What is SAM Learning?
SAM Learning is the only online learning platform used by British schools worldwide, providing access to thousands of ready-made learning activities across all major GCSE and KS3 subjects.
The SAM Learning platform suggests weekly challenges for students which is important as students achieve two GCSE grades better with 30 minutes activity a week, as independently proven by both the EEF and FFT.
Our mobile-friendly platform allows student access on any device with internet access and automatically fills individual students’ learning gaps, dramatically reducing teacher workload.
The Weekly Challenges provide adaptive activities for both KS3 and KS4 in areas where students typically drop marks in GCSE exams as well as topics that are imperative building blocks to prepare KS3 students for their GCSEs. For every activity completed by a student on SAM Learning, the adaptive system will either suggest the student to improve their score or provide extension activities to extend their knowledge. In fact, with 11 different activity types, including multiple choice quizzes, tests, exam papers, real world, improve, exam essentials and diagnostic assessments, all adapted, as well as the ability for teachers to add videos, audio and images, SAM Learning is accessible for all learning types and abilities.
Teachers also have the ability to set work to individuals, groups and whole classes, however as SAM Learning’s adaptive functionality does this for them, they really don’t have to! Students will never get bored studying on SAM Learning either, due to the adaptive platforms for KS3 and KS4 available as they grow and mature. Students can travel SAM World, climb the leaderboard, customise their own unique avatars, compete with buddies in their year group and download and share, socially, their achievement certificates.
For teachers, the platform has a detailed reporting suite that provides a real time insight into whole-school, class or intervention group and individual learner achievement. Our ‘Question Level Analysis’ allows teachers to easily identify knowledge gaps, helping schools to drive data-driven targeted intervention and adaptive teaching. In addition to our 24/7 online support articles and CPD videos, we provide every school with their very own School Success Manager, all former educational Senior Leaders, for departmental training sessions and unlimited strategic advice. They also support data set up, where we provide effective and efficient data provisioning between each school's MIS and SAM Learning. Our partnership with Groupcall provides each school with increased efficiency, security, data accuracy and improved customer experience.
Recommended Usage
Independent studies commissioned by the Education Endowment Foundation and the Family Fisher Trust from 2002 to 2020 report that SAM Learning significantly improves students' GCSE grades with as little as 10+ hours of usage.
Educational Impact
Additional evidence
Apr 2021
Darwin Aldridge Community Academy uses SAM Learning to close the gap between Pupil Premium students and their peers.
Sep 2019
SAM Learning’s GCSE Study and Revision Tool accelerates progress of Year 11 Science Group at Aldworth School, Basingstoke
Jun 2020
Evaluation of the impact of the SAM Learning e-learning platform on attainment at GCSE
Feb 2023
Pendle Vale College - using A.I. driven approaches to teaching and learning to protect staff workload and drive results.
 Company | Business Name: SAM Learning HQ Location: United Kingdom Founded: 1993 |
| Age Range | 11-13, 14-16 |
 Features | RevisionHomeworkInterventionReporting SuitePre-made Activities Personalised Learning Adaptive LearningQuestion Level AnalysisAdaptive Teaching Adaptive Learning |
 Languages | English |
 Accessibility | Few to no features |
 Policies |  Terms of ServicePrivacy PolicyGDPR |
 Requirements | Internet - Low BandwidthInternet - High BandwidthDesktop - MacDesktop - WindowsDesktop - ChromebookDesktop - LinuxMobile - iPhoneMobile - iPadMobile - WindowsMobile - Android Launch and setup is supported by our technical team - we work with school Network Admin. |
 Set Up | 48 hours |
 Training | In PersonLive OnlineWebinarsDocumentationVideos |
 Support | EmailFAQs/ForumKnowledge BasePhone Support |
| Home Learning | School must create the account. |
 Tags | revision online learningsciencemathsenglishreduce workloadassessmenthomeworkedtech personalised learning independent revision GCSE adaptive learningproven |
SAM Learning PricingPricing Plans Paid Subscription SAM Learning pricing starts from £2 / per-pupil  Optimised for a quick response | |
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SAM Learning Reviews
from 125 Verified Reviews
User rating
Country
Oct 2024
Exam specific content with activities which we are able to personalise to match our learners.
Ms Ayub found SAM Learning:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“Marking reduction”
- Significantly reduces attainment gap“allows students immediate review of correct answers”
- Significantly improves attainment“grades increase”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“exam board specific”
Samantha
Assistant Headteacher
Used SAM Learning daily for 4-6 months
Jul 2024
We had some teething issues, meaning that the set up took longer than planned, but since using the site regularly we have been impressed.
Samantha found SAM Learning:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“It helps to identify gaps in the students learning through the PLC's which reduces time for teachers marking assessment etc”
- Moderately reduces attainment gap“We are using the platform for our PP students, meaning that they have access to something additional”
- Significantly improves attainment“We have students who have demonstrated an improvement in assessment grades - up to a grade, since using SAM learning regularly”
- Moderately builds student knowledge“It allows students to work on their gaps and to identify the areas to work on, which in turn improves their knowledge in these areas.”
Mar 2024
Its mostly good. Some activities are well written and fun, others need reviewing and improving.
Chris found SAM Learning:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“Reduces marking”
- Slightly reduces attainment gap“Can't say”
- Moderately improves attainment“Frequent users improve grades”
- Moderately builds student knowledge“Knowledge increases”
Gillian
2nd in Department of MFL
Used SAM Learning monthly for 5 years+
Mar 2024
I use Sam Learning mainly for homework to consolidate learning done in class and to give students the opportunity to try out short exam style tasks for independent learning. Students find the tasks accessible and easy to navigate and appreciate getting their scores immediately. Other schools should use Sam Learning to save time in planning and marking as there is a good range of tasks available on all aspects of the course and if you want something specific which is not there, you can create your own tasks as well.
Gillian found SAM Learning:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“I like the way that it is self-marking and therefore reduces workload and also that students get immediate feedback on their learning as well.”
- Moderately reduces attainment gap“Those who use it regularly improve their grades”
- Moderately improves attainment
- Moderately builds student knowledge
Sam Frith
Teacher of ICT & Computer Science
Used SAM Learning weekly for 1-2 years
Mar 2024
Really good
Sam Frith found SAM Learning:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“Setting an assignment and it automatically marking the scores so I dont hve to”
- Moderately reduces attainment gap“Students who complete SAM learning often do better in assessments”
- Moderately improves attainment“Same as before”
- Does not significantly build student knowledge
Clive Moreno
Head of Year and teacher of Geography and German
Used SAM Learning occasionally for 5 years+
Mar 2024
I have already recommended SamLearning to fellow colleagues because it breaks the routine of teacher talk lessons and provide more independent study for students with an immediate reward for their successes in the form of a score after every tasks and the opportunity to redo tasks as well as certificates for engagement with SamLearning.
Clive Moreno found SAM Learning:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“Tasks on SamLearning cover the specifications and content for KS3 and KS4. Teacher do not have to create the tasks.”
- Significantly reduces attainment gap“It is noticeable that regular use of SamLearning improves attainment by at least one GCSE grade for low ability students.”
- Significantly improves attainment“Students in GCSE subjects tend to focus on longer answer questions and fail to revise short answer questions which can count up to 50% of an exam paper. With SamLearning that gap is closed with regular revision of short answer questions.”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Understanding of key processes, key concepts and definitions.”
Feb 2024
I feel like this resource is invaluable for teachers as it saves them loads of time finding homeworks and allows them to see how their students are progressing.
Amman found SAM Learning:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“It saves me a lot of time finding homeworks as a wide variety of pre-made homeworks are available. It also saves me time as it checks which students have done the homework and what marks they got”
- Significantly reduces attainment gap“It definitely helps me see which students need more help after checking the marks on the homework allowing me to better cater to that student”
- Significantly improves attainment“I can see which students are in need of more help after checking homework marks and can cater to them allowing them to have a higher level of attainment”
- Slightly builds student knowledge“It’s more of a recap/test tool than a tool to teach students entirely new things”
Catherine
Science teacher
Used SAM Learning weekly for 0–3 months
Feb 2024
Easy to use and students can use independently
Catherine found SAM Learning:
- Slightly reduces teacher workload“Set revision tasks quickly”
- Slightly reduces attainment gap“Not used long enough to say this”
- Slightly improves attainment“Not used long enough to say”
- Moderately builds student knowledge“Students gain confidence”
Timothy Holt
Teacher of Physical Education & Careers Lead
Used SAM Learning monthly for 3-4 years
Dec 2023
SAM Learning has allowed me very quickly to see which students are engaged with the task that I have set and who has got a good understanding of the sport they are doing at the time
Timothy Holt found SAM Learning:
- Slightly reduces teacher workload“Teachers can use bank of resources to quickly choose a task for their class”
- Slightly reduces attainment gap
- Moderately improves attainment
- Moderately builds student knowledge“Students who aren't very sporty may carry out a task and by researching gain further knowledge and understanding of the sport they are currently doing”
Oct 2023
As a part of a dedicated tuition company committed to providing the best learning experience for our students, it is vital for us to employ efficient and comprehensive tools to aid in managing and tracking the educational journey of our learners. In our pursuit for excellence, we discovered a compelling online learning software that has become a cornerstone for setting homework and monitoring progress. The first thing that strikes one about this software is the remarkable range of homework tasks available across a broad array of exam boards. This extensive selection ensures that we can offer a tailored learning approach to meet the individual needs of our diverse student base. One of the most significant improvements we have observed is the striking increase in homework completion rates. Prior to integrating this software, our completion rates hovered around a mere 20%. Now, we proudly report a robust 80% completion rate. This notable improvement speaks volumes about the software’s efficiency and the enhanced accountability it instills in students. Parents are not left out of the equation as they deeply value our proactive approach in tracking their child’s progress through this platform. This transparency fosters a collaborative environment among tutors, students, and parents, ensuring that everyone is on the same page regarding the student's educational advancement. Adding to the software's appeal is the invaluable automarking feature. This functionality not only significantly reduces the workload for our tutors but also encourages students to take an active role in the marking process for exam-style questions. This innovative approach bolsters their understanding and prepares them adequately for examination conditions. Beyond these functional benefits, we have witnessed a commendable rise in class engagement. This surge is largely attributed to the software's role in effectively consolidating students' knowledge, providing them with a firm foundation and boosting their confidence in tackling various topics. Navigational challenges are inevitable with any new software, but the comprehensive tools available in the help section have made the transition seamless for our tutors. These resources save substantial time and effort, allowing tutors to focus on what they do best – teaching. Finally, the feature that allows the addition and editing of students to classes using the online interface has streamlined our administrative tasks. This aspect ensures that we manage classes effectively, ensuring that each student is in the correct learning environment to foster growth and development. In conclusion, our experience with this online learning software has been overwhelmingly positive. It stands as a testament to innovative solutions that not only make educational management more efficient but also significantly enhance the learning experience for our students. Our tutors, students, and parents have all reaped the benefits of this comprehensive platform, and we look forward to continuing our productive partnership with this exemplary software. This software gives us an edge over our competition and if it weren't for that fact I would definitely recommend it to everyone.
Hannan Khan found SAM Learning:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“Marking of work is automatic Many activities available - so you don't have to search for them Report Generation to feedback to parents”
- Moderately reduces attainment gap“Students are much more likely to spend time consolidating.”
- Significantly improves attainment“Students are encouraged to retry activities until they attain a better score. This encourages them to study more.”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Revision activities encourage students to recap topics.”
Aug 2023
I like it a lot. Good exercises, the way I can received the marking and reminders
Ms Duque Mora found SAM Learning:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“I don't need to mark it and gives me statistics”
- Significantly reduces attainment gap“Students have a doubt and go and practice in there”
- Significantly improves attainment“Students seem more confident”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“They are identifying special terminology”
Jun 2023
Ease of use, cost effective and accessible for all. The improvements keep getting better.
Janine Lammin found SAM Learning:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“New AI is supporting adaptive teaching and ensuring students have tasks appropriate for them.”
- Significantly reduces attainment gap“Accessible for our SEND students to reduce the gap.”
- Significantly improves attainment“Improvement in P8”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Students frequently use the tasks to close gaps identified by their teachers via the QLA”
Jun 2023
It's sometimes slightly clunky, and doesn't always perform well on mobile devices, but it allows streamline homework setting with automatic marking and instant feedback.
Tarik Reghif found SAM Learning:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“A library of homeworks makes setting and recording marks a breeze.”
- Slightly reduces attainment gap
- Slightly improves attainment
- Moderately builds student knowledge“Allows all the material to be covered comprehensively.”
Jun 2023
Works well although the cost is prohibitive
Ben Clarke found SAM Learning:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“Homeworks set at the start of the year - reports given to staff about completion”
- Moderately reduces attainment gap“Lower performing students tend to engage in it well”
- Slightly improves attainment“Some students spend many hours completing activities although it is hard to quantify the ipact this has”
- Moderately builds student knowledge“Recall questions are dealt with really well”
Jun 2023
User friendly
Mr Dale found SAM Learning:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“Due to the content heavy curriculum and the need for retrieval practice this can be balanced out.”
- Moderately reduces attainment gap“You can tailor what students need to know so you reduce the attainment gap saving you time and effort.”
- Significantly improves attainment“Reduce gaps in knowledge”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Better recall and greater confidence exhibited by student.”
Jun 2023
I would definitely recommend Sam Learning as a very useful tool for teachers and students. It reduces teacher workload, is easily accessible and enables students to receive immediate feedback on their work.
Emma Whitehall found SAM Learning:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“Reduces marking load for teachers by immediate marking of student work.”
- Moderately reduces attainment gap“Sam learning is available for all students to use whenever they want, both in school and outside of it. Students can easily access it on any device. Where needed tasks can be adapted for specific students.”
- Significantly improves attainment“Mastering memory is really important for students to optimise their progress and Sam learning makes it easy for students to recap not just the learning that they have just done, but also to review previous topics.”
- Moderately builds student knowledge“Sam learning can identify gaps in student knowledge across a class. The teacher can then review these aspects.”
Jun 2023
It’s excellent, but building my own activities could be more user-friendly
Camila found SAM Learning:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“Setting homework is easy”
- Slightly reduces attainment gap
- Moderately improves attainment“With lots of practice”
- Moderately builds student knowledge“Good for consolidation”
Jun 2023
It is an excellent resource to support in class learning and to help structure revision style activities with little extra input from the teaching staff, who can then focus instead on lesson delivery
Tanya Russell found SAM Learning:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“Reduction of time setting homework tasks and marking them”
- Moderately reduces attainment gap“Good for PP pupils and pupils with poor attendance as it allows them to study what they may have missed at home and structure revision tasks”
- Moderately improves attainment“Pupils are able to revise at home which can increase their ability to build their recall and retention capacity”
- Moderately builds student knowledge“Particularly the learning of key quotations and their meaning”
Jun 2023
Excellent stuff
Adam Tettenborn found SAM Learning:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“we set as homework for KS3, saves loads of time”
- Significantly reduces attainment gap“Fills gaps for students who are absent”
- Significantly improves attainment“Useful for revision of students therefore improve marks in assessments”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Good set of questions for students to learn from”
Jun 2023
good use for maths and english
Hett found SAM Learning:
- Does not reduce teacher workload“Art doesnt have many options so not alot”
- Slightly reduces attainment gap“neautral”
- Does not significantly improve attainment
- Moderately builds student knowledge“worded examples help”
Binny Aji
Academic Improvement - Team Leader
Used SAM Learning weekly for 7–12 months
May 2023
Adaptive nature/ illustrations/ challenge level personalises student learning.
Binny Aji found SAM Learning:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“Readymade assessment aligned to the respective Examination board expectations. Develops the content in a very adaptive way, which motivates students to use it quite often.”
- Slightly reduces attainment gap“Students enjoy these assessments as they are more interactive, and the illustrations also make the concepts more interesting.”
- Slightly improves attainment“Students enjoy these assessments as they are more interactive, and the illustrations also make the concepts more interesting.”
- Moderately builds student knowledge“the illustrations and the adaptive nature personalises student learning.”
May 2023
To make sure homework is set consistently in a department.
Laura Butler found SAM Learning:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“No production of questions needed”
- Slightly reduces attainment gap“Only if you have regularity of the assignments and make sure students are completing and completing well.”
- Moderately improves attainment“Exposure to key terminology”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“AO1 - recall facts”
May 2023
It is great software and can help students recap and relearn topics independently. As a SENCO, I know I can get more out of the software but this would probably require some more dedicated time to get things set up.
Glenn Pilley found SAM Learning:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“It makes organising interventions for SEND students faster and easier for them to access.”
- Does not significantly reduce attainment gap“It really helps as long as the student is engaged. It does rely on students being motivated to complete the tasks properly and get the most out of them”
- Slightly improves attainment“Similar to my previous response, it is dependent on the students will and engagement. For students who struggle to go in to class, it provides a way for them to continue their learning”
- Moderately builds student knowledge“The knowledge based for subjects like Science is excellent. It allows students to quickly recap topics and improve their knowledge base.”
May 2023
Overall I love to use the platform and my students find it easy to use also.
Adeola found SAM Learning:
- Significantly reduces teacher workload“I love to use it for my starter activity and it reduces the time I spend planning things like homeworks.”
- Significantly reduces attainment gap“the weekly reports”
- Significantly improves attainment“the way the questions are structure with some visuals and also challenging questions.”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“They enjoy using the platform and often get so competitive amongst their peers.”
May 2023
Its an excellent platform for testing. Its not suitable for all students and all assessment types but for low level knowledge based questions its excellent.
Bryn Lloyd found SAM Learning:
- Moderately reduces teacher workload“Self marking revision activities”
- Slightly reduces attainment gap“Less secure students improving their knowledge”
- Significantly improves attainment“Students improving their scores from 1st attempt to 2nd attempt”
- Significantly builds student knowledge“Repetitive 'drag/drop' and 'fill in the blank' tasks help to reinforce existing knowledge”
