Online schools for neurodivergent children are growing fast, but is the regulatory framework keeping pace?
A growing number of UK families with neurodivergent children are turning to online alternative provision rather than mainstream school. Gaia Learning, which has been awarded the first ADHD Foundation kite badge given to an online school globally, is one of several UK providers seeing significant demand. Who regulates them, and what quality assurance looks like, varies considerably.
Gaia Learning describes itself as a national online alternative provision and EdTech company specialising in inclusive and neurodivergent education. It delivers curriculum-aligned sessions in English, maths, science, humanities and PSHE to learners from primary through GCSE, using a purpose-built platform called Gaia Bloom. The company has been awarded the ADHD Foundation kite badge as an ADHD Friendly School, the first online school in the world to receive it. Its student population includes learners with ADHD, autism, PDA and other neurodivergent profiles who have not thrived in mainstream e