2026

Sir Mark Grundy has been the CEO of Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust since 2007, after previously serving as the Principal of Shireland Collegiate Academy, the Trust’s founding school. He has also held the position of Executive Principal at both Shireland Collegiate Academy and George Salter Collegiate Academy. Read more

Avantis Education

Bowes Primary School in Enfield, London, is a pioneer of digital learning, with a clear vision to embed education technology meaningfully into school life.

Avantis Education forged a close collaboration with Bowes through its adoption of ClassVR, the world’s first virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) solution designed exclusively for education.

Bowes initially adopted ClassVR as a vehicle to immerse pupils in their learning, but it has had several measurable impacts, from more engaged and motivated learners to improvements in vocabulary and oracy.

The ClassVR team worked closely with Bowes to implement the technology, training staff to use the headsets and content library, and supporting them to integrate VR/AR purposefully into lessons. Bowes now uses ClassVR throughout every key stage with all learners.

Since implementation, teachers have seen higher motivation, engagement and focus among all pupils, as well as improved oracy, especially among pupils with additional needs, those with English as a second language, and those performing under the expected level. Bowes’ use of VR/AR was even highlighted by Ofsted.

The collaboration goes beyond the classroom, with Avantis supporting Bowes to host a Digital Learning Day highlighting how the Connect Education Trust places pedagogy at the forefront of digital learning.

Chartered College of Teaching and Chiltern Learning Trust

In November 2024, the Chartered College of Teaching, the professional body for the teaching profession in England, and Chiltern Learning Trust, a Multi-Academy Trust based in Luton, were awarded a contract by the Department for Education in England to develop a set of free training resources and supporting materials for schools and colleges, focused on the safe and effective use of AI. They included training for teachers and leaders, a research journal and series of video and written case studies, and a certification programme, and were published in June 2025. As well as being a unique collaboration between an education charity and a trust of 18 schools to deliver a nationally-important project, supported by the Department for Education, our approach to project delivery had collaboration with schools and colleges at its heart; educators from over 50 settings contributed to the materials, with others joining an expert advisory group who shaped the vision for the materials as they were developed. This collaboration between schools and colleges across the country, led by Chiltern Learning Trust and the Chartered College of Teaching, meant that the resources that were produced both met a genuine need and had sector buy-in to ensure reach and impact.

Concero Education Technology

In April 2024, Crowcroft Park Primary School suffered a severe cyber-attack while working with another provider. For three weeks, all electronic access ceased, leaving staff and pupils in crisis and exposing critical vulnerabilities: outdated servers, poor configuration, and insufficient data protection.

Concero Education Technology responded with a bespoke remediation and transformation plan aligned with the school’s educational vision. This included migrating fully to Microsoft’s cloud ecosystem, delivering a DfE-approved broadband solution with backup resilience, implementing multi-factor authentication and cyber security training, and introducing cost-conscious procurement through Crown Commercial frameworks.

The results were immediate: savings on Microsoft licences and IT support, broadband speeds increased tenfold, and full DfE compliance achieved. Staff can now access everything, anywhere, on one device — with reliability and safeguarding continuity guaranteed.

Beyond infrastructure, the collaboration boosted staff morale, enhanced well-being, and placed devices directly into pupils’ hands, equipping them with skills for the digital age. Headteacher Juliet Francis describes the shift as moving “from a position of weakness to a position of strength.”

This partnership demonstrates how education and technology can intertwine to deliver innovation, resilience, and measurable impact — ensuring teachers can teach, leaders can lead, and pupils can thrive.

Darts Maths

Mathematics in the Crosshairs

One of the greatest challenges of 21st-century education is capturing students’ attention, particularly in mathematics. In 2024, the Bekecs II. Rákóczi Ferenc Informatics and Mathematics School partnered with Darts Maths Ltd. to introduce a new approach: teaching mathematics through gamification and movement-based learning, transforming the subject into an engaging experience.

The program combines mental arithmetic, logical reasoning, and strategic planning, while providing real-time feedback. Students complete “missions,” which eliminates the fear of mistakes and fosters a growth mindset. Teachers can apply it in a differentiated way, ensuring that every learner receives challenges suited to their level.

Assessment results demonstrated an average improvement of 17.5%, particularly in mental arithmetic and word-problem solving. The atmosphere of mathematics lessons also changed significantly: students became more enthusiastic, active, and confident in taking on challenges.

One measure of success is the National Darts Maths Competition: in 2025, 1,775 teams, 6,460 students from 28 districts participated, with 303 students reaching the finals. The contest integrated three types of tasks-theoretical, digital, and darts-based-building a bridge between online and offline learning.

This collaboration stands as a living example of how technology and pedagogy, working hand in hand, can bring about genuine and measurable change.

Hemisphere Education for the Greenwich Learning Partnership

The partnership between Hemisphere Education and the Greenwich Learning Partnership (GLP) has transformed how Greenwich schools support every child to learn, tackling outcome gaps for Black and minority ethnic pupils.

Greenwich, like much of the UK, faces entrenched challenges: attainment gaps for Black Caribbean pupils, disproportionate exclusions, and a workforce less diverse than the communities it serves. Recognising that leadership training alone would not shift outcomes, GLP partnered with Hemisphere to embed racial literacy for every staff member, in every school, every year.

Hemisphere is an innovative digital platform that distils 20 years of expertise, original research, government data and neuroscience into 60 minutes of annual CPD and resources, equipping staff with knowledge, confidence and skills to improve outcomes for Black and minority ethnic students.

Together, we designed a new borough-wide model for advancing race equity.

In the past 12 months, impact has been clear: 90% of Greenwich schools have adopted Hemisphere; 2,881 staff trained with a 90% completion rate; 92% report better understanding of Black pupils’ experiences; and 87% commit to changing practice. Pupils report stronger belonging, families greater trust, and schools are redesigning policies. Already replicated in Haringey and Redbridge, the model is influencing practice beyond Greenwich.

StudyStash

StudyStash is an AI-powered learning platform, created by University of Birmingham Computer Science students Ben and Jon, designed to make studying more effective, efficient and personalised. In 2024, UoB partnered with StudyStash to roll the platform out to 5,000 students across all five colleges, embedding it into modules via Canvas and in-person introductions.

For students, StudyStash offers personalised learning journeys powered by neuroscience and AI, with tools like flashcards, StudyChat, and Learn Mode boosting academic confidence, reducing stress, and fitting seamlessly into daily study routines. Students created over half a million flashcards, 10,000 notes and logged 23,000+ StudyChat conversations, showing high adoption and sustained engagement.

Results were strong: confidence improved by over 80%, stress reduced by 64%, and attainment when using Learn Mode features jumped from 14% to over 80%. Students reported feeling more organised, saving hours on note-taking and revision prep, while international and neurodivergent learners benefited from tailored support across 150 languages.

For faculty, StudyStash reduced routine queries, cut workload, and provided real-time learning insights to target support. The pilot demonstrated clear evidence of improved student attainment and university outcomes, marking the start of an exciting journey for adaptive learning in higher education.

ViewSonic

ViewSonic partnered with Nottingham College to deliver a bold digital transformation across seven campuses, unifying them under a single, future-ready ecosystem. The project combined vocational training with advanced digital programs, including a new professional esports suite that prepares students for emerging careers, with installation support provided by integration partner GVAV.

The large-scale deployment included ViewBoard interactive displays in classrooms, supported by myViewBoard digital whiteboarding software, a flagship 135” All-in-One LED display, and campus-wide digital signage. All devices are centrally managed through Manager Advanced, simplifying IT operations and improving efficiency.

The impact has been immediate and visible: classrooms are more inclusive and engaging, IT support needs have been reduced, and the esports suite has boosted student recruitment. Teachers report greater confidence in digital teaching, students are thriving in interactive environments, and the college community benefits from clear, centralised communication. This partnership has created a sustainable blueprint for teaching, communication, and digital skills development, directly supporting Nottingham College’s ambition to foster inclusivity and achieve Carbon Net Zero by 2030.

XMA

In a strategic collaboration, XMA and Sheffield College developed an innovative, user-led approach to define an inclusive technology strategy for the college’s specialist Peaks Campus. The partnership centred on the ‘Try Technologies’ event, a hands-on discovery day with a co-designed, accessible experience for students and staff with inclusion needs. By assembling a ‘village’ of diverse technology partners, the event allowed users to directly evaluate a wide range of assistive tools.

An immediate impact was the discovery of powerful, unused accessibility features within the college’s existing technology, providing instant, no-cost improvements to classroom learning. Strategically, the event provided the direct user evidence required to inform and de-risk major investment for the campus transformation.

As stated by the college’s Assistant Principal for Inclusion, Sarah Le-Good MBE, the aim was to start a “movement of enablement through technology.” The most significant result is the creation of a sustainable partnership, with the event evolving into a planned annual “Festival of Inclusion” to continue driving accessibility and innovation.

Adobe

Adobe Express for Education is part of the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite. Adobe Express for Education is a free, all-in-one creative platform for K-12 and Higher Education, designed to meet the modern needs of educators and students. As part of the Creative Cloud suite, it offers a powerful yet easy-to-use set of tools that make visual content creation accessible to all skill levels. With its intuitive interface, Adobe Express removes technical barriers, allowing students and teachers to focus on learning objectives and creative engagement. From presentations and graphics to videos and portfolios, the platform provides everything needed within a secure and user-friendly environment.

ClassLink

ClassLink is a global leader in education technology, providing secure, intuitive, and innovative solutions that empower educators, students, and administrators. Serving over 22 million users worldwide, ClassLink’s suite of products, simplifies digital access, strengthens cybersecurity, and delivers actionable insights for schools, colleges, and universities.

ClassLink continues to transform how educational institutions manage technology. In Elmwood Park Public Schools (NJ, USA), onboarding times dropped from weeks to a single overnight sync, freeing staff to focus on teaching and launching a student tech internship program. At Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre (Canada), LaunchPad and Roster Server enhanced access to digital resources while safeguarding sensitive student data, supporting Indigenous communities in achieving educational independence. Dunwoody College of Technology (MN, USA) praised the platform for providing “mobile and simplified access to one interface,” streamlining access to over 150 applications and enabling IT staff to focus on strategic priorities.

ClassLink combines innovation, affordability, and outstanding support with a commitment to diversity, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility. By protecting student data, reducing administrative burdens, and enabling educators to focus on learning, ClassLink delivers meaningful impact across the global education community.

ILT Education

Founded in Sweden in 1990, ILT Education has grown into a global leader in inclusive educational technology. Guided by our mission – the right to an equal education – we create evidence-based digital solutions that ensure every learner can access engaging, high-quality resources, regardless of language, ability, or background.

Today, ILT Education supports over five million students across nine countries with a portfolio of innovative tools.

We work hand-in-hand with schools, local authorities, and educators through training, webinars, case studies, and dedicated success teams, ensuring impact in classrooms worldwide.

For over 30 years, ILT Education has combined innovation, inclusivity, and responsibility to help schools meet their most pressing challenges – transforming teaching and learning for a fairer, brighter future.

Promethean

Promethean’s global positioning, ‘Rethink the Ordinary,’ reflects its mission to help schools create dynamic, connected learning environments. With over 25 years of leadership, Promethean now supports more than two million classrooms across 126 countries and has been the UK & Ireland market leader for seven years.

In 2024, Futuresource confirmed Promethean shipped 50% of all interactive panels worldwide outside China, with 116,000 new displays installed – demonstrating the confidence schools place in its solutions.

The portfolio ensures every institution can benefit. The flagship ActivPanel 10 is supported by Promethean ActivSuite™, bringing core teaching apps together across panels and laptops, reducing training needs and ensuring consistent pedagogy. ActivPanel LE offers an affordable, high-quality option for budget-conscious schools.

Promethean also invests in support and sustainability. Customer resources grew 30% last year, reducing support cases by 20%, with QA ratings above 97%. The Learn Promethean platform helps teachers build confidence through self-paced training. Sustainability scorecards, already introduced for AP10, provide transparent lifecycle data.

With unmatched scale, innovative solutions, and a commitment to teachers and learners, Promethean is helping schools worldwide rethink what technology can achieve.

RM

At RM, our mission is clear – to improve educational outcomes worldwide. For over 50 years, we have partnered with schools, colleges, universities and awarding organisations to make learning and assessment more accessible, authentic and effective.

Today, we support over 40 organisations in more than 150 countries, enabling millions of learners to demonstrate their skills through secure, reliable and innovative digital assessment. RM Ava®, supports the full assessment journey from content creation and delivery to optional AI-assisted marking and personalised feedback, helping educators reduce workload and focus on what matters most – teaching and supporting learners.

We are pioneering the responsible use of AI in education, piloting projects that show how automation can enhance fairness, speed and consistency while maintaining vital human oversight. Our digital tools are opening new opportunities for learners with additional needs, levelling the playing field and expanding access to qualifications.

Alongside our technology, RM provides 24/7 customer care, champions diversity, and leads on sustainability with a 70% reduction in carbon emissions to date and a firm commitment to reach Net Zero by 2035.

We’re proud to be shaping the future of education and improving outcomes for learners everywhere.

SAMpeople

This year, SAMpeople became the UK’s fastest-growing education HR system, increasing our customer base by over 53%, to 2,256, including 179 trusts, our biggest year of growth yet. This growth is a testament to our HR, recruitment and payroll software, designed by education HR specialists with over 20 years of experience, to help schools and trusts hire, manage and support their staff with confidence.

Joining forces with the Arbor School Management Suite allowed us to offer a unique combined MIS and HR system to manage staff throughout the full employee lifecycle. Undergoing a successful rebrand, we strengthened our brand image as the fastest-growing education HR system.

Customer feedback highlights how SAMpeople streamlines administrative tasks, saving office staff over two hours per week, and provides valuable data visibility that helps leaders make informed decisions.

We are proud to share how we have created a new brand, refined internal processes and stepped up our marketing and support over the last 12 months, strengthening our brand and positioning as the fastest-growing education HR system.

Team Teach

Team Teach is a global leader in behaviour support training, working with over 13,000 schools and 240,000 platform users worldwide. For more than three decades, it has provided educators with practical, research-based tools to manage behaviour safely and effectively. Central to this innovation is Team Teach Connect, a secure, cloud-based learning management system that empowers schools to create tailored behaviour de-escalation CPD courses, track engagement, capture feedback, and deliver personalised learning journeys.

The platform integrates with the Knowledge Hub, an adaptive resource centre that refines recommendations based on user profiles and activity, offering educators on-demand access to training resources, webinars, podcasts, and real-world scenario-based videos. Since October 2023, the Hub has grown to around 50,000 users and now includes more than 150 specialist resources, 32 podcasts, and a dedicated video series featuring sector experts.

Beyond training, Team Teach Insights provides leaders with real-time, benchmarked data on exclusions, attendance, and wellbeing to guide governance and operational planning. The company’s digital-first, sustainable approach also reduces paper use, supports trauma-informed and inclusive practice, and aligns with the Restraint Reduction Network’s certification standards.

Through innovative technology, continuous professional development, and evidence-based insights, Team Teach strengthens staff confidence, enhances student wellbeing, and helps schools build.

The National College

The National College is unique in the education marketplace in offering online professional development, compliance management and people development solutions through one provider.

Our trifold approach helps thousands of schools and over a million users worldwide:

• raise standards and improve outcomes

• meet statutory requirements

• mitigate compliance risks

• empower their workforce with essential knowledge and skills

• be ready for inspection

• save time and costs of physical training and using multiple providers

• streamline processes and tasks, with instant task allocation, progress tracking and report generation, eliminating the need for manual approaches

Our Professional Development membership offers the whole workforce unlimited access to the world’s largest CPD library for educators, all focused on school improvement.

Our Compliance Management membership helps schools meet statutory requirements and reduce risk through time-saving templates and automated policy management.

Our People Development Membership offers a secure, customisable online hub for the whole appraisal process, consistent with the DfE’s Teacher Appraisal guidance.

We’re constantly innovating, and in 2025 launched Teacher & Leader AI, a suite of education-specific, expert-trained AI tools to help accelerate routine tasks and free up educators’ time for high-impact work, aligned with DfE’s Generative Artificial Intelligence in Education guidance.

Tute Education

Tute exists to make sure that no child is left without access to education. We partner with schools, local authorities, and non-mainstream settings to support students who, for many reasons, cannot attend mainstream classrooms. For those learners, our live online lessons provide continuity, opportunity, and a chance to re-engage, rebuild confidence, and progress alongside their peers.

Since our first lessons in 2011, Tute has grown in direct response to the needs of students and the challenges faced by our partners. Today, we work with more than 80 local authorities and hundreds of schools, delivering a curriculum from KS1 to KS5 that blends academic subjects with wellbeing, resilience, and employability skills. Our model is shaped around reintegration and inclusion, with 80% of students moving back into education, nearly half into mainstream.

As part of Outcomes First Group, the UK’s largest specialist education provider, we combine national scale and stability with the dedicated focus of an online education specialist. This gives partners confidence that Tute is both sustainable and agile, able to innovate quickly while delivering lasting impact.

At the heart of everything is a simple commitment: an education system that enables any child, anywhere, to achieve their potential.

Cloud Design Box

Cloud Design Box helps schools and multi-academy trusts unlock the full potential of Microsoft 365, turning it into a secure, engaging, and easy-to-use platform for teaching, learning, and collaboration.

Their solutions address some of the most pressing challenges in education today: reducing teacher workload, improving communication, strengthening governance, and ensuring digital strategies are sustainable. Automated Class Team provisioning, branded SharePoint intranets, and unique tools such as Cover Manager save teachers and IT staff countless hours while enhancing consistency, safeguarding, and student engagement.

Innovation sits at the heart of what they do. From deep MIS integration and adoption analytics, to creating AI-ready environments, Cloud Design Box delivers features no other provider offers. Their close partnership with Microsoft ensures schools benefit from the very latest technologies, while their training portal and onboarding programmes give staff the skills and confidence to embed them effectively.

Customer service is equally outstanding, with a 98 percent retention rate, an average 34-minute first response time, and 100 percent positive feedback from recent surveys.

Through thought-leadership content, case studies, and sector events, their marketing has fuelled consistent growth. More than a vendor, Cloud Design Box is a trusted partner, helping schools build inclusive, sustainable, and future-ready digital ecosystems.

LinkyThinks

LinkyThinks is an education company helping children aged 5 to 13 build essential life skills through literacy, oracy and creative thinking. Our award-winning resources, tutoring and CPD sessions are used by thousands of teachers and families across the UK and beyond. We focus on giving learners the tools to communicate with confidence and clarity, whether in writing, reasoning or speech.

In 2025, we expanded our work with the launch of Speakable, a new educational framework supporting adults to develop their communication skills. Built from years of working with teachers, parents and tutors, Speakable helps adults speak clearly and confidently in public, at work or in everyday life. The programme has already supported dozens of professionals, including teachers, charity workers and early-career adults.

We pride ourselves on combining creativity with rigour. Our resources are inclusive, classroom-ready and grounded in real-life teaching experience. Every LinkyThinks or Speakable session is designed to support confidence and self-expression.

As a growing, independent team, we’re proud to support learners of all ages and stages. Whether aged five or fifty, we help people use their voice with purpose.

Lirvana Labs

Lirvana Labs is a purpose-driven education technology company dedicated to closing learning gaps, reducing teacher workload, and ensuring equitable access to high-quality learning worldwide. With turnover under £3 million, we demonstrate that small, research-led organisations can deliver outsized global impact.

Our Yeti Learn & Teach Suite empowers students and teachers alike. Yeti Confetti Kids delivers personalised assignments in over 28 languages with embedded SEL, while Yeti Co-Pilot provides real-time insights to help teachers track progress, identify gaps, and adapt instruction. Together, they create engaging, inclusive, and safe learning environments.

In New York’s Bronx District 10, more than 1,000 students participated in a five-week programme that paired strong academic outcomes with student engagement, supported by teacher training and onsite implementation. Since October 2024, we have also launched successfully in the Philippines, onboarding 750 students within one month, and expanded partnerships in Thailand, the Middle East, and the US. We are now preparing further growth across Africa, Japan, South Korea, and South America.

By placing teachers at the centre and students at the heart, Lirvana Labs is reimagining what ethical, impactful AI in education can achieve.

Literacy Counts

Literacy Counts is an award-recognised provider of literacy resources, training and consultancy for primary schools. Our mission is to improve outcomes in reading and writing by equipping schools with evidence-informed resources, expert support and sustainable strategies.

Our Ready Steady Literacy suite includes Ready Steady Write, Ready Steady Read Together, Ready Steady Spell and Ready Steady Phonics. These resources support children from EYFS to Year 6, are mapped to the National Curriculum and reduce teacher workload. More than 237,000 children are benefitting.

Schools consistently describe our partnership as transformational, praising our consultancy, customer care and measurable impact. Award recognition from BETT, Teach Primary, Teach Early Years and GESS reinforces our reputation as a trusted leader. One senior leader commented: “The results speak for themselves. Expected writers doubled in two years. Seven children went from struggling writers to expected writers.”

Diversity and inclusion are central to our work. Children encounter literature that reflects varied authors, illustrators, characters and cultures. Our digital-first approach ensures resources are sustainable, continually updated and aligned with research.

We are proud to support schools with lasting strategies that build confident, independent readers and writers.

Literacy Tree

At Literacy Tree, we do not compromise. Not on the children who deserve to see themselves in stories, not on the teachers who deserve support and tools, and not on our belief that literacy changes lives.

We teach every aspect of English through literature that inspires. Our whole-school curriculum is built around diverse stories, important themes, and immersive classroom experiences. Every resource is based on carefully selected award-winning books that spark imagination and deepen understanding.

Since 2012, Literacy Tree has grown into a trusted global platform supporting over 1,300 schools and 50,000 teachers worldwide. By putting literature at the heart of the curriculum, our Teach Through a Text approach engages children, supports diverse learning needs, and gives teachers the confidence to elevate writing outcomes. Resources are fully aligned to the 2025 DfE Writing Framework and ready for curriculum changes in 2026.

This year, we reaffirmed our mission to change children’s lives through literacy and empower the teachers who make it happen. We launched Vocabulary Vines and Bridging Bookmarks, refreshed existing planning, rebranded with a sharper presence, and relaunched LiteracyTree.com for smoother access to resources and CPD. Literacy Tree saves teachers time, strengthens outcomes, and inspires children through meaningful, literature-rich learning.

MagicBooking

MagicBooking is transforming how schools manage wraparound care, clubs, and extracurricular provision.

Our platform replaces paper registers and spreadsheets with a single SaaS system that automates bookings, payments, registers, safeguarding notes, and communications. This saves schools hours of admin each day and improves compliance, accuracy, and peace of mind. Parents gain simple 24/7 access through a secure portal, while school staff can focus on pupils instead of paperwork.

Results speak for themselves: over 90% of schools say MagicBooking is easy to use and more effective than previous systems, and case studies consistently score 9/10 for ease of implementation.

Outstanding customer care sets us apart. Every client has a dedicated care rep, can raise tickets directly through their account, and benefits from feedback loops that turn user ideas into live features.

We also invest in the wider education community. MagicBooking sponsors school fundraising and runs prize-draws that provide cash and resources for budget-governed schools. Parents benefit from simplified childcare funding and Tax-Free Childcare integration, while our award-winning parent app (launching) will enhance accessibility even further.

Driven by a diverse, inclusive team, MagicBooking continues to pioneer innovation, from HMRC TFC integration to AI-powered training.

Magma Maths

Magma Maths is a small company with big impact. With turnover below £3m, it delivers system-wide transformation through AI that analyses handwritten reasoning, helping teachers see how pupils think and learn.

Since launching in the UK in 2024, Magma has grown rapidly through teacher-led marketing and trust partnerships. As shown in the Scottish Borders Pilot Report (2025), teachers saved 50% of marking time while pupil attainment rose by 25%. The Woodland Academy Trust (2024) described it as “transformational,” empowering teachers to adapt instruction in real time.

Driven by educator-led advocacy and exceptional customer care, Magma maintains a 4.9/5 support rating. Its WCAG-compliant, multilingual design ensures every learner – including SEND and EAL pupils – can participate and succeed.

By combining innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability, Magma Maths proves that meaningful impact is not a matter of size, but of purpose

Mrs Wordsmith

Mrs Wordsmith is a leading EdTech company dedicated to closing literacy gaps for primary and lower secondary students worldwide. With a 2024 turnover of £1.9 million, the company qualifies for the “less than £3m” category and has demonstrated impressive global impact. Since October 2023, Mrs Wordsmith’s digital learning tools—especially the Word Tag for Schools platform—have reached over 25,000 UK classrooms and more than 2 million students globally. Their flexible pricing (from £9.72 per pupil) ensures equitable access for all schools.

Mrs Wordsmith’s commitment to service is seen in rapid onboarding, 24-hour support, and staff training initiatives; 95% of teachers and parents rated support as “excellent” or “outstanding.” The company’s innovative adaptive AI and SSO-powered classroom tools deliver measurable improvement: pilot schools reported a 43% average increase in vocabulary in just four weeks. New Send and EAL features, family engagement options, and partnerships with sector leaders like Clever and Wonde further strengthen their offer.

With a diverse, majority-female leadership, robust CSR donations, and a strong sustainability ethos, Mrs Wordsmith stands out for impact, innovation, and inclusive service—making it a worthy candidate for Company of the Year at the BETT Awards 2026.

Adobe – Adobe Express for Education

Adobe Express for Education is part of the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite and is a comprehensive, all-in-one creative platform designed to meet the varied needs of students, educators, and school leaders within a single, seamless ecosystem. Its learner-led approach places creativity at the forefront, offering an intuitive interface and a vast library of templates and assets that enable students of all skill levels to express ideas independently. Importantly, the platform integrates classroom-safe generative AI features powered by Adobe Firefly, such as “Generate Template” and “Animate from Audio”, which transform simple prompts into creative outputs. These features not only remove technical barriers but also encourage critical thinking, ownership, and confidence in students, preparing them for future careers in an AI-driven workforce by fostering ethical and responsible technology use.

BBC – Horrible Science from BBC Bitesize

BBC Bitesize’s Horrible Science brings together two of the country’s most recognisable educational brands – giving the unique ‘Horrible’ comedy treatment to KS2 National Curriculum science learning.

Through carefully considered sketches and songs, accompanied by written and interactive content created by educational experts, the BBC Bitesize x Horrible Science collaboration brings a core Primary subject to life, expanding upon existing Bitesize curriculum content.

Horrible Science was commissioned for broadcast with the National Curriculum in mind. The BBC Bitesize team worked with Lion Television to select appropriate sketches and songs on subjects ranging from gravity, to space, to levers and fossils.

The published content has been rigorously checked for its educational value and to ensure key learning points are within the films. While they naturally feature the trademark Horrible humour and naughtiness, the primary goal for Bitesize was to ensure educational value was present and robust within the films.

The collaboration has significantly enriched BBC Bitesize’s Primary science offering, adding 22 new learner guides that cover key curriculum areas and extend classroom learning. Each guide is designed for KS2 pupils to explore independently, with parents, or as part of homework set by teachers.

BBC – Planet Planners on Roblox from BBC Bitesize

BBC Bitesize Planet Planners on Roblox is an engaging educational game that supports geography learning for 11–14-year-olds across the UK. Developed with geography educators, it places players in realistic global scenarios where they explore challenges like climate change, population migration, and food security. Players act as decision-makers, balancing environmental, economic, and social needs in diverse settings such as Central Africa and Northern Europe.

Each curriculum-linked scenario encourages critical thinking and strategic planning, with no right or wrong answers. Players see the impact of their choices in dynamic environments—cities become cleaner, ecosystems thrive, or coastlines change—and take part in mini-games that reinforce learning, such as placing volcanic sensors or building sea defences.

Group-play mode fosters collaboration, while solo play supports independent exploration. The game also builds key skills like resilience, time management, and geographical vocabulary. BBC Bitesize offers comprehensive teacher resources, including curriculum mapping and scenario guides, created in partnership with the Geographical Association.

With over 25K visits in the first six weeks and new topics launching in Autumn 2025, Planet Planners delivers a fun, immersive way for students to explore the complexities of human impact on the planet through meaningful gameplay.

Emile – Spelling with Emile

Used in over 2,000 schools in England, Spelling with Emile provides teachers and SLT a full tool box to ensure consistent high quality spelling lessons and activities throughout Y2-6.

“Emile Spelling has been a fantastic resource for our children, really helping them to develop their spelling knowledge in a fun and engaging way. This year, we were thrilled to achieve our best spelling SATs scores yet, thanks in no small part to Emile.” Kirsty Lawman, Sept 25, Moresby Primary

“Embedding [Emile] into weekly spelling sessions has brought real consistency of approach, making planning much more efficient and reducing teacher workload. Class teachers quickly fed back that the resources were clear and engaging, with the PowerPoints proving particularly effective in supporting pupils’ learning. We have also seen a marked improvement in children’s spelling within their writing, alongside greater enthusiasm and engagement in lessons.” Shahnaz Ali, Sept 25, Riverside bridge School

Flip Computing – Flock XR

Flock XR is a free 3D creation tool designed for young people aged 9 to 14+. It enables learners to build interactive 3D worlds using block-based coding and visual design tools, developing computing concepts while linking skills to creative and technology careers. Built by experienced teachers, Flock XR is inclusive by design, accessible on low-cost devices with no installation, no accounts and no adverts.

Teachers use Flock XR to deliver computing curriculum topics and cross-curricular projects in science, history, maths and design and technology. Learners can model, animate and print 3D creations, or build VR and AR experiences. The tool supports engagement by providing a shared set of skills while enabling individual creativity.

Co-designed with schools and informed by research, Flock XR includes a wide range of ready-to-use models, tools for creating animations and a visual coding system that brings projects to life with clarity and ease of use. Educators consistently highlight student engagement and the speed at which meaningful outcomes are achieved.

Flock XR is open source, safe and community-driven. It provides a next step beyond Scratch, preparing young people for professional tools such as Blender and Unity while supporting equitable access to future careers in technology.

Ozobot – Ozobot Student Lesson Module: Learning With and About AI

The Ozobot AI Lesson Module is a free collection of 11 digital lessons designed to help students aged 8–18 learn about artificial intelligence and with AI. Available through Ozobot Classroom, the module introduces pupils to some of today’s most important AI concepts in a way that is engaging, hands-on, and accessible.

Lessons cover real-world topics such as bias in healthcare algorithms, autonomous driving, quality control in factories, and how large language models (LLMs) work. Each activity combines robotics and coding with critical thinking, asking students not just to understand how AI functions but also to explore its ethical, social, and creative implications.

Teachers can deliver the lessons directly in the classroom or encourage independent exploration at home. Activities are flexible, offering both screen-free coding with Ozobot Color Codes and block-based programming with Blockly, making them suitable for a wide range of learners and settings.

By providing this resource free of charge, Ozobot aims to make AI literacy available to every school. The AI Lesson Module equips students with future-ready skills, sparks curiosity about technology, and fosters thoughtful discussions about how AI is shaping the world around us.

PG Online – ClearRevise Exam Study Tutor (CREST)

CREST, the ClearRevise Exam Study Tutor, is the world’s first AI-driven private tutor embedded directly into PG Online’s award-winning ClearRevise revision guides. Launched in September 2024, CREST is designed to act as an intelligent study companion that supports students with revision, homework and independent learning. Unlike generic AI tools, CREST is fully integrated with the content of each revision guide, ensuring precise, curriculum-aligned responses tailored to the GCSE specification.

Students can reference specific pages or questions in their book, asking for explanations, examples or even self-testing. For example, a learner might say, “Test me on Required practical 17” or “Explain the difference between an ion and an isotope.” CREST responds in clear, age-appropriate language, with options to simplify or expand explanations depending on the learner’s needs.

The tutor provides immediate, on-demand support at home or in the classroom, reducing reliance on expensive private tutors and helping parents and teachers by ‘unsticking’ students the moment difficulties arise. Early feedback indicates improved engagement, confidence and exam performance. With new features such as Socratic questioning, AI marking and flash card testing in development, CREST is rapidly evolving into a powerful, inclusive and affordable tool that transforms the way students learn and revise.

Sky – The Edit

The Edit, created by Sky in partnership with Adobe, is a groundbreaking free schools programme that brings the excitement of TV and film production into classrooms across the UK and Ireland.

Designed for 8–18-year-olds, The Edit gives students the chance to step into the shoes of journalists, filmmakers, and editors, creating their own news reports or film trailers while building essential digital and creative skills. Using exclusive Sky footage and professional Adobe Express software, pupils work collaboratively to tell stories that matter to them — from climate change to equality — or to unleash their imagination with original film ideas.

Since launching in 2020, The Edit has reached more than 185,000 students and 2,900 schools, inspiring creativity, boosting media literacy, and helping young people discover career pathways in the creative industries. Teachers praise the programme for its flexibility, inclusivity, and ability to engage every learner — particularly those who may not thrive in traditional classroom settings.

By combining industry expertise, cutting-edge technology, and accessible, curriculum-ready resources, The Edit is democratising access to digital storytelling and inspiring the next generation of storytellers, innovators, and changemakers.

solocode – ANTON

With over 20 million users in over 60,000 schools, ANTON is a popular, all-in-one learning platform for Reception to KS3. ANTON is free forever without major limitations. Covering the entire curriculum, each subject is broken down into specific topics and units, each with a test at the end. ANTON can be used in school for interactive group learning, self-paced practice or for homework. No personal data is needed, it’s easy to use and is also suitable for children with dyslexia and dyscalculia.

FREE, NO ADS: all core features and content is completely free without any extra costs.

ALL SUBJECTS: English, maths, science, computing, EAL, geography, history, languages, music, and PSHE aligned to the national curriculum.

HAVE FUN LEARNING: over 100,000 exercises, 200 interactive exercise types, explanations and learning games.

FOR PUPILS, TEACHERS AND PARENTS: easily create a class, assign homework and follow your pupils’ learning progress both in the classroom and at home.

FOR SPEAKERS OF ALL LANGUAGES: translate our content into 75+ languages.

LEARN ANYWHERE: works on all devices and in web browsers.

MOTIVATIONAL GAMES: earn coins through learning and play fun games.

Dream Tree Creations – Honeydew Kingdom Foundational Skills Programme

Honeydew Kingdom is redefining early literacy. Pilot schools show children racing ahead of previous cohorts on benchmarks like the MIST test. Michael, once stuck at infant level for five years, was reading Harry Potter within six months—a striking example of its impact.

Built for the first two years of school, the Honeydew Kingdom Foundational Skills Programme teaches all 42 English sounds while strengthening phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, and writing. Its signature Say it! Move it! Map it! approach facilitates orthographic mapping, helping children lock words into long-term memory. The result: faster progress, stronger sight reading, and lasting gains in spelling and vocabulary—especially for children with limited literacy support at home.

Described as “like Duolingo for reading”, Honeydew Kingdom captivates learners with playful characters, a story-led world, and videos that model best practice for teachers and parents. Entirely digital, with optional print resources, it is affordable, accessible, and sustainable.

By empowering teachers, supporting families, and closing gaps for disadvantaged learners, Honeydew Kingdom delivers equity, innovation, and excellence. It is not just teaching children to read—it is transforming futures.

EdShed – Phonics Shed

Phonics Shed is a narrative driven, multi-sensory systematic synthetic phonics scheme that has been designed to make phonics teaching and learning engaging and effective. It provides a full set of resources for teachers and parents to support children’s phonics development from the very beginning of their literacy journey.

Phonics Shed uses a unique ‘Big Books’ approach, where each phoneme is introduced through a story, helping children to make meaningful connections between sounds and their representations. The scheme also includes a wide range of interactive games, decodable books, and digital resources that reinforce learning and provide children with plenty of opportunities to practice their phonics skills.

Trusted by thousands of schools, Phonics Shed is a comprehensive and effective phonics solution that supports every child to become a confident reader and writer.

Literacy Counts – Ready Steady Write

Ready Steady Write EYFS is a fully resourced, evidence-backed writing programme created specifically for reception aged children (4 and 5 year olds). It combines high-quality picture books, drama, oral rehearsal and sentence-level teaching to give children the strongest start in writing. The clear four-part sequence, Jump In, Look, Say & Plan, Say & Write, builds early literacy skills step by step, supporting both foundational knowledge and the development of executive function.

The programme is teacher-led yet child-centred, with Story Friends, Story Songs and interactive resources that make writing visible, memorable and enjoyable. These features reduce teacher workload, provide consistency across classes and give children the scaffolds they need to become confident, independent early writers.

Impact is consistently strong. 100% of teachers reported improved engagement and stronger writing outcomes. 100% agreed pupils mastered key foundational and executive function skills. 97% would recommend Ready Steady Write. Teachers describe the programme as a “game changer” in the Early Years classroom.

The resource is inclusive and sustainable. It supports disadvantaged pupils, SEND and EAL learners through visuals, songs, oral rehearsal and structured scaffolds. Schools across the country trust Ready Steady Write to deliver lasting impact for both teachers and children.

Magma Maths

Magma Maths for Early Years builds secure foundations in number sense, counting, shapes, and patterns through playful, age-appropriate tasks. Activities follow concrete-pictorial-abstract progressions, helping young children develop mathematical reasoning while engaging with short, interactive exercises.

Children can “show their thinking,” including number formation, while teachers see real-time insights into misconceptions. Adaptive pathways meet each child where they are, nudging progress with just-right challenges. Teachers benefit from dashboards that highlight class and individual needs, cutting data chase and admin.

Evidence shows a 25 percent improvement in attainment and up to 50 percent less teacher workload in schools using Magma. In pilot studies, over 80 percent of pupils reported greater confidence and enjoyment in maths. Teachers praised it as “one of the best apps for differentiation and early engagement.”

Accessibility is embedded. The platform is WCAG-compliant, with text-to-speech in 140+ languages, audio prompts, and simple visuals to support EAL and SEND learners. Optional parental access strengthens home engagement.

Pickatale

Pickatale is a global reading platform designed for children ages 4–11+, educators, and parents, focusing on the Science of Reading and Reading for Pleasure pedagogies to foster both literacy skills and enjoyment of reading. Its Reception digital phonics programme is based on a UK DfE-validated system and features daily interactive lessons for the interactive whiteboard or other devices, introducing and practising phonemes and supporting spelling, letter formation, and independent reading, with detailed teacher insights provided through a dashboard.

The Pickatale Library offers hundreds of engaging digital books for early years, recognized by the OU/UKLA Reading for Pleasure awards, and includes a growing collection of decodable phonics books, animated stories, and themed series supporting vocabulary and comprehension development. The AI-powered Pickatale Create tool enables teachers to generate, edit, and personalize books according to classroom needs, with options to adjust content, translate stories, and soon generate fully decodable texts, enhancing inclusivity and customization.

Teachers can track reading habits and student progress and Pickatale provides dedicated customer care, teacher training, and prioritises safety with ISO 27001 certification and advanced data protection. Its impact and evidence-driven approach has earned global recognition, including TIME/Statista Top 50 Global EdTech and BESA and GESS awards finalists 2025.

Scholastic Education (International) – Scholastic Literacy Pro Earlybird

Scholastic Literacy Pro Earlybird is a comprehensive, blended reading solution that supports early literacy development for K-2 students within a structured reading leveling system.

It combines a vast library of eBooks aligned with the Science of Reading (SOR) pillars, with assessments, teaching resources, and real-time reports for teachers. The platform’s Beginning Reading Skills Framework focuses on foundational reading skills such as phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, and comprehension, offering structured, levelled reading that aligns with each child’s developmental stage.

Students benefit from audio read-alouds and book activities that reinforce reading skills and provide immediate feedback, encouraging continuous improvement. Teachers can track individual and group progress using detailed reports, allowing for personalized learning paths and targeted interventions.

Additionally, downloadable lesson plans support teachers, especially those with time constraints or teaching English as a second language, reducing preparation time and enhancing instructional quality. Scholastic Literacy Pro Earlybird empowers both students and educators, making early literacy instruction more effective and engaging.

Studycat – Studycat Learn English

Studycat is transforming early language education by making learning fun, accessible, and effective. Lessons unfold within a vibrant virtual town, guided by beloved cat characters, fostering exploration and independent learning. Our groundbreaking innovation, VoicePlay, integrated into our English learning app, empowers children aged 2-8 to practice speaking like never before.

VoicePlay introduces a unique suite of voice-activated games that go beyond passive recognition, encouraging active verbal participation. Its advanced speech recognition engine is optimized for young voices, and understands children’s unique pronunciation patterns to offer real-time, personalized feedback on articulation and fluency. This scalable technology democratizes effective speaking practice, building authentic speaking confidence in children by overcoming shyness and fear of mistakes.

Crucially, Studycat prioritizes child privacy: all VoicePlay data is processed and stored exclusively on the user’s device, setting a new standard for responsible EdTech.

With continuous new game additions, Studycat ensures engaging, curriculum-aligned content that drives genuine learning outcomes, transforming screen time into a meaningful step towards unlocking a child’s confident future.

Twohands Interactive – DIDIM Mini

DIDIM Mini is an augmented reality–based physical education platform designed for children aged three to seven. It combines movement, thinking, and play to help children develop positive attitudes toward exercise and build lifelong healthy habits. Developed with the input of early childhood and physical education experts, DIDIM Mini addresses the decline in physical activity caused by the spread of smartphones and tablets.

The system projects interactive AR content onto the floor, encouraging children to run, jump, and complete missions. Through these activities, they improve motor coordination, problem-solving, and social awareness in an immersive and active learning environment. A built-in LiDAR sensor detects even subtle movements within 0.06 seconds, ensuring immediate feedback.

DIDIM Mini is an all-in-one portable unit with an integrated LiDAR sensor, PC, short-throw projector, and speakers. It requires no installation and can be used by simply connecting to power. Its child-friendly design features durable materials, curved edges, and soft pastel tones that reduce overstimulation.

The system includes 24 activities and offers access to an additional 80 through a monthly subscription. With free software updates, remote technical support, and a two-year warranty, DIDIM Mini provides schools with a sustainable, cost-effective solution that grows with their educational needs.

EdShed – Spelling Shed

Spelling Shed, The Science of Spelling, is a proven spelling scheme with spelling games enjoyed by millions of children worldwide. Designed to create maximum impact with minimal hassle, it equips educators with everything they need to teach and lead spelling effectively.

Spelling Shed combines high-quality resources with gamification. The innovative platform includes a research-based spelling scheme, which uses proven strategies to teach spelling. This includes using phonics as a base, exploring morphology and etymology and incorporating activities that support orthographic mapping. It also includes Spelling Shed’s fun and engaging spelling games, a full grammar and punctuation curriculum, Grammar Arcade (grammar games), Mastery Zone, word lists and data and assessment tools.

Spelling Shed is used in over a third of UK primary schools and by over 27,000 educators. Over 2.5 million children play Spelling Shed games monthly and Spelling Shed’s app is the UK’s number one best-selling spelling app.

Literacy Counts – Ready Steady Read Together

Ready Steady Read Together is an innovative shared reading programme for Years 2 – 6 that delivers impact at scale. Built on diverse, high-quality texts and evidence-backed pedagogy, it enables every child to access ambitious reading lessons while reducing teacher workload.

Every unit follows a structured 5-lesson sequence that blends teacher modelling with collaborative reading and independent practice. The programme integrates all key reading domains – including retrieval, inference and vocabulary – in a way that is engaging and accessible for all learners. Ready Steady Read Together supports schools to raise standards in reading through its focus on developing fluent, confident and independent readers.

Literacy Tree – Literacy Tree Whole School Membership

At Literacy Tree, everything begins with high-quality literature. We believe the best way to teach literacy is through authentic texts, carefully sequenced pedagogy, and resources that save teachers time. Our mission is simple: to change children’s lives through literacy and to empower the teachers who make it happen.Our carefully sequenced planning resources, including Writing Roots, Spelling Seeds, Reading Leaves, Vocabulary Vines, and Bridging Bookmarks, support writing, spelling, reading comprehension, and vocabulary, all through high-quality literature.

Our “Teach Through a Text” approach immerses children in literature, fostering creativity and engagement. Leaders can track curriculum coverage and monitor outcomes confidently. All resources are aligned to statutory frameworks, including the 2025 DfE Writing Framework, while remaining flexible to different school settings.

Since 2024, we’ve significantly enhanced our offer. Vocabulary Vines develops children’s word knowledge in meaningful contexts, while Bridging Bookmarks help classes navigate rich texts effectively within short school terms. In September 2025, we launched a fully rebranded website, delivering a fresher, more intuitive interface with a personal dashboard hosting all resources, CPD, and assessment tools.

With these enhancements, this is the most impactful version of Literacy Tree yet, designed to support every classroom.

Mrs Wordsmith – Word Tag

Word Tag is an innovative, curriculum-aligned digital vocabulary game for children aged 7–13, designed to boost language acquisition both independently and in the classroom. Developed by Mrs Wordsmith, it uses engaging narrative quests and mini-games to teach new words in meaningful contexts, adapting to each learner’s progress for a personalized experience. The app supports flexible usage: students can self-direct their learning at home, while teachers easily integrate Word Tag into lessons, interventions, and homework assignments.

For schools, Word Tag offers a dedicated version with Single Sign-On (SSO) integration—including through platforms like Clever—making class and pupil setup seamless and secure. School staff benefit from real-time tracking of student progress, downloadable reports, and the ability to tailor word challenges to curriculum needs.

Accessibility and inclusion are central: Word Tag includes dyslexia-friendly fonts, audio supports, and targeted scaffolds for EAL and neurodiverse learners. Recent pilots show pupils can master up to 1,000 new words per year with just 20 minutes of daily play, and schools report significant improvements in both vocabulary and reading confidence.

Word Tag empowers learners and educators alike, helping close literacy gaps while fitting a variety of educational settings and management needs.

Olex.AI

Olex is an award-winning AI Writing Platform transforming how schools teach and assess writing. The Olex DfE Writing Framework PowerPack launched in September is a comprehensive suite of AI-powered teaching, assessment, and analytics tools within Olex. It is the only solution directly aligned to the new DfE Writing Framework, giving primary schools powerful support to deliver improved, consistent outcomes in the teaching of writing.

Pedalogic – Pageticker

SPageticker is a digital reading diary aimed at primary schools, specifically researched and designed to encourage reading for pleasure. It is an app for parents, and a web-based dashboard for teachers.

Pageticker is free for families, allowing them to log reading, set goals, and discover new books. Children also receive personalised book recommendations based on their reading history, interests and ability.

Schools subscribe to replace paper diaries, streamline parent communication, and track their book inventories – this means fewer lost books, and allows children to see school library availability within the app.

Pageticker offers significant cost and time savings for schools. Launched in June 2025, it’s gaining rapid adoption ahead of the National Year of Reading 2026.

Scholastic Education (International) – Scholastic Literacy Pro

Designed for students aged 5 and above, Scholastic Literacy Pro is a dynamic reading ecosystem designed to meet every student exactly where they are in their literacy journey, and empowers them to soar as confident, independent readers.

It combines adaptive assessment, personalized eBook recommendations, and real-time data and reports for educators and parents to make reading joyful and powerful.

A student with access to good books is better prepared for academic success. Scholastic Literacy Pro is a powerful, easy-to-use literacy platform centered around a carefully curated library of online eBooks that:
• measures and monitors reading progress using proven assessments
• opens a world of stories and knowledge to every student; and
• motivates students to read with deep comprehension and joy through a personalized bookshelf, interactive quizzes, and progressive awards.

Scholastic Literacy Pro provides access to thousands of engaging eBooks, enhanced with comprehension quizzes, audio read-alongs, and Read & Think scaffolds that support the development of confident, successful readers. Ideal for independent reading, it also features interactive Read Aloud lesson plans that support both whole-class and small-group instruction—making Literacy Pro a versatile resource for every learning environment.

Sounds-Write – The Sounds-Write Membership

The Sounds-Write Membership is an all-in-one digital product that enhances the development of language and literacy by supporting educators through training and delivery of our evidence-based phonics programme. Created by teachers for teachers, the Sounds-Write Membership merges two decades of phonics expertise with practical digital solutions for one clear purpose: ensuring every child becomes a confident reader and speller. Member schools gain access to training, assessments, a classroom resource generator and implementation guidance, all within one intuitive platform.

We are proud that our Membership leads the way in the UK for its advanced functionality, bringing training, assessment, and classroom tools into one platform. By combining proven phonics pedagogy with cutting-edge digital delivery, the Sounds-Write Membership provides schools with an affordable, comprehensive, and future-ready solution. It integrates teacher training, classroom tools, and research-based practice in one place. Most importantly, it enables every educator to become a confident phonics practitioner and every child to develop the language and literacy skills that form the foundation for lifelong learning.

In making our phonics offering more accessible and impactful than ever, the Sounds-Write Membership sets a new gold standard for phonics programmes across the UK.