From visibility to belonging: helping learners bloom Kate Longworth

Kate is the Founder and CEO of Gaia Learning, an award winning national specialist online alternative education provider supporting children and young people who are unable to access traditional school environments.

She leads an international team of educators, SEND specialists, technologists and operational leaders committed to improving access to education through flexible, personalised learning. Gaia Learning works with families, schools, local authorities and other partners to deliver specialist online education, SEND informed support, alternative provision, reintegration pathways and executive functioning coaching.

Kate also leads Bloom, an inclusive learning platform developed from Gaia's frontline experience. Bloom brings together learning, wellbeing, attendance, engagement and progress data to give schools, families and professionals a clearer understanding of each learner's needs and the impact of the support they receive.

Drawing on both lived experience of SEND and extensive experience across the education sector, Kate speaks on inclusion, alternative provision, emotionally based school avoidance, learner engagement, reintegration and the role of technology in creating more connected and effective support systems. Her work is driven by a simple belief: education should adapt to the child, not expect the child to adapt to the system.