist SEND Group recruits and places qualified SEND teaching and support staff into UK and international schools, delivers bespoke 1:1 specialist tutoring and outreach education to children with SEND unable to access mainstream schooling, and provides CPD-accredited training courses for educators. Services are sold to schools, local authorities, and international clients across the UK, Middle East, Asia, and Europe.

Product overview

Specialist SEND Group is a UK-based education services provider operating across two main divisions: SEND Recruitment (staffing and headhunting services) and Specialist SEND Tutoring (direct educational support). The SEND Recruitment service connects schools with qualified SEND professionals for permanent and temporary roles, while the SST tutoring service delivers bespoke 1:1 education to students unable to access mainstream schooling. Complementing these core services, the company offers CPD-accredited training courses (Understanding & Responding to Behaviour and Understanding SEND), international recruitment through SEND International, and a Free Resources Hub. The group works with local authorities, mainstream and specialist schools, and alternative provisions across the UK and internationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SEND Recruitment Headhunting and staffing service connecting schools with qualified SEND professionals including teaching assistants, teachers, consultants, speech and language therapists, and specialist support staff for permanent and temporary positions across the UK. Includes a 12-week temp-to-perm trial model.
• Specialist SEND Tutoring (SST) Bespoke 1:1 educational tutoring and outreach education for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) who are unable to access traditional school settings. Delivers personalised education packages including EOTAS (Education Otherwise Than At School) provision, delivered in community, at home, or online.
• SEND International International recruitment and training service placing SEND specialists in overseas schools across the Middle East, Asia, and Europe, offering relocation support and bespoke recruitment packages for executive, leadership, and specialist roles.
• Understanding & Responding to Behaviour (URB) Course CPD-accredited intermediate one-day training course exploring functions of behaviour, behaviour as communication, attachment difficulties, ACEs, trauma, and supportive relationship strategies for educators working with SEND students. £100+VAT per person on open courses.
• Understanding SEND Course CPD-accredited training course covering support strategies for various SEND cohorts including autistic learners, those with PMLD, SEMH needs, Down's syndrome, and multi-sensory impairment, as well as EHCP processes and AAC communication needs.
• Specialist Alternative Provision Bespoke alternative education programmes for young people with SEND and SEMH needs who are at risk of exclusion, providing re-engagement support, GCSE preparation, and pathways to apprenticeships and further education.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80-90% of 88 students supported last year successfully reintegrated into suitable educational provision
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• TES SEND ShowminorOthers · 11 October 2024Paul Bray, Director at Specialist SEND Group, was a featured speaker at TES SEND Show 2024 at Business Design Centre, London, presenting on Relationships & Sexuality Education for SEND Learners.
• The SEND FoundationminorOthersThe SEND Foundation offers FREE well-being workshops for students in schools or provisions. Specialist SEND Group references this resource in their free resources hub for educators and parents.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Witherslack Group: UK provider of specialist education and care for children with SEND, including residential schools, day schools, and alternative provision. Operates at significantly larger scale in overlapping specialist education market.
• Reed Education: Education recruitment arm of Reed, a major UK generalist recruitment firm. Provides supply teaching, SEND, and permanent placement services to schools with broader technology and marketing resources.
• Outcomes First Group: UK specialist education provider operating residential and day schools for SEND learners, plus fostering and supported living services. A larger, well-funded incumbent in the same specialist education space.
• Catch22: UK not-for-profit operating alternative provision, SEND support, and education inclusion programmes. A larger alternative provision and SEND inclusion operator with overlapping client base of local authorities.
• Randstad Education: UK education division of Randstad, a global staffing leader. Places teachers, SEND specialists, and support staff into schools at national scale with technology-enabled matching and large candidate database.

Direct peers

• Aspire People: UK education recruitment agency supplying teachers, support staff, and SEND professionals to schools and academies. Direct staffing peer competing for the same SEND candidate pool and school contracts.
• Teaching Personnel: Major UK education recruitment firm providing supply teachers, SEND support staff, and permanent placements to schools and local authorities. Closely comparable in service mix, scale ambition, and target customers.
• Engage Education: UK education recruitment agency supplying teachers, teaching assistants, and SEND professionals to schools. Mid-sized direct peer with similar temp-to-perm and permanent placement offerings.
• Protocol Education: One of the largest UK education recruitment agencies placing teachers, teaching assistants, and SEND specialists into schools nationwide. Direct competitor in the SEND staffing market with similar temp-to-perm models.
• Horizon Teachers: UK education recruitment agency providing teachers, SEN specialists, and support staff to primary, secondary, and SEND schools. Comparable in size, service mix, and focus on SEND placements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SpecialistSENDGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/specialist-send-group
• Instagraminstagram.com/specialist.send.group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 SEND