2026 Business Predictions
Signs are pointing to a strong 2026 for the EdTech sector - and not because schools suddenly want more tech. It’s because school leaders are being pushed to prove impact, consistency and compliance and they’re looking for tools that make that reality manageable.
In England, Ofsted’s inspection approach has changed and leaders are looking for practical ways to get organised, reduce risk and stop evidence-gathering from taking over evenings and weekends.
And workload really is the pressure cooker here. DfE research continues to show long working weeks for leaders and significant time lost to administration and policy change. So the EdTech opportunity in 2026 isn’t just about teaching and learning innovation (important as that is) - it’s about helping schools run well under scrutiny.
School leaders are increasingly buying EdTech for evidence gathering, giving them confidence that what staff are already doing is being captured consistently. They also want streamlined administration that doesn’t create new work. Schools are wary of “digital transformation” projects that require months of configuration, retraining and culture change. The appetite is for tools that slot into existing routines with minimal setup and maximum clarity.
Inspection readiness often collapses into a documentation problem: “Where is it? Which version is correct? Who reviewed it? Can we show it’s embedded?” Tools that centralise policies, training records, acknowledgements and review cycles reduce stress because they reduce ambiguity.
Over the next few years, I expect technology to play an even bigger role in reducing workload, improving consistency, and helping schools tell their story with confidence - particularly as inspection expectations evolve and uncertainty remains about how frameworks will feel in practice on the ground.
2026 could be a very strong year for EdTech - especially for products that respect the realities of schools: time-poor teams, high accountability and a desperate need for tools that help rather than hinder.
