Every statistic, data point, and claim used across the Bloom documentation, re-checked against live sources in October 2026. Corrected rows show the right figure and its source. Removed rows could not be verified and have been taken out of the investor documents. The full register of every claim is the Bloom Sources & Evidence Register.
Section 1 — Prevalence
Figures on the scale of neurodivergence in the UK and globally.
| Claim | Detail & context | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 in 5 children has a learning difference | October 2026 check: 20.8% of pupils in England (1.86m) have SEN. SEN is not the same as a learning difference; the pack now says "one in five pupils has SEN". Source ↗ Widely cited figure covering ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, and related profiles. Some sources cite 1 in 7 for diagnosed conditions only; 1 in 5 includes undiagnosed and subclinical profiles. |
NHS Digital 2024 / NICE Guidelines / WHO estimates | Corrected |
| 3.2 million neurodivergent children in the UK | October 2026 check: No published source. Replaced in the pack by DfE: 1.86m pupils with SEN in England. Source ↗ Derived from 1-in-5 applied to UK child population of approximately 13.3m children under 18. Figure is composite — no single source publishes this exact number. |
ONS Population Estimates 2024 / NHS Digital composite | Removed |
| ADHD diagnoses in the UK increased 400% in the last decade | October 2026 check: No source gives 400%. UCL (2023) confirms a significant rise over two decades. Source ↗ Reflects growth in formal diagnosis rates, not necessarily prevalence. Driven by increased awareness, reduced stigma, and expanded diagnostic criteria. The specific figure of 400% is widely cited in clinical literature. |
ADHD Foundation UK / NICE ADHD Guidelines 2023 / BMJ research | Removed |
| Autism assessments have a 3-year waiting list in most areas | October 2026 check: Average wait for an autism assessment is over 16 months, with 227,813 open referrals (NAS, NHS data to Sep 2025). Source ↗ NHS England data shows average wait times for autism assessment exceeding 2 years in many regions; some areas report 3+ years. Figure varies significantly by NHS Trust. The 3-year figure is representative of worst-affected areas. |
NHS England Waiting Times Data 2024 / APPG Autism 2024 report | Corrected |
| 5–7 children in a typical classroom have neurodivergent profiles | October 2026 check: At 20.8% SEN, about 6 pupils in a class of 30 have SEN. SEN is not the same as neurodivergence. Source ↗ Derived from 1-in-5 applied to a standard class of 30. Presented as an illustration, not a precise statistic. |
Derived from prevalence data above | Corrected |
| 56% of permanently excluded pupils have identified SEN | October 2026 check: DfE publishes rates, not this share: 0.41 per 100 pupils on SEN support vs 0.08 with no SEN, about 5× higher. Source ↗ Consistently reported across DfE exclusion statistics. The most recent published figure at time of writing. |
DfE Permanent Exclusions Statistics, 2023–24 | Removed |
| Average age of ADHD diagnosis in the UK is 7–8 | October 2026 check: Not found in NICE NG87 or the NHS ADHD Taskforce report. Clinical guideline references from NICE and ADHD Foundation. Many children wait significantly longer — 7–8 represents the median for those who do receive a timely diagnosis. |
NICE ADHD Guidelines NG87 / ADHD Foundation UK data | Removed |
Section 2 — The System
Data on EHCP processes, CAMHS waiting times, costs, and parental experience.
| Claim | Detail & context | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 73% of SEN parents report feeling unsupported by the school system | October 2026 check: No IPSEA survey with this figure found. Replaced by Sense / Censuswide 2026: £8,500 a year of own money; 35% have left work. Source ↗ IPSEA regularly surveys SEN parents on their experience of the SEND system. This figure reflects the proportion reporting their child's needs are not being adequately met by school provision. Survey methodology and sample size should be verified. |
IPSEA Survey 2024 | Removed |
| Average EHCP application takes over 20 weeks | October 2026 check: 46.1% of plans issued within 20 weeks in 2025; mean 24 weeks; 10.3% over a year. Source ↗ The statutory timescale is 20 weeks from request to final EHCP. DfE data shows the majority of LAs breach this — many cases take 30–52 weeks or longer including appeals. |
DfE SEN Statistics 2024 / IPSEA guidance | Verified |
| 18+ month average CAMHS waiting time in most English regions | October 2026 check: Average CAMHS waits are measured in days: area averages 6–103 days, suspected autism 223 days (2023–24). Source ↗ NHS England publishes CAMHS waiting time data by region. As of 2024–25, many areas report waits exceeding 18 months for initial assessment. The figure varies significantly — some areas are worse, some better. |
NHS England CAMHS Waiting Times Data 2024–25 | Removed |
| 3-year EHCP battles are common | October 2026 check: 10.3% of plans take over a year; no source for 2–4 year timelines. Source ↗ From first request to a final, legally compliant EHCP with appropriate provision, including refused requests, mediation, and tribunal, many families report 2–4 year timelines. This is widely documented by IPSEA, SOS!SEN, and Contact. |
IPSEA case data / SOS!SEN / Contact charity annual reports | Removed |
| SENDIAS services are funded by each local authority and are a statutory right | October 2026 check: Children and Families Act 2014, s.32. Source ↗ SENDIAS (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support) is a statutory service under the Children and Families Act 2014. Every LA in England is required to fund an independent SENDIAS service. |
Children and Families Act 2014 s.32 / DfE SEND Code of Practice | Verified |
| Claim | Detail & context | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| £9,400 average annual cost of specialist private tuition for one child | October 2026 check: No UK Tutors Association source found. SEN tutors average £23.74 an hour (£32 in London). Source ↗ Derived from average hourly rates for specialist SEN tutors (£40–80/hour) multiplied by typical weekly usage (2–3 hours) across 48 weeks. The specific figure of £9,400 requires independent verification — exact source needs identifying. |
UK Tutors Association 2024 — requires direct verification | Removed |
| SEN families spend £200–800/month on specialist support | October 2026 check: Families of children with complex needs spend an average of £8,500 a year (about £700 a month). Source ↗ Covers tutoring, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, educational psychology assessments, and private medical appointments. The range is wide — lower end for one or two services, higher end for comprehensive private support packages. |
Derived from published hourly rates / Contact charity cost of care data | Corrected |
| GoStudent charges £40–80/hour for tutoring | October 2026 check: UK lessons cost about £21.99–30.49 each. Source ↗ Published pricing on GoStudent.com as of June 2026. Specialist SEN tutors typically command the higher end of this range. |
GoStudent.com published pricing 2026 | Corrected |
| Bloom at £14/month is 56× cheaper than specialist tuition | October 2026 check: Rests on the unsupported £9,400. A weekly SEN tutor at £24 an hour is about £100 a month: Bloom is about 7× cheaper. Source ↗ Calculated as £9,400/year ÷ 12 months = £783/month. £783 ÷ £14 = 55.9×, rounded to 56×. Dependent on the £9,400 figure being verified. |
Derived calculation — dependent on £9,400 figure | Removed |
Section 3 — Market Size
Market sizing figures. Commercial research estimates vary widely — treat as directional unless a primary source is available.
| Claim | Detail & context | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| $247bn global EdTech market size in 2024 | October 2026 check: Grand View Research: $142.37bn in 2023, 13.6% CAGR to 2030. Source ↗ Multiple commercial research firms estimate the global EdTech market in the $200–300bn range for 2024. The $247bn figure is from one such estimate. Grand View Research, MarketsandMarkets, and HolonIQ all publish in this range. |
Grand View Research / MarketsandMarkets EdTech Market Report 2024 | Corrected |
| EdTech market growing at 13.9% CAGR to $908bn by 2034 | October 2026 check: Forecasts vary widely; no source for $908bn. CAGR projections from commercial research firms. The 13.9% figure is from a specific report; other firms project 12–16%. The $908bn figure is derived from this CAGR applied to the $247bn base. |
Grand View Research EdTech Market Report 2024 | Removed |
| $5.9bn AI-in-education market in 2024 | October 2026 check: MarketsandMarkets: $2.21bn in 2024. Source ↗ The AI-in-education market is a subset of EdTech. Multiple reports estimate it in the $4–7bn range for 2024 depending on scope definition. |
HolonIQ / MarketsandMarkets AI in Education Report 2024 | Corrected |
| AI-in-education projected $32bn by 2030 — 31% CAGR | October 2026 check: MarketsandMarkets: $5.82bn by 2030, 17.5% CAGR. Source ↗ Growth projections for AI-in-education reflect rapid adoption of LLM-based tutoring tools from 2023 onwards. The 31% CAGR is higher than total EdTech growth, reflecting the AI-specific acceleration. |
HolonIQ AI in Education Report 2024 / multiple commercial sources | Corrected |
| EdTech VC funding dropped to $2.4bn in 2024 | October 2026 check: $2.4bn in 2024, a decade low; the 2021 peak was $16.7bn. Source ↗ HolonIQ tracks global EdTech venture funding. The 2024 figure represents the lowest level since 2015, following the post-pandemic correction from the 2021 peak of $20bn+. |
HolonIQ EdTech Venture Capital Report 2024 | Verified |
| Claim | Detail & context | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| £4.7bn UK SEN education support market | October 2026 check: No source found. Replaced in the pack by DfE: 718,838 EHC plans, up 12.5% in a year. Source ↗ Covers specialist schools, SEN tuition, therapies, educational psychology, and SEND-specific EdTech. This is a composite estimate — no single body publishes this exact figure. Requires verification against a named commercial research source or DfE SEN spending data. |
Composite estimate — requires direct source verification | Removed |
| UK SEN market growing 12% year on year | October 2026 check: No source found. Replaced by the 12.5% annual rise in EHC plans. Source ↗ Driven by rising EHCP demand (EHCPs in England increased from 240,000 in 2018 to over 576,000 in 2024 — a 140% increase in 6 years), rising diagnosis rates, and growing parent awareness. The 12% figure is estimated from DfE trend data. |
DfE SEN Statistics: January 2024 / derived from EHCP volume growth | Removed |
| EHCPs in England grew from 240,000 to 576,000 between 2018 and 2024 | October 2026 check: 576,474 plans in Jan 2024 confirmed; now 718,838 (Jan 2026). Source ↗ DfE publishes annual SEND statistics. This represents the growth in children with an Education, Health and Care Plan — a reliable proxy for system pressure and demand. |
DfE Special Educational Needs in England Statistics: January 2024 | Verified |
| Pupil premium eligible schools can use funding for Bloom | October 2026 check: Pupil premium is for disadvantaged pupils (free school meals, looked-after), not SEN, and must fund evidence-informed activity. Source ↗ Pupil premium funding (£1,455 per eligible primary pupil, £1,035 secondary in 2024–25) can be used for evidence-based interventions. EdTech platforms with SEND impact evidence are eligible. This is a Bloom assertion — not independently verified eligibility. |
DfE Pupil Premium Guidance 2024–25 — Bloom eligibility requires confirmation | Corrected |
Section 4 — Competitor Data
Data on specific competitors used in the competitive landscape document.
| Competitor | Claim | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lingokids | October 2026 check: $120m Series D (Sept 2025) confirmed; a $186m total is not. Source ↗ $186m total raised, including $120m Series D in September 2025 |
Crunchbase / press reports September 2025 | Corrected |
| GoStudent | October 2026 check: €590m+ raised as of Jan 2022. Source ↗ €590m total raised — Europe's largest tutoring marketplace |
Crunchbase / GoStudent press releases | Verified |
| CENTURY Tech | October 2026 check: CB Insights: about $6.8m raised. Source ↗ £18m+ raised — UK B2B school AI platform |
Crunchbase / Companies House filings | Corrected |
| Understood.org | October 2026 check: Non-profit; reaches 20m+ people a year; 2023 revenue $40.9m; no $70m figure found. Source ↗ $70m+ raised — US non-profit for learning differences |
Understood.org annual reports / press releases | Corrected |
| Sparx Maths | October 2026 check: 2,600+ schools, over half of UK schools. Source ↗ 800+ UK school partnerships / independent RCT results published November 2025 |
Sparx website / Eedi RCT publication November 2025 | Corrected |
| Maths-Whizz | October 2026 check: £19.99 a month or £149.99 a year; adaptive, ages 5–13; EEF trial published June 2026. Source ↗ ~£15/month consumer price / EEF evaluation underway |
Maths-Whizz website pricing 2026 / EEF project register | Corrected |
| Nessy Learning | October 2026 check: From $15.50 a month; Reading and Spelling is for ages 6–11. Source ↗ ~£13/month pricing |
Nessy.com published pricing 2026 | Corrected |
| Khan Academy | October 2026 check: 227m registered users; Khanmigo costs parents $4 a month. Source ↗ ~150m registered users globally / Khanmigo powered by GPT-4 |
Khan Academy annual impact report 2024 / Khanmigo product page | Corrected |
Section 5 — Pedagogy & Research
Research and frameworks underpinning Bloom's pedagogical and product design decisions.
| Framework / Claim | Detail & context | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Design for Learning (UDL) — 3 principles | October 2026 check: Three principles confirmed; CAST has since issued UDL Guidelines 3.0. Source ↗ UDL's three principles are: Multiple Means of Representation, Multiple Means of Action and Expression, and Multiple Means of Engagement. Developed at CAST. Widely adopted in UK and US SEN guidance. |
CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. cast.org | Corrected |
| External rewards undermine intrinsic motivation when removed | October 2026 check: Deci, Koestner & Ryan (1999) meta-analysis confirms tangible rewards can undermine intrinsic motivation. Source ↗ Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985 onward) — the "overjustification effect." Extensively replicated. Core justification for Bloom's no-streaks, no-points design principle. |
Deci, E.L. & Ryan, R.M. (1985). Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Determination in Human Behavior. / Meta-analysis: Deci et al. (1999) Psychological Bulletin | Verified |
| Polyvagal theory — nervous system regulation before learning | October 2026 check: Polyvagal theory is contested. The pack now presents regulate-first as Bloom's design principle, not settled science. Porges' Polyvagal Theory (1994) describes the hierarchical role of the autonomic nervous system in social engagement and felt safety. Applied to education: a regulated nervous system is a prerequisite for learning, not a precondition that can be bypassed. |
Porges, S.W. (1994). Orienting in a defensive world. Psychophysiology. / Dana, D. (2018). The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy. | Removed |
| CPA approach (Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract) for maths | October 2026 check: NCETM frames this as "representation and structure"; CPA originates with Bruner (1966). Source ↗ Originated with Jerome Bruner (1966). Adopted by the NCETM Teaching for Mastery programme as the core pedagogical framework for UK primary maths. Strong evidence base particularly for children who struggle with abstract representation. |
Bruner, J.S. (1966). Toward a Theory of Instruction. / NCETM Teaching for Mastery guidance 2023. | Corrected |
| Spaced retrieval improves long-term retention | October 2026 check: Finding holds; Roediger & Karpicke (2006) was published in Psychological Science, not Science. Source ↗ One of the most replicated findings in cognitive psychology. Applied to Bloom's spaced retrieval system. The "spacing effect" has been demonstrated across thousands of studies. |
Cepeda et al. (2006). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks. Psychological Bulletin. / Roediger & Karpicke (2006). Science. | Corrected |
| IRT (Item Response Theory) for adaptive assessment | October 2026 check: Citations look genuine; source pages not yet opened. Well-established psychometric framework used in adaptive testing systems. Bloom's use of IRT for the knowledge graph is consistent with evidence-based adaptive learning systems including those used in PISA and similar large-scale assessments. |
Lord, F.M. (1980). Applications of Item Response Theory to Practical Testing Problems. / Baker, F. (2001). The Basics of Item Response Theory. | To check |
| Alexithymia (difficulty identifying emotions) in neurodivergent children | October 2026 check: Kinnaird et al. (2019): 49.93% in autism vs 4.89% in neurotypical people; published in European Psychiatry. Source ↗ Alexithymia is significantly more prevalent in autistic individuals (estimated 50%+ vs ~10% general population). It is also elevated in ADHD profiles. Directly supports the rationale for non-word-based feelings check-in design. |
Bird & Cook (2013). Mixed emotions. Translational Psychiatry. / Kinnaird et al. (2019). Neuropsychology Review. | Corrected |
| Early intervention has dramatically better outcomes than waiting for school age | October 2026 check: Estes et al. (2015) was in J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry; gains held at 2 years. "Dramatically" is overstated. Source ↗ Robust evidence across multiple conditions. For autism: early intensive intervention (pre-school) shows significant developmental gains. For ADHD: earlier support reduces educational underachievement trajectories. NICE guidelines for both conditions emphasise early intervention. |
NICE Early Intervention Guidelines / Portage evidence base / Estes et al. (2015). Early Intensive Intervention for Autism. JAMA Pediatrics. | Corrected |
| NCETM — National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics | October 2026 check: DfE-funded; about 9,000 primary schools involved since 2015. Source ↗ NCETM is a DfE-funded body providing guidance on maths teaching across England. Their Teaching for Mastery programme is now the dominant framework in English primary maths. CPA approach is central to their guidance. |
ncetm.org.uk / DfE Teaching for Mastery programme documentation | Verified |
| Cogmed — strong RCT evidence for working memory gains in ADHD | October 2026 check: Citations look genuine; source pages not yet opened. Far-transfer evidence is contested. Cogmed has published multiple RCTs. However, the evidence is contested — some meta-analyses find near-transfer effects (working memory tasks improve) but limited far-transfer to real-world functioning. This nuance should be reflected if cited in clinical contexts. |
Holmes et al. (2009). Adaptive training leads to sustained enhancement of poor working memory in children. Developmental Science. / Melby-Lervåg & Hulme (2013) meta-analysis. Developmental Psychology. | To check |
Section 6 — Bloom Projections
Revenue projections, unit economics, and business model figures. These are internal estimates — not independently validated.
| Claim | Assumption basis | Variables / caveats | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloom Family plan: £14/month | Benchmarked against comparable consumer EdTech (Maths-Whizz ~£15, Lingokids ~£12). Positioned as affordable relative to specialist tuition. Subject to change. | May need adjustment based on parent research and willingness-to-pay interviews | Estimated |
| Bloom Plus plan: £29/month | Premium tier with EHCP reports and advanced features. Approximately 2× Family price — standard freemium-to-premium ratio. | Conversion rate from Family to Plus is an unknown. Target 20% of paid base. | Estimated |
| School licence: £180/pupil/year | Benchmarked against comparable school SEN tools. Within typical SEN per-pupil spend range. Pupil premium eligibility would make this self-funding for schools. | Requires verification against actual school budgets and procurement processes | Estimated |
| CAC target: <£30 via community channels | Based on organic acquisition through SEN parent Facebook groups, SENCO referrals, and word-of-mouth. Very low CAC is achievable if product delivers strong NPS — SEN parents are vocal recommenders. | Pre-launch assumption only. Actual CAC will be determined in Phase 1. | Estimated |
| LTV: £252 (Family plan, 18-month average) | £14/month × 18 months = £252. 18-month average retention is an assumption based on comparable consumer EdTech. Actual retention must be measured in Phase 1. | Entirely dependent on product retention performance | Estimated |
| Self-hosted AI: ~£1.8k per month during the beta | GPU hosting for an open-weight tutor model on UK/EU infrastructure, from the proposed 18-month use-of-funds budget (October 2026). No third-party AI API is used for child data. | Depends on GPU provider pricing, model size and session volume. A largely fixed cost that spreads as families grow. | Estimated |
| Target: 2,000 paying families at month 18 = £28k MRR | 2,000 × £14/month = £28,000 MRR. 2,000 families represents approximately 0.06% of the UK neurodivergent child population — a conservative early target. | This is a stretch goal, not a projection. Requires product-market fit confirmation in Phase 1–2. | Estimated |
| Gross margin target: 70%+ at scale | Typical B2C SaaS gross margin target. LLM API costs are the key variable compressing margin in Phase 1–2. Self-hosted model migration in Phase 3 restores margin. | Pre-migration margin likely 60–75% depending on LLM costs; post-migration 80%+ | Estimated |
| NHS ICB commissioning at £500–800/child | Based on comparable digital health commissioning rates for mental health and neurodevelopmental apps. No specific Bloom quote exists — requires NHS commissioning research. | Phase 3+ assumption only. Requires NICE-compliant clinical evidence base first. | Estimated |
Section 7 — To Verify
These are the figures most likely to be challenged in an investor or press context. Verify before pitching.
| Claim | Why it needs attention | Where to verify | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| £9,400 average annual cost of specialist tuition | October 2026 check: No source found. See row above. Source ↗ The "UK Tutors Association" source is cited but needs a direct URL and publication date. This figure is used in the key pricing comparison (56× cheaper than Bloom) so it needs to be solid. |
UK Tutors Association website / Tutor Hunt / Bark.com average pricing data | Removed |
| 73% of SEN parents feel unsupported | October 2026 check: No source found. Replaced by Sense / Censuswide 2026. Source ↗ IPSEA survey figure — needs direct link to the specific survey publication. IPSEA runs multiple surveys; the exact question wording and sample size matter. |
ipsea.org.uk — search survey publications 2023–24 | Removed |
| £4.7bn UK SEN market | October 2026 check: No source found. Replaced by DfE EHC plan figures. Source ↗ No direct source is currently cited for this figure. It needs either a commercial research report or a derivation from DfE total SEN spend data. |
DfE Section 251 SEN expenditure data / commercial research purchase | Removed |
| ADHD diagnoses up 400% in the last decade | October 2026 check: No source found. Source ↗ Widely cited but the precise figure varies by source and time period. Some sources cite 400%, others cite different percentages over different windows. Needs a specific, named source. |
ADHD Foundation UK annual data / NHS Digital prescribing data / BMJ publications | Removed |
| 18mo+ CAMHS waiting times | October 2026 check: Average CAMHS waits are measured in days. Replaced by the NAS autism-assessment wait. Source ↗ NHS England publishes this data but it changes frequently. The figure should reference a specific region and date to be defensible. |
NHS England CAMHS waiting times dashboard — publish.england.nhs.uk | Removed |
| Pupil premium eligibility for Bloom | October 2026 check: Pupil premium is for disadvantaged pupils, not SEN. Source ↗ Schools can use pupil premium for many purposes, but EdTech eligibility depends on having evidence of impact. Bloom currently has no published evidence base. |
DfE Pupil Premium guidance / EEF recommendations list | Corrected |
| Sparx RCT results November 2025 | October 2026 check: The RCT evaluated Eedi; Sparx was a comparison only. Source ↗ Referenced as an independent RCT published via Eedi. The exact publication should be found and linked. |
Eedi research publications page / Education Endowment Foundation database | Corrected |
| 3.2 million neurodivergent children in the UK | October 2026 check: No published source. Replaced by DfE: 1.86m pupils with SEN in England. Source ↗ A composite derived from 1-in-5 applied to the child population. Both figures need to be confirmed: the prevalence estimate and the population base used. |
ONS Population by age 2024 / NHS Digital prevalence data | Removed |