EdTech platform set to make its mark

A Tees Valley education technology platform is preparing to scale after securing its first paying school within days of its commercial launch.

Middlesbrough-based Assessable, which supports primary teachers and school leaders with the assessment, tracking and moderation of English writing, became commercially available on September 1.

The milestone follows more than two years of development and testing with over 40 schools across the North.

Originally designed to reduce teachers’ marking workload, the platform has evolved through feedback from schools to provide broader support across writing assessment.

Its marking function analyses pupils’ work and suggests grades and editable feedback for teachers to review, while tracking tools highlight progress, strengths and gaps over time.

A moderation function also brings evidence together to help teachers and school leaders check the consistency of assessment judgements, with teachers retaining responsibility for reviewing and approving decisions.

The launch comes against a backdrop of writing attainment remaining below pre-pandemic levels.

Department for Education figures published in July show 73 per cent of Year 6 pupils met the expected writing standard in 2026, compared with 78 per cent before the pandemic.

Writing has also remained the lowest-performing of reading, writing and mathematics since 2022.

Assessable was co-founded by Lisa Gosnay and Sam Shenton, with Embeddable’s Peter Calvert supporting the business as fractional chief technology officer.

Lisa spent around 18 years teaching on Teesside before serious illness led her to step away from working in schools.

Her experience of teaching, leadership and portfolio-based assessment has since helped shape the platform’s development.

While Assessable is available to schools throughout England, its initial commercial activity is focused on the Tees Valley before expanding across the wider North East.

Lisa said: She said: “We wanted to start here because this is our home. 

“These are the schools, teachers and children we care deeply about and many of the people who have helped us shape Assessable are based here.

“The Tees Valley has brilliant education and technology communities. 

“It matters that innovation isn’t only created elsewhere and brought into our schools. 

“We can build it here, with people who understand our region, and make sure teachers are involved from the beginning.”

Hartlepool-based Extol Academy Trust is working with Assessable as a strategic development partner. 

Its chief executive Craig Nicholson added: “Our collaboration with Assessable represents the sort of forward-thinking our sector needs. 

“By combining real classroom experience with cutting-edge technology, we can start tackling some of the biggest challenges facing schools today.”

Year 6 teachers Luke Harper and Rebecca Brown, from Belmont Primary School in Guisborough, added: “We see Assessable as a way to revolutionise the way we assess, mark and provide tailored

feedback, allowing us more time to focus on high-quality teaching and maintain a work-life balance.”

Assessable is also building a growing profile within the Tees Valley technology community, having been named Start-Up of the Year at the 2025 Tees Tech Awards before being shortlisted for the Digital Innovation Award in 2026.

The recognition comes as the company looks to establish itself within Middlesbrough’s growing digital sector while maintaining close links with the education community that helped shape its technology.

With its commercial launch now underway and its first paying school secured, Assessable is focused on building its customer base across the Tees Valley before expanding more widely across the North East and nationally.

Its next phase will also include preparations for a first round of external investment, which the founders hope will help accelerate development of the platform and support its rollout to more primary schools across England.

Lisa added: “Assessable is not designed to replace teachers’ expertise or make final judgements for them. 

“It provides a second pair of eyes across a pupil’s portfolio, supporting evidence review, progress tracking and preparation for moderation.”

“Technology is not a shortcut to better writing. 

“Its value is in helping schools use the evidence they already have more effectively, so teaching can be better targeted and assessment judgments made with greater confidence.”

Schools can now register for a free trial of Assessable. To find out more or request a demonstration, visit assessable.com.

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