Revenue From Contracts With Customers - Summary of remaining transaction price on unsatisfied or partially unsatisfied performance obligations from contracts with customers (Detail) - GBP (£) £ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2023	Dec. 31, 2022	Dec. 31, 2021
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Sales	£ 3,674	£ 3,841	£ 3,428
Deferred income	368	400	386
Committed Sales	566	704	672
Remaining transaction price	934	1,104	1,058
Courseware [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Sales	1,087	1,266	1,265
Assessments [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Sales	1,866	1,658	1,359
Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Sales	721	917	804
Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Courseware [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Sales	457	626	634
Deferred income	0	1	1
Committed Sales	0	0	0
Remaining transaction price	0	1	1
Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Assessments [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Sales	208	188	195
Deferred income	1	0	0
Committed Sales	0	0	0
Remaining transaction price	1	0	0
Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Sales	35	29	36
Deferred income	0	0	0
Committed Sales	0	0	0
Remaining transaction price	0	0	0
Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Courseware [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Sales	630	640	631
Deferred income	78	95	93
Committed Sales	0	0	0
Remaining transaction price	78	95	93
Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Assessments [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Sales	1,658	1,470	1,164
Deferred income	261	262	255
Committed Sales	332	472	442
Remaining transaction price	593	734	697
Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Sales	686	888	768
Subscriptions [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Sales	660	351	290
Deferred income	12	20	13
Committed Sales	0	7	10
Remaining transaction price	12	27	23
Other [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Sales	26	537	478
Deferred income	16	22	24
Committed Sales	234	225	220
Remaining transaction price	250	247	244
2022 [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price			831
2022 [member] | Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Courseware [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price			1
2022 [member] | Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Assessments [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price			0
2022 [member] | Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price			0
2022 [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Courseware [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price			60
2022 [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Assessments [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price			503
2022 [member] | Subscriptions [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price			23
2022 [member] | Other [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price			244
2023 [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price		855	202
2023 [member] | Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Courseware [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price		1	0
2023 [member] | Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Assessments [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price		0	0
2023 [member] | Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price		0	0
2023 [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Courseware [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price		56	11
2023 [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Assessments [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price		524	191
2023 [member] | Subscriptions [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price		27	0
2023 [member] | Other [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price		247	0
2024 [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	796	220
2024 [member] | Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Courseware [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	0	0
2024 [member] | Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Assessments [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	1	0
2024 [member] | Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	0	0
2024 [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Courseware [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	38	14
2024 [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Assessments [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	496	206
2024 [member] | Subscriptions [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	11	0
2024 [member] | Other [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	250	0
2025 [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	110
2025 [member] | Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Courseware [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	0
2025 [member] | Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Assessments [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	0
2025 [member] | Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	0
2025 [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Courseware [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	15
2025 [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Assessments [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	94
2025 [member] | Subscriptions [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	1
2025 [member] | Other [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	0
2024 and later [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price			25
2024 and later [member] | Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Courseware [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price			0
2024 and later [member] | Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Assessments [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price			0
2024 and later [member] | Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price			0
2024 and later [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Courseware [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price			22
2024 and later [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Assessments [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price			3
2024 and later [member] | Subscriptions [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price			0
2024 and later [member] | Other [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price			£ 0
2025 and later [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price		29
2025 and later [member] | Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Courseware [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price		0
2025 and later [member] | Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Assessments [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price		0
2025 and later [member] | Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price		0
2025 and later [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Courseware [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price		25
2025 and later [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Assessments [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price		4
2025 and later [member] | Subscriptions [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price		0
2025 and later [member] | Other [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price		£ 0
2026 and later [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	28
2026 and later [member] | Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Courseware [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	0
2026 and later [member] | Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Assessments [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	0
2026 and later [member] | Goods or services transferred at point in time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	0
2026 and later [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Courseware [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	25
2026 and later [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Assessments [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	3
2026 and later [member] | Subscriptions [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	0
2026 and later [member] | Other [member] | Goods or services transferred over time [member] | Services [member]
Disclosure of transaction price allocated to remaining performance obligations [line items]
Remaining transaction price	£ 0