What Whole School SEND does

Whole School SEND is a UK Department for Education-funded programme delivered by nasen (the National Association for Special Educational Needs), a charitable company limited by guarantee founded in 1991 and registered in England and Wales. The programme provides free training, resources, and professional development to schools and colleges across the UK to improve inclusive practice for learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Its core DfE-funded products include award-winning Online SEND CPD Units, the Teacher Handbook: SEND, and Autism Awareness train-the-trainer packages, delivered in partnership with the Education Training Foundation. The programme has engaged more than 300,000 professionals and operates within a community of over 100,000 nasen members.

The underlying technology stack is dominated by a SCORM-compliant learning management system (nasen Academy LMS) that delivers accredited CPD courses with personalised progress tracking, individual and organisational dashboards, and analytics. Supporting digital channels include a self-serve CPD unit platform, role-specific interactive toolkits, self-evaluation review guides, and a Teacher Handbook delivered through the main website, which generates millions of visits annually. Regional SEND lead teams deliver live CPD, webinars, and Specialist Spotlight sessions across the UK.

The business model combines a large DfE-funded free core with multiple paid subscription tiers: Core membership (free), Plus membership (£19.99/year with bundled Academy access), SENCO Support Service (£200/year), SEND CPD on Demand (from £199), international membership (£50/year), and an Organisational Academy subscription priced per user. Advertising and sponsorship (web ads from £1,500, e-communications from £750/month, social media from £300/month, webinar sponsorship from £800) and the SEND Associate Framework consultancy monetise the audience beyond subscriptions. Total revenue is not publicly disclosed; headcount is 14 employees across London and Tamworth (nasen headquarters) offices.

Name

Whole School SEND

Legal name

The National Association for Special Educational Needs (nasen)

Website

https://wholeschoolsend.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Whole School SEND is a Department for Education-funded programme delivered by nasen that provides free CPD, resources, and training to UK schools and colleges to improve inclusive practice for learners with SEND. It serves SENCOs, teachers, teaching assistants, and school leaders, with paid subscription tiers monetising premium services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Educational Needs (SEND) Professional Development and Training Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Professionals (Teacher/Administrator CE, CPD) (EDAAALAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Training Delivery Providers (In-Person, Virtual, Train-the-Trainer) (BPACANAM), Title I & Compensatory Education Programs (EDAJAGAJ)

Keywords

• Special educational needs training
• SENCO professional development
• Inclusive education resources
• Teacher CPD programs
• SEND school support

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. DfE-Funded Universal SEND Services: Core programme activities including free CPD units, training resources, and support services are fully funded by the Department for Education, making them free for all schools and colleges.
2. nasen Plus Membership: Paid annual membership at £19.99 per year providing full access to nasen Academy, exclusive content, discounts, and member-only features. Includes one complimentary module credit per year.
3. Organisational LMS Subscriptions: Annual subscriptions for schools, MATs, colleges and settings to access nasen Academy for specified numbers of authorised users with corporate dashboards and analytics.
4. SENCO Support Service: Paid subscription service at £200 per annum providing access to specialist education team support, information hub, and 1-to-1 telephone consultations for SENCOs.
5. SEND CPD on Demand: Pre-recorded SEND CPD sessions available via subscription from £199 for individual or school access, offering over 70 training modules.
6. International Membership: Annual international membership available for £50 per year for colleagues outside the UK.
7. Advertising and Sponsorship: Revenue from web advertising (from £1,500), e-communications targeting 30,000+ members (from £750/month), social media promotion (from £300/month), webinar sponsorship (from £800), nasen Awards sponsorship, and nasen LIVE exhibition space.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Whole School SEND is a DfE-funded national training programme delivered by nasen that provides free continuing professional development (CPD), resources, toolkits, guides, and a dedicated SENCO support service to SEND professionals working in state-funded schools, colleges, and 16–19 providers across England. The programme delivers structured online CPD units, on-demand training, and policy-aligned implementation support covering autism, SEMH, SEND governance, and the graduated approach.

Product overview

Whole School SEND is a DfE-funded programme delivered by nasen (National Association for Special Educational Needs) providing free and paid professional development resources for the SEND workforce. The core offering consists of free Online SEND CPD Units, the Teacher Handbook: SEND, and Autism Awareness Training, all delivered through the Universal SEND Services programme in partnership with the Education Training Foundation. Paid offerings include the SENCO Support Service (£200/year), SEND CPD on Demand (from £199), and nasen Academy LMS (included with Plus membership at £19.99/year). The portfolio also includes role-specific toolkits, review guides, webinars, Specialist Spotlight sessions, and the nasen Awards and nasen LIVE annual events. Services are primarily for UK schools and colleges, with international membership available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Universal SEND Services: DfE-funded programme offering free training, resources and support for all schools and colleges in the UK.
• nasen Academy
• SENCO Support Service
• Core Membership
• Plus Membership

Products and services

• Whole School SEND National Training Programme
• nasen Academy LMS
• Online CPD Units
• SEND CPD on Demand
• SENCO Support Service
• SEND Associate Framework
• Teacher Handbook (SEND)
• SEND Toolkits and Review Guides
• Autism Training

Quantifiable outcome

• 300,000+ professionals engaged with Whole School SEND programmes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Department for Education (DfE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Department for Education funds the Universal SEND Services programme, which provides free training, resources and support for all UK schools and colleges. This DfE funding enables Whole School SEND to offer its core CPD units, resources, and support services at no cost to educational settings.
• Education Training Foundation (ETF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhole School SEND partners with the Education Training Foundation to deliver evidence-informed CPD and practical tools through the Universal SEND Services programme. The ETF brings expertise in professional development delivery across the education sector.
• ConcerominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConcero partnered with Whole School SEND for assistive technology CPD sessions delivered through Specialist Spotlight series, helping educators understand how to use assistive technology to support inclusive teaching and improve learner independence.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights15 records

Direct peers

• nasen (National Association for Special Educational Needs): Parent and host organisation of Whole School SEND; operates the broader nasen membership, Academy LMS, and SENCO Support Service. Directly comparable because Whole School SEND is delivered by nasen and shares the same members, content teams and revenue model.
• Education Training Foundation (ETF): Co-delivery partner on Universal SEND Services. Directly comparable as a sector-wide CPD and professional development body for the education workforce in England, sharing similar DfE-aligned funding structures.

Emerging players

• Ambitious About Autism: Charity delivering inclusion training and the Ambitious About Inclusion modules that Whole School SEND builds upon. Comparable as a SEND training partner/competitor targeting school inclusion practice.
• National Autistic Society: UK charity providing autism-specific training, education resources and accreditation for school staff. Comparable because it offers SEND-adjacent CPD that competes for the same training budget, particularly for the autism training Whole School SEND delivers via DfE funding.
• Mencap: Major learning disability charity providing education-facing training and resources for schools. Comparable because it offers SEND training modules and consultancy that overlap with Whole School SEND's school audience.
• Council for Disabled Children: National policy and training body supporting practitioners working with disabled children and young people. Comparable as a SEND-specific CPD and resource provider serving SENCOs and school leaders.
• British Dyslexia Association: Specialist charity offering training, accreditation and resources for educators supporting learners with specific learning differences. Comparable as a SEND-focused CPD provider with overlapping SENCO and teacher audiences.

Broad incumbents

• Tes Institute: Major UK education media and CPD/training provider serving teachers, schools and MATs. Comparable as an LMS and CPD publisher competing for the same school subscription wallet, including SEND-related professional development.
• Twinkl: Large incumbent teaching resources and CPD platform serving UK primary and secondary schools. Comparable as a subscription-based educator resource provider competing for the same school's CPD budget, though SEND is one of many categories.

Others

• Real Group: Technology and content partner that developed the Online SEND CPD Units with Whole School SEND. Included as an enabling/ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WholeSchoolSEND
• Facebookfacebook.com/wholeschoolsend
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/whole-school-send
• TikToktiktok.com/@nasen_org

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Whole School SEND