SaaS Development for UK EdTech — ICO AADC Built In

EdTech SaaS Market Segments — UK 2026

UK EdTech SaaS market has four main segments: (1) School MIS (Management Information System) — Bromcom, Arbor replacing SIMS (Capita — market leader losing share). High switching costs but strong growth. (2) Learning Management System (LMS) — Canvas, Moodle, custom builds for MATs and universities. (3) Assessment and qualification platforms — Ofqual-regulated, awarding organisation integration required. (4) Professional development and CPD (Continuing Professional Development) — corporate learning, teacher CPD, regulated professional bodies. UK EdTech SaaS pricing: SaaS model dominates (per-pupil, per-teacher, per-organisation licensing). DfE Marketplace (digitally register.education.gov.uk) — EdTech suppliers register for school procurement.

MAT (Multi-Academy Trust) SaaS Architecture

UK Multi-Academy Trust (MAT): chains of academies with centralised management. MAT SaaS architecture: (1) MAT-level dashboard (aggregated data across all academies — 3 to 40+ schools in one MAT), (2) academy-level portals (each academy has its own branded portal — Row Level Security isolates academy data), (3) MAT-wide reporting (DfE statutory returns — all academies contribute to one MAT submission), (4) school MIS integration (Bromcom/Arbor per-academy — each academy has its own MIS instance, MAT SaaS connects via API). DfE compliance: MAT SaaS must support all DfE census returns (Autumn, Spring, Summer — different data items each term). UPN (Unique Pupil Number) as universal identifier across all academies in MAT.

Ofqual-Regulated Assessment SaaS

Ofqual (Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation): regulates qualifications in England. Ofqual-regulated EdTech SaaS requirements: (1) awarding organisation accreditation (if creating qualifications — Ofqual recognised awarding organisation status required, or partnership with one), (2) qualification data submission (Learning Aims Reference Service — LARS — database of all regulated qualifications), (3) grade boundaries (published post-assessment — Ofqual requires grade boundary transparency), (4) results integrity (candidate results records — immutable once confirmed, 5-year retention minimum), (5) special consideration (medical evidence → grade adjustment workflow). EPAO (End-Point Assessment Organisation): apprenticeship assessment — Ofqual registers EPAOs, ClickMasters has built EPAO platforms for 3 UK organisations.

SEND (Special Educational Needs) SaaS Requirements

UK SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities): Children and Families Act 2014 — EHCPs (Education, Health and Care Plans) for pupils with complex needs. SEND SaaS features: (1) EHCP management (draft, review, finalise — 20-week statutory timeline from assessment request to EHCP issued), (2) Local Authority portal (LA coordinates EHCP process — school, parent, health, social care contributions), (3) outcome tracking (EHCP outcomes reviewed annually — progress against SEND outcomes), (4) SEND register (school SEND register — identified pupils, SEND support type, provision). AADC: EHCP data is personal data for children under 18 — ICO AADC compliance mandatory. SEN2 return (DfE annual return — SEND data): automated from SEND SaaS.

ICO AADC

UK GDPR

DfE

Ofqual

PSBAR WCAG 2.1 AA

Cyber Essentials