The Schoolbag Scam - Exemplar Education & 3J Finance

21/09/2026

And it’s on. Officially out on BBC for parents to join our group!

The group are taking legal action against a former director of tuition provider Exemplar Education.

02/04/2026

@ all

⚠️ A message to parents who used Exemplar Education and 3J Finance

Over the years, hundreds of families have shared their experiences publicly. There are now almost 600 reviews on Trustpilot, many describing similar issues.

Some families report being chased by debt collectors, harassed or pressured, after contracts were transferred to third parties.

I have repeatedly contacted Trustpilot and asked them to help notify those families — simply to make them aware that others are coming forward, that legal proceedings are ongoing, and that concerns have been raised about how personal data may have been handled.

They refused to assist with notifying affected users.

Hundreds of families remain unaware that:
• others are reporting the same issues
• action is now being taken in the High Court

Despite the volume and consistency of complaints, there is still no way to contact those families through the platform.

If you signed anything with Exemplar Education / 3J Finance / EBS Systems Ltd, or know someone who did, please come forward.

You’re not the only one.

A High Court group claim is open and all the families affected are invited to join:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe_nBYUXYH8uf1LdKg9gPPlz5ZBHdNK0B38ngU5WeFq7Ezxeg/viewform?usp=publish-editor

14/10/2025

🚨 Proof of the UK–New Zealand Connection

While reviewing 123 Tuition NZ’s official site https://www.123tuition.co.nz/who-we-are/
, I found that they are using the exact same family photo that Exemplar Education used here in the UK on their printed flyers and marketing materials.

📸 The first image below is taken directly from 123 Tuition New Zealand’s website.
📸 The second image is from the UK Exemplar Education leaflet, distributed through schools across England.

This isn’t coincidence — it’s more evidence showing that the same programme and content were recycled from the old Australasian system, rebranded for UK parents, and sold as if it were a “British curriculum.”

Families deserve to know the truth.

14/10/2025

🕵️‍♂️ There used to be an official page on Exemplar Education’s website showing a photo of Anthony Lee, titled:

👉 https://www.exemplar-education.com/press/exemplar-education-chairman-anthony-lee-how-to-differentiate-a-business-from-the-competition/

The page header even mentioned “Image: Anthony Lee.”
But now — the image is gone. The file has been quietly removed from the site.

It seems that Anthony Craig Lee, the man behind Exemplar Education and its finance web, is trying to erase his public trace from the company’s history.
But deleting photos won’t delete the truth — or accountability.

📢 The families affected by this scheme are still here.
And justice is still coming.

  19th November 2019 Posted by Exemplar Education Comments are off for this post Founder of online tuition service Exemplar Education Anthony Lee gives us his top tips on how to differentiate your business. The world of learning is big business in the UK. The popularity of private tuition has skyro...

14/10/2025

🚨 Exemplar Education claimed to “update lessons daily” — but the code tells a different story 🚨

In 2020, Exemplar Education co-founder Steve O’Hara told Business Matters magazine:

“We are constantly updating and improving the system to ensure that every child gets the best learning experience possible.”

📎 Source: https://bmmagazine.co.uk/entrepreneur-interviews/entrepreneurs/getting-to-know-you-steve-ohara-co-founder-exemplar-education/

Sounds reassuring — until you inspect the actual lesson code inside Exemplar’s learning platform.

🧩 What the live lesson files really show

A technical inspection of learning.exemplar-education.com exposes a system frozen in time:

Uses XHTML 1.0 Transitional (year 2000)

Built on Java Server Pages (JSP) and Google Web Toolkit from the mid-2000s

Still calls Adobe Flash and FlashPaper — both discontinued by 2020

Relies on SCORM 1.2 (2001), a 20-year-old e-learning format

Scripts reference jQuery 1.3–1.5 (2009–2011) and Bootstrap 3.1.1 (2014)

Lesson metadata: "lanCode":"en_AU" → Australian English

Hosted on Australian servers: https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/lessons.au.fscdn.net
🇦🇺

These aren’t “daily updates” — they’re the fingerprints of an early-2000s Australian system re-branded for the UK market.

⚠️ The contradiction

While executives told parents they were “working hard every day to improve and update”, the platform still runs on obsolete, Flash-era code older than many of the children using it.

🧾 Evidence at a glance
Component Year What it Proves
XHTML 1.0 2000 Template unchanged since early web era
SCORM 1.2 2001 Outdated e-learning format
FlashPaper / SWFObject 2005–2008 Flash-based content
jQuery 1.3–1.5 2009–2011 No code updates
Bootstrap 3.1.1 2014 No modern rebuild
"lanCode":"en_AU" — Australian origin

💬 Parents deserve honesty.
O’Hara promised a system “constantly updated.”
The code proves otherwise — it’s a 20-year-old product still sold as new.

Steve O’Hara, is co-founder of Exemplar Education UKs largest supplier of high quality supplementary home- based maths and English education

14/10/2025

📚 WHY THE AUSTRALASIAN CURRICULUM DOESN’T WORK FOR UK STUDENTS

Parents were told Exemplar’s lessons were “aligned to the UK curriculum.”
But the official UK curriculum and the Australian/New Zealand “FutureSchool” model follow completely different systems, structures, and teaching logic.

🇬🇧 THE OFFICIAL UK MATHS CURRICULUM (Years 5 & 6)

📄 Read it here:
👉 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-mathematics-programmes-of-study

In the UK, maths education is step-by-step and age-specific:

Year 5 (ages 9–10)

Numbers up to 1 000 000, place value, rounding

Negative numbers, powers of 10

Factors, multiples, primes

Long multiplication & division

Fractions ↔ decimals ↔ percentages

Geometry, area, volume, coordinates, angles

Problem-solving and reasoning

Year 6 (ages 10–11)

Algebra and ratio introduced for the first time

Fluency in written methods for all four operations

Complex fractions/decimals/percentages

Statistics and data interpretation

Geometry with angle rules and shapes

Preparation for SATs and Key Stage 3

➡️ Each topic is taught in sequence — arithmetic foundations first, reasoning next, and algebra only after conceptual mastery.

🇦🇺 WHAT FUTURESCHOOL CLAIMS

See their own page:
👉 https://www.futureschool.com/australian-curriculum/

They promote a single continuous list:
Number recognition → Addition → Fractions → Decimals → Geometry → Algebra → Trigonometry → Calculus → Probability

They claim it’s “aligned to the Australian National Curriculum” and works for Australia, New Zealand, England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

⚠️ WHY THAT MAKES NO SENSE

1️⃣ No Year Structure – FutureSchool merges ten years of maths into one stream.
Children could jump from fractions to trigonometry years too early.

2️⃣ Wrong Sequence – UK pupils master fractions → decimals → percentages before algebra.
FutureSchool’s list skips logical steps and mixes secondary-school topics into primary.

3️⃣ Age Mismatch – UK “Year 5” ≈ age 9–10; Australian “Year 5” ≈ age 10–11 with different outcomes.
Materials built for one system can’t simply transfer to another.

4️⃣ Assessment Gap – UK requires written reasoning and methods for SATs;
FutureSchool relies on automated videos and multiple-choice tasks — not valid for UK testing.

🧮 IN SIMPLE TERMS

The UK curriculum is a staircase — clear, yearly steps, each one building on the last.
The Australasian FutureSchool model is a ramp with no steps — children slide through topics without order.

That’s why so many UK parents realised their kids were learning out-of-sequence content that didn’t match what schools teach.

✅ SOURCES

🇬🇧 UK Government – National Curriculum in England (Mathematics):
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-mathematics-programmes-of-study

🇦🇺 FutureSchool – Australian Curriculum:
https://www.futureschool.com/australian-curriculum/

📢 UK children need UK education — not a recycled Australasian template.

Call now to connect with business.

14/10/2025

🌏 EVIDENCE OF THE NEW ZEALAND/AUSTRALAN CONNECTION

This comes directly from UK Government records and public company data.
👉 Companies House record for Anthony Craig Lee
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/AxgYZnACohLQhmSf9l-5LHnt9eo/appointments

The file lists 18 companies under his name — including

Exemplar Education Ltd (dissolved)

The Student Support Centre (GB/Southern/Midlands) Ltd (dissolved)

EBS Systems Ltd (dissolved)

Future School (UK) Ltd (dissolved)

3J Finance Ltd (active) – the loan company used in parent contracts

3J Investment Ltd (active)

Each entry shows his nationality as “British, New Zealander.”

🔗 Real Australasian links

1️⃣ FutureSchool — the same name as “Future School (UK) Ltd” — operates internationally and lists Australia and New Zealand among its core markets:
👉 https://www.futureschool.com/countries/

It claims to provide the same maths & English programme across Australia, New Zealand, England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

2️⃣ FutureSchool (Australia) advertises lessons “aligned to the Australian National Curriculum.”
👉 https://www.futureschool.com/australian-curriculum/

3️⃣ In New Zealand, the company 123 Tuition operates an online tuition platform connected to the same ecosystem.
On its site, the blog and article metadata still contain the tag “Exemplar Education”, for example:
👉 https://www.123tuition.co.nz/blog/category/maths/

👉 https://www.123tuition.co.nz/blog/category/learning-tools/

That means the Exemplar Education name remains embedded in the site’s structure, even though the public branding now shows “123 Tuition.”
This demonstrates that both names operate within the same digital and educational network.

⚠️ Why this matters

The director of Exemplar Education UK is officially British / New Zealander.

His company list includes Future School (UK) — mirroring the Australasian “FutureSchool.”

The Exemplar Education name appears in the metadata of New Zealand’s 123 Tuition website.

FutureSchool markets one system as “aligned” to every country’s curriculum — even though national curricula differ completely.

This shows the lesson system originated in an Australasian platform and was later repackaged for UK parents.

📢 Families were sold a ‘non UK Curriculum’ product that was never built to be used in the UK.

Children in the modern world are more digitally intuitive making use of multiple devices and technologies to aid their learning through various tools.

14/10/2025

🕸️ THE REAL COMPANIES HOUSE RECORD — THE NETWORK BEHIND EXEMPLAR EDUCATION

Parents, here’s official evidence straight from the UK Government’s register:
👉 https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/officers/AxgYZnACohLQhmSf9l-5LHnt9eo/appointments

According to Companies House, Anthony Craig Lee has held 18 directorships linked to education or finance ventures.
Most of these companies share the same pattern — education-themed names, short lifespans, and repeated dissolutions.

Key companies include:

📘 Exemplar Education Ltd – Dissolved

🧮 The Student Support Centre Ltd – Dissolved

🧾 EBS Systems Ltd – Dissolved

💼 EBS Management Services Ltd – Dissolved

🧠 Future School (UK) Ltd – Dissolved

📚 Maths Tuition Centre Properties Ltd – Dissolved

✏️ Simply Reading Ltd – Dissolved

🧩 Simply Spelling Ltd – Dissolved

💰 3J Finance Ltd – Active (the loan company used for parent contracts)

🏦 3J Investment Ltd – Active

Each one carries a trust-building education name — “Student Support Centre,” “Future School,” “Exemplar Education” — yet almost all have been dissolved while new ones appeared to replace them.

⚠️ What this shows

A revolving pattern of creation, rebranding, and dissolution, often under different “learning” names.

Parents thought they were buying education, but the real continuity is in the finance and ownership behind the scenes.

The active companies — 3J Finance Ltd and 3J Investment Ltd — still exist today, long after most “education” brands were shut down.

📢 This is documented proof, not opinion.
Everything is public on the official Companies House record linked above.
Share it so parents understand the full web of names behind Exemplar’s operations.

Free company information from Companies House including registered office address, filing history, accounts, annual return, officers, charges, business activity

14/10/2025

⚠️ LISTED ON AN OFFICIAL COUNCIL WEBSITE

Here’s how deep this went — Exemplar Education wasn’t just selling school-to-school.
It was listed on Wokingham Borough Council’s official Family Information Directory, right alongside nurseries, schools, and learning support services.

📄 The page titled “Exemplar Education – home-based maths and English education” (data checked February 2021) claimed the company was:

“Fully aligned with the UK National Curriculum”
“Available online 24/7 with UK-based qualified teachers”
“Over 2,000 video tutorials and 6 million questions”

🔗 https://directory.wokingham.gov.uk/kb5/wokingham/directory/service.page?id=JnH4J2Fcwu4

There was no mention that parents were signing finance agreements, or that a generous amount of complaints had already been filed with the Financial Ombudsman about 3J Finance — Exemplar’s credit partner.

By appearing on an official council website, Exemplar gained the kind of false legitimacy that made parents trust it.
This is how the scheme spread through schools and local authorities.

Our offering is unique in many ways:✓ Fully aligned with the UK National Curriculum✓ Available online 24/7✓ Produces automated personalised Study Plans✓ Over 2,000 Video Tutorials on the system✓ Over 6 million questions on the system ensuring non-duplication of content✓ Includes a freeph...

14/10/2025

⚠️ EVIDENCE: SCHOOLS WERE USED TO ADVERTISE EXEMPLAR EDUCATION

This isn’t speculation — this is from St Mary’s Primary School’s official website, published April 29 2021.
In their post titled “School Funds”, the school wrote:

“We have been given the opportunity by the company Exemplar Education to raise much-needed school funds.
All that is required is for parents/guardians to reply to the company at the link below… we will receive an amount for each reply.
We have only 24 hours to get as many replies as possible.”

📎 Source:
https://stmarysps.org/school-funds/

That means a registered school openly promoted a private tuition company and even tied parent responses to school fundraising money — effectively using school trust to funnel parents toward loan-based contracts for a tuition program that isn’t even UK-curriculum aligned.

💬 What this proves

Exemplar Education used schools as marketing gateways TO GAIN TRUST.

Parents were told “no obligation,” but replies helped the school raise funds — a manipulative tactic designed to build trust.

This campaign happened as recently as 2021 — long after media warnings and Ombudsman cases.

📣 We now have documentary proof that schools were part of the recruitment pipeline.
If your child’s school ever sent home similar messages, please JOIN US and share them.
Together we can stop this from happening again.

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