Q1. What is Bloom?
Bloom is SEND and inclusion 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:
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.
Q2. 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:
This allows MATs to build internal alternative provision capacity, reduce reliance on external placements and ensure pupils remain connected to their school and curriculum.
Q3. 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:
Bloom provides the infrastructure that allows these professionals to support pupils flexibly, whether they are learning:
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.
Q4. 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:
Because Bloom tracks engagement, learning activity and wellbeing centrally, trusts can maintain oversight while using specialist staff more efficiently.
Q5. Example: Bloom in a Multi-Academy Trust
Imagine a trust with eight schools.
Across those schools there may be pupils:
Without shared infrastructure, each school is often managing these challenges independently.
With Bloom:
This allows the MAT to:
Q6. Who is Bloom designed for?
Bloom supports pupils who need flexible access to learning, particularly those with SEND or neurodivergent profiles.
This often includes pupils who are:
Bloom allows schools to keep these pupils connected to learning and their school community.
Q7. 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:
Many MATs use Bloom to build internal inclusion infrastructure and reduce reliance on external AP placements.
Q8. 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:
Q9. Does Bloom count as attendance?
Bloom itself does not determine attendance, but does record all forms of attendance and engagement within the platform.
Attendance is always recorded by the school or authority in line with national guidance and attendance codes.
Bloom supports the learning and evidence of provision within those arrangements.
Q10. Will using Bloom create risk with Ofsted or inspection?
No.
Bloom is designed to strengthen inspection readiness, particularly under the increased focus on:
Bloom helps schools evidence:
Q11. In simple terms, what role does Bloom play?
Bloom is SEND infrastructure for flexible learning and inclusion.
It enables schools and trusts to:
Most importantly, Bloom ensures that pupils remain connected to their education and school community wherever learning happens.
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