SENse Learning
SENse Learning is a UK-based alternative provision founded in 2019 that delivers bespoke, trauma-informed 1:1 SEND education to children and young people aged 5-25 in their homes and communities, funded primarily through local authority and school commissioning.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersStaplefield, United Kingdom
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SENse Learning does
SENse Learning Limited is a UK-based alternative education provider founded in 2019 by Lucy McMann and Sophie, delivering bespoke one-to-one educational support to children and young people aged 5-25 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who are out of school, at risk of exclusion, or awaiting specialist placements. The company delivers sessions in students' homes and communities rather than classroom settings, supported by a trauma-informed, relationship-based approach and a dedicated pastoral team for families. Its core product is structured around four service pathways (Assessment, Reintegration, Vocational and Independence, and EOTAS and Complex Needs) and a proprietary WILL Framework curriculum covering Wellbeing, Interaction, Learning and Life Skills, which links to students' EHCP goals and is delivered alongside Functional Skills, ASDAN and Arts Award qualifications.
The business operates a contractor-led delivery model, engaging self-employed specialist teachers, intervention tutors, education mentors and learning support assistants on hourly rates of £18-£45, with a small salaried head office in Staplefield and registered office in London. Revenue is generated primarily through commissioned provision agreements with local authorities and schools, supplemented by family personal budgets, a SEND training and consultancy offering for schools and organisations, and individual student consultations. Disclosed customer outcomes include a 94% Functional Skills pass rate, 85% Reintegration pathway transition to school or college, and 69% of Vocational and Independence pathway students progressing to work, apprenticeships or college.
SENse Learning's go-to-market is sales-led and referral-driven, relying on relationships with local authorities, schools and families rather than paid marketing. The company has expanded from a single local authority in 2019 to working with at least ten authorities across southern England, supported by an active content hub, social channels, industry event participation (including the TES SEND Show), and partnership relationships with charities such as Reaching Families, Mental Health Natters, West Sussex Mind and Operation Encompass. In 2024 the company was shortlisted for the NASEN Alternative Provision of the Year award.
SENse Learning firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SENse Learning
- Legal name
- SENse Learning Limited
- Website
- https://senselearning.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- SENse Learning is a UK-based alternative provision founded in 2019 that delivers bespoke, trauma-informed 1:1 SEND education to children and young people aged 5-25 in their homes and communities, funded primarily through local authority and school commissioning.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SENse Learning industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Alternative Education Provision
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Specialized Learning Support (Dyslexia/LD Coaching, Assistive Strategies) (EDAJALAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Autism Parent/Caregiver Education & Training (School-Linked) (EDAKAKAJ), Transition & School-Readiness Support for Special Needs Children (HSAAAIAO), Transition-to-College/Independence Skills Tutoring for Learning Differences (EDANAFAJ)
Keywords
Where SENse Learning is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Staplefield
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
SENse Learning business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Alternative Provision Tuition: SENse Learning generates revenue by providing bespoke educational packages to children and young people with SEND, funded primarily through local authority commissions, school placements, and family personal budgets. Students receive 1:1 or occasional 2:1 sessions in their homes and communities. Revenue accrues on a per-student, per-session/hour basis through contracted provision agreements.
- Training and Consultancy: SENse Learning offers specialist SEND training and consultancy services to schools, local authorities and organisations. Topics include EBSA, PDA, autism, developmental trauma, attachment needs, behaviour as communication, and selective mutism. Training is delivered in-person or virtually, priced based on requirements, number of participants and session length.
- Student Consultations: Individual student consultations where SENse designs a programme and/or support strategy for students struggling with attendance and engagement or at risk of school avoidance. This is a consultancy-style service for schools and local authorities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | SEND Teacher / Specialist Teacher / Intervention Tutor roles |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Education Mentor / SEN Teaching Assistant / Education Assistant / Learning Support Assistant roles |
| Subscription | Monthly | Compliance Coordinator (Head Office - Staplefield) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
SENse Learning product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SENse Learning provides bespoke, trauma-informed one-to-one alternative educational provision for children and young people aged 5-25 with special educational needs (SEND) who are out of school or struggling to attend. Sessions are delivered in students' homes and communities by specialist teachers, intervention tutors, and education mentors operating within a proprietary WILL Framework (Wellbeing, Interaction, Learning, Life Skills). The company also delivers specialist SEND training, student consultations, and pastoral family support, primarily commissioned by local authorities and schools across England.
Product overview
SENse Learning is an Alternative Provision offering a suite of educational services centred on bespoke one-to-one SEND tuition. The core offering comprises in-home and community-based tutoring across multiple role types (SEND Teachers, Specialist Teachers, Intervention Tutors, Education Mentors, Learning Support Assistants). This is supported by their proprietary WILL Framework™ curriculum covering Wellbeing, Interaction, Learning and Life Skills, alongside Primary Functional Curriculum and Functional Skills qualifications as alternatives to GCSEs. Additional credential pathways include ASDAN Lifeskills and Arts Award programmes. Services are structured around four pathways (Assessment, Reintegration, Vocational and Independence, EOTAS and Complex Needs) to guide students toward appropriate next steps. The company also offers supplementary SEND training consultancy and student consultations for external schools and organisations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bespoke SEND Tuition Services One-to-one alternative educational provision for children and young people aged 5-25 with SEND who are out of school or struggling to attend, delivered in students' homes and communities. Includes four structured pathways (Assessment, Reintegration, Vocational and Independence, EOTAS and Complex Needs) and incorporates Functional Skills, ASDAN, and Arts Award qualifications. Funded primarily through local authority commissions, school placements, and family personal budgets.
- SEND Training and Consultancy
- Student Consultations
Quantifiable outcome
- 94% of SENse Learning students pass their Functional Skills assessments
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SENse Learning
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
SENse Learning technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
SENse Learning partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Reaching FamiliescoreReaching Families is a parent-carer led grassroots charity supporting parents and families of children and young people with SEND. SENse Learning works with Reaching Families and can signpost and link families to their resources and support services as part of their Early Help offer to families.
- Mental Health NatterscoreMental Health Natters supports children, young people and their parent carers with mental health and educational outcomes. They offer 1:1 therapeutic mentoring, tuition, group sessions and drop-in sessions. SENse Learning can refer families to and collaborate with Mental Health Natters as part of holistic family support.
- West Sussex MindcoreWest Sussex Mind changes minds across England and Wales by making mental health an everyday priority. SENse Learning partners with West Sussex Mind to support families experiencing mental health challenges, signposting and linking families to their services.
- Operation EncompasscoreOperation Encompass is a scheme run jointly between Police and Education settings. It streams information about domestic abuse incidents that occur outside school hours to education settings so they can offer appropriate support to children and families experiencing domestic abuse. SENse Learning is a proud participant in Operation Encompass.
- Local Authority Partners (West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Wiltshire, Bedfordshire, East Sussex, and others)coreSENse Learning works with multiple local authorities across southern England who commission alternative provision for children and young people with SEND. The company grew from working with a single local authority in 2019 to multiple authorities nationwide.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SENse Learning competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Explore Learning: Larger UK tutoring centre operator serving mainstream and some SEND learners; broader portfolio with SEND as a subset of its overall offering.
- Hesley Group: Established UK provider of specialist residential and day education for children with complex needs, including autism — operates a wider SEND portfolio than SENse.
- Acorn Care and Education: UK-wide operator of special schools, residential care and alternative provision for SEND students; a much larger incumbent with overlapping LA commissioning relationships.
Direct peers
- Engage Education: UK SEND tuition and education recruitment firm placing tutors with LAs and schools, directly comparable in its SEND 1:1 delivery and LA commissioning model.
- Tute Education: UK provider of online 1:1 tuition for SEND and alternative provision students, commissioned by schools and LAs — overlapping customer base and delivery model with SENse.
- Bright Heart Education: UK-based 1:1 tuition provider focused on SEN students with EHCPs, offering home and online tutoring — directly comparable to SENse Learning's core 1:1 SEND tuition model.
- Connex Education Partnership: UK education staffing and SEND tuition provider supplying tutors and learning support to schools and LAs — competes for the same LA commissioning relationships.
Others
- National Autistic Society: UK charity providing autism-specific education, training and family support services; a broader ecosystem player that overlaps in SEND training and family-facing support.
- NASEN (National Association for Special Educational Needs): UK membership and policy body for SEND practitioners; not a competitor but sets the standards and awards (e.g. NASEN 2024 AP of the Year) that benchmark SENse.
Emerging players
- Driver Youth Trust: UK charity focused on SEND literacy and supporting young people excluded from school, with overlapping training and CPD offerings for schools and LAs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
SENse Learning social profiles
Digital presenceSENse Learning financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SENse Learning leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
SENse Learning funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SENse Learning 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 SENse Learning
What does SENse Learning do?
SENse Learning provides bespoke, trauma-informed one-to-one alternative educational provision for children and young people aged 5-25 with special educational needs (SEND) who are out of school or struggling to attend. Sessions are delivered in students' homes and communities by specialist teachers, intervention tutors, and education mentors operating within a proprietary WILL Framework (Wellbeing, Interaction, Learning, Life Skills). The company also delivers specialist SEND training, student consultations, and pastoral family support, primarily commissioned by local authorities and schools across England.
Is SENse Learning a public or private company?
SENse Learning is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SENse Learning founded?
SENse Learning was founded in 2019.
Where is SENse Learning based?
SENse Learning is headquartered in Staplefield, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does SENse Learning make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Alternative Provision Tuition is the primary driver. The others are training and Consultancy and student Consultations.
Who are SENse Learning's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Explore Learning, Hesley Group and Acorn Care and Education. Direct peers are Engage Education, Tute Education, Bright Heart Education and Connex Education Partnership. Others are National Autistic Society and NASEN (National Association for Special Educational Needs). Driver Youth Trust is listed as an emerging player.
Does SENse Learning have an API?
No public API is recorded for SENse Learning.
What industry is SENse Learning in?
SENse Learning's product category is Alternative Education Provision. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJALAJ, Specialized Learning Support (Dyslexia/LD Coaching, Assistive Strategies), with a secondary code of EDAKAKAJ, Autism Parent/Caregiver Education & Training (School-Linked). Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.