The Every Learner Charter

Every learner is unique – and it’s time our education system reflected that.
Every learner deserves a good education, one that responds to their unique needs and restores equity for those who have been underserved by the current system. Yet the current system too often fails those who don’t fit the mould – students with SEND, chronic health needs, anxiety, or who simply cannot thrive in a mainstream classroom setting.
The Every Learner Charter sets out an alternative to the current rigid system which struggles to support all children to thrive, whatever their needs. It is a vision for a more inclusive system – with blended and online learning recognised as essential, not exceptional.

The problem: A rigid system that cannot address every learner’s needs

Systemic barriers to learning

• Rigid classroom attendance policies fail to reflect the diverse needs of learners with health issues, SEND, or long-term anxiety.
• EHCP processes are inconsistent and delayed with families often at loggerheads with local authorities.
• Local authorities spent over £100m fighting appeals in 2022/23, but just 1.2% ruled in their favour.
• Students outside mainstream education struggle to access exam centres, blocking their path to qualifications.

Blended learning, effective but undervalued

• Online teaching is a highly skilled profession, but qualification routes fail to recognise it on equal terms with classroom-based teaching.
• Online education providers remain outside the Ofsted inspection regime, reinforcing a two-tier system that undermines parity of esteem.
• Regulatory changes now mean remote learning is counted as authorised absence, rather than attendance.
• Blended learning is seen as a last resort, rather than a tool to prevent exclusions, reduce absence and dropouts, and re-engage students.

A broken pathway for inclusion

• Schools want to support every learner, but have limited tools, expertise, and funding to do so effectively.
• Students with complex needs often fall through the cracks – excluded, persistently absent, or becoming NEET.
• Over 1 in 3 students supported by online and blended provision reintegrate with mainstream settings, showing what’s possible with the right support.

Reconnect

High quality specialist online and blended learning has been proven to transform lives but remain undervalued in our education system. It’s time to give this approach equal status. With the right recognition and regulation, we can elevate blended learning as a core part of the toolset of inclusive education and unlock success for thousands more learners, many of whom are the most vulnerable young people in society.

Empower

Mainstream schools strive to reach every learner, but they cannot always do it alone. Nisai works alongside schools to provide targeted, flexible support tailored to each student’s needs. From EHCP advice to specialist teaching and in-school reintegration, we give educators the tools to personalise learning, boost engagement, and empower every student to succeed, wherever they are in their journey.

Elevate

Nisai offers a second chance to learners who have struggled in mainstream education, helping to restore equity of opportunity for those pushed to the margins of the system – such as the 95% of our learners who have some form of SEND. Through personalised teaching, small class sizes, and flexible, blended delivery, we support students to rebuild confidence, re-engage with education, and progress at their own pace. Even the most disengaged learners can reconnect with a love of learning that will help them thrive in the long term.

1. Give online teaching the status it deserves
   Online teaching is a distinct and highly valuable skill, but outdated qualification routes consistently overlook it. Current rules requiring face-to-face delivery block skilled online educators from entering the profession. Teacher training needs to be modernised to reflect changing needs and allow Qualified Teacher Status to be earned via accredited online schools, giving digital education the recognition it deserves and learners the teachers they need.
2. End the two-tier inspection system
   Blended and virtual learning is a lifeline for many students. But unlike mainstream schools, many learning providers remain outside Ofsted’s inspection regime. This two-tier system undervalues high-quality alternative provision. A single, consistent framework would raise standards, build trust, and ensure every learner, wherever they’re taught, benefits from the same commitment to quality.
3. Personalised support to keep every learner engaged
   Too many young people are lost to exclusion, absence, or becoming NEET because their needs go unmet. Personalised, flexible learning, delivered through blended models and tailored interventions, can keep learners engaged and connected. With the right support, every student can feel safe, included, and empowered to succeed in a setting that works for them.
4. Strengthen partnerships with SEND education specialists
   Teachers want to support every learner, but they can’t do it alone. Just as schools bring in specialists for sport and the arts, they should have structured access to SEND expertise. Embedding partnerships with specialist providers ensures the right support is in place, at the right time, using their unique tools and experience to help all learners to thrive within mainstream settings.
5. Fix the broken EHCP system
   Every child with SEND deserves timely, tailored support, but the current EHCP system is inconsistent and slowed by red tape. By introducing a single, streamlined process across England, we can cut delays, ease pressure on families, and ensure no learner is left waiting for the help they need to thrive.
6. Fair exam access for every learner
   No young person should be denied the chance to prove what they’ve learned. Yet thousands of students outside mainstream settings face closed doors at exam time. By requiring schools to accept external candidates and expanding secure remote invigilation, we can ensure every learner, whatever their journey, has a fair shot at success.