The Access Group acquires blended learning trailblazer Edtech firm

++ GCSEPod became ‘first port of call’ for lockdown learning ++

++ Parent Founders ‘honored’ to work alongside teachers ++

GCSEPod, the award winning edtech firm, providing teaching and learning content, assessment and data to over 1,700 schools and colleges, has today been acquired by The Access Group, a leading business solutions and software provider for mid-sized organisations.

GCSEPod will become part of The Access Group’s Education division, which works with over 8,000 schools and colleges in the UK.

GCSEPod was set up by Anthony Coxon and Ian Thompson as parents who wanted to overcome the frustration they witnessed watching the digital generation trying to learn and revise in a traditional way.

A triple award winner at BETT, and recipient of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, GCSEPod provides best-in-class teaching and learning content covering 28 GCSE/IGCSEs and Functional Skills. With both formative and exam-style assessment and seamless integration, schools and colleges can teach, assess, monitor, and engage on demand.

During lockdown, GCSEPod was used by hundreds of thousands of teenagers as the platform became a first port-of-call for students who needed to continue their learning at home. as they continued their learning at home.  Between the start of lockdown in March 2020 and the return to school in September 2020, over 8 million pods were streamed, by our users at home in the UK and in over 40 countries.

Co-Founder Anthony Coxon spoke of his pride in what the firm had achieved over the last 10 years and paid tribute to the work of teachers across the country.

Anthony Coxon, Co-Founder of GCSEPod said:

“My Co-Founder, Ian Thompson and I, are both incredibly proud of the work that the GCSEPod team have done over the last 10 years, but perhaps particularly so since Covid hit. Having high-quality content and assessment on demand proved invaluable and we were honored to work alongside teachers as they went above and beyond to make sure their students were able to continue with their learning.

“The pandemic has seen the take up and understanding of blended learning really accelerate as schools have recognised just how powerful the combination of great edtech and brilliant teaching can be – and not just at times of crisis. Blended learning has clearly earnt its place at the table and is now here to stay.

“GCSEPod has come a long way over the last decade – from the moment Ian and I came up with the idea as parents ourselves, to receiving the Queen’s Award for Enterprise earlier this year, and now as we join forces with The Access Group. They have a distinguished track record in supporting schools and colleges in a whole host of ways, and it’s wonderful that our talented team will be joining such a powerhouse.”

Simon Baines, Managing Director of Access Education commented “The acquisition of Soundbitelearning Ltd. (GCSEPod) reinforces Access Education’s position as one of the leading providers of software solutions for education institutions. We are dedicated to supporting our education customers through every school, teacher and parent interaction, offering end-to-end solutions that drive efficiency and improve their school’s operations.

“Access Education’s strategy is to continue bringing new and innovative products to market and GSEPod is a natural fit within our expanding technology solutions. We believe there will be a particular benefit to integrating GCSEPod into Access Workspace, which powers the tools that increase engagement and share information across all of a school’s departments. Adding the capability of GCSEPod to our current product range will play an important role as Access Education continues to deliver the high levels of support and service that our customers have come to expect.”