Solent Academies Trust

What Solent Academies Trust does

Solent Academies Trust is a UK multi-academy trust (MAT) operating state-funded special schools for pupils aged 2-19 with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Founded circa 2008 with Mary Rose Academy in Portsmouth as its founding school, the trust has grown to six academies: Cliffdale Primary Academy, Dove House Academy, Littlegreen Academy, Mary Rose Academy, Redwood Park Academy, and Luminous Oak Academy — three in Portsmouth, one in Compton (West Sussex), and two in Basingstoke (Hampshire). Mary Rose Academy has achieved four consecutive outstanding Ofsted ratings. The trust is structured as a charity and private limited company registered in England and Wales (Company Registration No. 08374351).

The trust's revenue model is government-funded: per-pupil allocations are received from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), supplemented by local authority commissioned places for SEND provisions. No tuition fees are charged to families. The trust operates a "Golden Threads" model — shared strategic alignment and best practice across schools — combined with school-level autonomy to innovate on curriculum and inclusion. Each academy delivers a creative, relevant, motivating and personalised curriculum tailored to the wide-ranging needs of its pupils, with strong emphasis on early intervention, social inclusion, and closing disadvantage gaps.

There is no proprietary technology platform disclosed in the available source material; the product is fundamentally human-delivered specialist education. The trust differentiates through brand reputation (multiple outstanding Ofsted outcomes), shared professional development and expertise across the trust family of schools, and partnerships with bodies such as Portsmouth City Council's Cost of Living Hub, the Disability Confident scheme, and the Armed Forces Covenant. Leadership is provided by CEO Sharon Burt (MBA, CMgr FCMI, FCCT), supported by a Board of Trustees and academy-level governance committees; day-to-day operational leadership at academy level includes principals such as Faye Watton-Lawrence.

Name

Solent Academies Trust

Legal name

Solent Academies Trust

Website

https://solent-trust.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Solent Academies Trust is a UK multi-academy trust operating six state-funded special schools for pupils aged 2-19 with SEND, across Portsmouth, Hampshire, and West Sussex, funded via ESFA and local authority commissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Needs Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Needs-Inclusive Early Learning Academies (EDACADAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

International Curriculum Early Learning Academies (e.g., IB Early Years) (EDACADAK)

Keywords

• Special educational needs schools
• Multi-academy trust
• Specialist education provision
• State-funded special schools
• Special schools network

Headquarters

HQ city

Portsmouth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Education Funding: As a multi-academy trust operating state-funded special schools, Solent Academies Trust receives funding from the UK government through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) for each pupil enrolled. Additional funding may come from local authorities for commissioned places and SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) provisions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Solent Academies Trust runs a network of six academies — five special schools and one primary special school — delivering high-quality, personalised specialist education for pupils aged 2-19 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Provision spans early years through to age 19, with each academy offering a creative, relevant, motivating and personalised curriculum, supported by shared trust-wide expertise, professional development, and a school-improvement strategy. The offering is funded through government per-pupil allocations and local-authority commissioned SEND placements.

Product overview

Solent Academies Trust operates as a multi-academy trust providing specialist education services through a network of six academies (five special schools and one primary school) serving pupils aged 2-19. The portfolio is anchored by Mary Rose Academy, the founding school with four outstanding Ofsted ratings. Each academy offers a creative, relevant, motivating, and personalised curriculum tailored to meet the wide-ranging needs of its pupils. The Trust leverages shared expertise, experience, and innovative practice across its family of schools to accelerate improvement and develop a strong learning community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cliffdale Primary Academy Primary special school within Solent Academies Trust providing specialist, personalised education for pupils aged 2-19 with SEND.
• Dove House Academy Special school within Solent Academies Trust providing specialist, personalised education for pupils aged 2-19 with SEND.
• Littlegreen Academy Special school within Solent Academies Trust providing specialist, personalised education for pupils aged 2-19 with SEND, located in Compton, West Sussex.
• Mary Rose Academy Founding school of Solent Academies Trust providing specialist, personalised education for pupils aged 2-19 with SEND; holds four consecutive outstanding Ofsted ratings.
• Redwood Park Academy Special school within Solent Academies Trust providing specialist, personalised education for pupils aged 2-19 with SEND, located in Basingstoke, Hampshire.
• Luminous Oak Academy Special school within Solent Academies Trust providing specialist, personalised education for pupils aged 2-19 with SEND, located in Basingstoke, Hampshire.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fourth consecutive outstanding Ofsted rating achieved by founding school Mary Rose Academy

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Portsmouth City Council (Cost of Living Hub)minorOthersSolent Academies Trust participates in the Portsmouth Cost of Living Hub, a resource hub providing benefits and support information to families. This demonstrates the trust's commitment to community engagement and family support services beyond education.
• Disability Confident SchememinorOthersSolent Academies Trust has committed to the Disability Confident scheme, demonstrating inclusive employment practices and support for people with disabilities in the workplace.
• Armed Forces CovenantminorOthersThe trust has signed the Armed Forces Covenant, demonstrating commitment to supporting members of the armed forces community, including service families and veterans.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• New Bridge Multi Academy Trust: UK multi-academy trust of special schools and SEND provisions; directly comparable specialist-education operator serving pupils with complex needs under state funding.
• Nexus Multi Academy Trust: A Yorkshire-based trust specialising in special schools and alternative provision for SEND pupils, mirroring Solent's specialist model and government-funded structure.
• Rowan Learning Trust: UK multi-academy trust running special and mainstream schools including SEND provision, comparable in model and funding to Solent Academies Trust.
• Shaw Education Trust: UK multi-academy trust that operates a mix of mainstream and special schools including SEND specialist provision, comparable in model and portfolio to Solent.

Regional players

• Chiltern Learning Trust: UK multi-academy trust operating schools including specialist provision but in a different region, sharing the same state-funded MAT operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Ormiston Academies Trust: One of the largest national multi-academy trusts running many schools; overlaps in the MAT model and government funding but is far broader than Solent's SEND niche.
• Harris Federation: Large London-focused multi-academy trust with a strong Ofsted-outstanding reputation; a broad incumbent in the same UK academy-trust space rather than SEND-specialist.
• United Learning: One of the UK's largest school groups operating academies nationally; shares the trust operating model but at far greater scale and across mainstream education.
• Academies Enterprise Trust: Large national multi-academy trust; comparable governance and funding structure but broad mainstream focus rather than specialist SEND provision.
• Oasis Community Learning: National multi-academy trust with a community and inclusion ethos; overlaps in mission and MAT structure but is broader than Solent's special-schools focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Solent Academies Trust