FAQ's

Bloom is the UK's leading Learner Support Platform (LSP), providing the infrastructure schools need to deliver, track and evidence learner support.

What is Bloom?

Bloom is the UK's leading SEND and inclusion Learner Support Platform (LSP) - infrastructure for schools, multi-academy trusts and local authorities.

It is a secure digital platform that enables education teams to deliver learning, monitor engagement and evidence SEND provision when pupils cannot access the classroom in the usual way.

Bloom brings together:

• virtual classrooms
• curriculum delivery
• engagement and wellbeing tracking
• progress and intervention analytics
• evidence for SEND provision and inspection

This allows schools and trusts to deliver flexible learning, track impact and coordinate support across settings, while keeping pupils connected to their school and curriculum.

Bloom does not replace existing systems or teaching.
It provides the infrastructure schools need to run inclusive provision at scale.

What is a Learner Support Platform (LSP)?

A Learner Support Platform (LSP) is a digital system that enables schools, trusts and local authorities to deliver, coordinate, track and evidence support for learners who require additional provision beyond the mainstream classroom.

This includes:

• SEND provision
• targeted interventions
• alternative provision
• flexible learning pathways
• medical or EBSA support

Bloom is the UK's leading Learner Support Platform, helping schools ensure learner support continues while providing clear evidence of provision and impact.

How is an LSP different from an LMS or VLE?

An LMS or VLE is designed primarily for mainstream classroom learning and curriculum delivery.

A Learner Support Platform focuses on supported learning pathways for pupils who need additional provision beyond the standard timetable or classroom environment.

Bloom includes a flexible learning environment so that supported learning can be delivered and tracked in one place.

How does Bloom work across a Multi-Academy Trust?

Bloom enables trust-wide SEND and inclusion infrastructure.

Instead of each school managing pupils with complex needs independently, Bloom allows trusts to coordinate provision, staff expertise and learning across multiple schools.

Across a MAT, Bloom enables:

• shared teaching and specialist staff time
• trust-wide intervention groups
• consistent SEND provision and oversight
• shared virtual classrooms and learning environments
• trust-level tracking of engagement and impact

This allows MATs to build internal alternative provision capacity, reduce reliance on external placements and ensure pupils remain connected to their school and curriculum.

Who delivers the teaching on Bloom — Bloom teachers or school teachers?

Bloom is designed to be delivered primarily by the existing staff within a school or multi-academy trust.

This typically includes:

• teachers
• SENCOs and inclusion leads
• teaching assistants
• pastoral teams
• trust inclusion teams

Bloom provides the infrastructure that allows these professionals to support pupils flexibly, whether they are learning:

• in the classroom
• in an inclusion base
• at home
• in hospital
• in an alternative learning space

In some situations Gaia Learning teachers can supplement provision, but Bloom is primarily designed to strengthen internal capacity within schools and trusts, not replace it.

How can Bloom enable shared teaching resources across a MAT?

One of Bloom’s most powerful uses is enabling shared provision across multiple schools.

For example across a trust:

• A specialist SEND teacher could deliver a literacy intervention to pupils from several schools simultaneously.
• A trust inclusion lead could run nurture or wellbeing sessions across multiple sites.
• A teaching assistant could support pupils learning remotely or in inclusion bases across several schools.
• A shared virtual classroom could connect learners from different schools who need similar provision.

Because Bloom tracks engagement, learning activity and wellbeing centrally, trusts can maintain oversight while using specialist staff more efficiently.

Example: Bloom in a Multi-Academy Trust

Imagine a trust with eight schools.

Across those schools there may be pupils:

• experiencing EBSA
• on reduced timetables
• learning in inclusion bases
• awaiting specialist placements

Without shared infrastructure, each school is often managing these challenges independently.

With Bloom:

• A trust SEND specialist teacher runs daily intervention sessions for pupils across multiple schools.
• Teaching assistants in each school support pupils locally in inclusion bases or quiet learning spaces.
• Pupils remain connected to their school curriculum and teachers, while receiving additional support through trust provision.
• Engagement, learning and wellbeing are tracked centrally across the trust.

This allows the MAT to:

• build internal alternative provision capacity
• reduce external AP spend
• share specialist expertise across schools
• track intervention impact at trust level

Does Bloom replace in-person classroom teaching?

No.

Bloom is designed to extend and connect existing provision, not replace it.

Learners remain aligned with their school curriculum, teachers and learning materials wherever possible.

Bloom simply allows learning and support to continue when pupils are:

• learning outside the classroom
• accessing inclusion bases
• receiving additional support
• unable to attend school temporarily.

Will using Bloom create risk with Ofsted or inspection?

No.

Bloom is designed to strengthen inspection readiness, particularly under the increased focus on:

• inclusion
• SEND provision
• alternative provision
• support for pupils struggling to attend

Bloom helps schools evidence:

• inclusive provision across multiple learning settings
• purposeful learning for pupils outside the classroom
• oversight of alternative or medical provision
• engagement, wellbeing and progress over time
• structured reintegration planning

In simple terms, what role does Bloom play?

Bloom is SEND infrastructure for flexible learning and inclusion.

It enables schools and trusts to:

• deliver learning beyond the classroom
• coordinate support across teams and settings
• monitor engagement and wellbeing
• evidence SEND provision and impact

Most importantly, Bloom ensures that pupils remain connected to their education and school community wherever learning happens.

Is Bloom an Alternative Provision provider?

Gaia Learning is a specialist online Alternative Provision provider working with local authorities across the UK.

Bloom is the digital platform developed by Gaia Learning.

Bloom itself is not an AP provider.

Instead, it enables schools and trusts to:

• deliver internal alternative provision
• coordinate commissioned support
• monitor engagement and wellbeing
• evidence SEND provision and impact

Many MATs use Bloom to build internal inclusion infrastructure and reduce reliance on external AP placements.

Who is Bloom designed for?

Bloom is used by:

• Schools delivering SEND provision and interventions
• Multi-Academy Trusts seeking visibility across learner support
• Local Authorities commissioning and monitoring provision
• Alternative Provision providers delivering structured support programmes