Earwig Academic is a UK education technology company that helps schools capture teaching evidence, monitor pupil progress, support parents and prepare professional school documents. Its platform is especially useful for special schools, SEND departments, SENCOs, alternative provision and pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans.
The software brings photographs, videos, documents, assessments and teacher observations together in one secure digital space. This helps schools create a clear record of progress without relying on scattered files, notebooks or separate spreadsheets.
What Is Earwig Academic?
Earwig Academic Reporting Limited is the legal company behind the platform. It was incorporated in November 2012 and has its registered office at Little Barn, High Street, Ripley, Surrey, GU23 6BB.
The business operates as an active private limited company under company number 08304947. Its official business classification is educational support services. The company works with schools across the United Kingdom and focuses on evidence-based teaching, assessment and family engagement.
Current directors include Peter Anthony Maxwell Gelardi, Mark Hindmarsh, Owen Jamieson and Emilie-Kate Kidd. Peter Gelardi is also recorded as the person with significant control, holding more than 25% but no more than 50% of the company’s shares and voting rights.
Earwig Academic Quick Info
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Company name | Earwig Academic |
| Legal company | Earwig Academic Reporting Limited |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Headquarters | Ripley, Surrey, UK |
| Industry | Education technology |
| Main services | SEND assessment, evidence tracking and school reporting |
| Target users | Schools, SENCOs, teachers, parents and trusts |
| Key features | EHCP tracking, learning timelines, analytics and parent engagement |
| Pricing | Bronze, Silver and Gold packages |
| Website | www.earwigacademic.com |
How Earwig Academic Supports Schools
Teaching Evidence and Learning Timelines
Teachers can use the platform to capture important moments during lessons and school activities. These may include a pupil completing a task, developing communication skills, participating in therapy or reaching a personal target. Each record can be connected to a pupil, group, class, subject or curriculum area. Staff can then arrange these records into timelines that show progress over a term, school year or longer period.
Evidence may include:
- Photographs
- Videos
- Audio recordings
- Scanned documents
- Teacher comments
- Assessment results
- Pupil-created work
- Parent observations
This approach is particularly useful in special education, where progress may involve communication, independence, emotional development, sensory skills or life skills rather than only examination results.
Assessment and EHCP Tracking
The assessment tools support curriculum planning, attainment tracking and individual target setting. Schools can use existing frameworks or create their own grading systems. Earwig Academic supports targets connected to EHCP outcomes, annual reviews, baselines, working levels and next steps. Teachers can record progress throughout the year and compare results across different terms.
Supporting Annual Reviews
The platform gives schools a structured way to gather evidence for annual reviews. Staff can connect photographs, videos and written observations to specific outcomes, making it easier to show how a pupil has developed. Schools may also create individual reports for parents, local authorities, governors and senior leaders. Custom frameworks can reflect the needs of different pupils instead of forcing every learner into the same assessment system.
Reports, Analytics and Parent Engagement
The reporting tools allow schools to create termly documents, annual review records, intervention summaries and leadership reports. Templates can include text, charts, photographs and assessment information. Parents can receive secure access to approved records about their child. They may view achievements, read teacher comments and add observations from home. Parents only receive access to records connected to their own child.
This creates stronger communication between school and home. Families can see progress throughout the year rather than waiting for a formal meeting or end-of-term document.
Who Can Use Earwig Academic?
Special Schools and SEND Teams
The platform is designed for special schools that need flexible assessment methods. It can support pupils with complex learning needs, communication difficulties, physical disabilities and developmental targets. SENCOs in mainstream schools can also use the system to coordinate evidence, monitor support plans and share information with teachers and families.
EOTAS and Alternative Provision
EOTAS means Education Otherwise Than At School. This may involve home education, hospital education, online learning, tutoring or therapy. Earwig Academic can connect parents, tutors, therapists, school staff and local authority professionals. It can hold evidence related to academic learning, EHCP outcomes, social development, emotional wellbeing and practical skills.
The platform may also support pupil referral units, hospital schools and specialist education programmes.
Trusts and Mainstream Schools
Multi-academy trusts can use central accounts, group-wide analytics and shared assessment structures. Trust leaders can compare progress across schools while allowing each school to maintain its own curriculum approach. The company also provides school blogs, pupil portfolios, parent access, limited staff permissions and school diaries.
Packages, Pricing and Commercial Model
Bronze, Silver and Gold
The current package structure includes Bronze, Silver and Gold options. Bronze is designed for smaller units and provides core evidence, assessment, tracking and parent functions. Silver offers more frameworks and additional support for smaller special schools. Gold provides the broadest range of tools, custom frameworks, advanced reporting and MIS integration.
Published annual ranges are approximately:
- Bronze: £400 to £800
- Silver: £800 to £1,200
- Gold: £1,200 to £1,900
Extra charges may apply for setup, training, additional pupils, custom frameworks, reporting, parent access, portfolios and consultant support. Schools with larger pupil numbers may need the Gold package.
Parent Media Services
Basic parent access is provided without charge while a child remains connected to the school. Earwig Academic may also charge parents for high-resolution photographs, videos, prints and unlimited download services. The school terms state that schools own their photographs, while the company receives permission to display and sell approved media to parents. Parents must not share images containing other children on social media without permission.
Data Protection and Security
Storage and Permissions
The company states that school data is stored in the United Kingdom using secure cloud infrastructure. It refers to encryption, controlled access, password protection, multi-factor authentication and school-managed user permissions. Schools decide which staff members can view or approve records. Parents should only see content connected to their child.
The company’s policies refer to regular backups and a formal process for restoring data. However, the public documents contain different retention periods, with some pages referring to five years and another referring to seven years after a contract ends.
Mobile Apps and Technology Partner
The Teacher and Parent applications are published through Techseria Private Limited. This developer name differs from the UK company name, so schools should request clear details about app hosting, data transfers and subprocessors.
The Apple applications have received mixed ratings, while Google Play shows higher download figures but limited user feedback. App-store privacy disclosures also differ between platforms. This makes it important for schools to review the latest data-processing agreement before purchase.
Company History and Development
Earwig Academic raised historical investment through Crowdcube in 2014 and 2015. The fundraising record shows total investment of approximately £381,200 from 173 investors. The company continues to promote conferences, training, school consultancy and SEND education events. It also supports Parents In Need, a registered charity that helps children access specialist educational assessments.
Earwig Academic has a small-company structure, although its own business pages describe a wider network of schools, teachers and pupils using the platform.
Artificial Intelligence Development
The company is developing AI tools for evidence recognition, report writing, target setting, parent communication, analytics and lesson planning. Its published development programme includes trials for image recognition and report commentary during 2026, followed by target-setting and lesson-planning tools in 2027.
These features are still developing, so schools should confirm which AI functions are currently active. They should also ask whether pupil data is used to train models, which technology providers are involved and whether schools can disable AI functions.
Strengths and Points to Consider
Earwig Academic offers a strong combination of visual evidence, SEND assessment, EHCP tracking, parent communication and school reporting. Its flexibility is valuable for schools where progress cannot be measured through standard academic grades alone. Independent education reviews have been positive, and specialist schools publicly describe using the platform for daily evidence and annual reviews.
However, buyers should check the exact price, data retention period, app arrangements, contract renewal rules, export process and current AI availability. Claims about school numbers, government recognition and Ofsted benefits should also be treated carefully unless supported by independent evidence.
Conclusion
Earwig Academic is an established UK education software provider focused on teaching evidence, SEND assessment, pupil progress and family engagement. Its tools can help schools create organised learning timelines, monitor EHCP outcomes and produce stronger annual review documents.
The platform has clear value for special schools, SENCOs, EOTAS providers and trusts. A detailed contract, security review and live demonstration should be completed before adoption, especially because pricing, retention and mobile-app arrangements require further clarification.
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