What Shaw Education Trust does

Shaw Education Trust is a UK multi-academy trust structured as a company limited by guarantee and exempt charity, operating 32 primary, secondary, and special academies across England with an aggregate enrolment of more than 11,000 students. Its portfolio spans mainstream schools in Staffordshire, Cheshire, Derbyshire, and Greater Manchester, alongside a growing special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) estate that includes Blackfriars Academy, Saxon Hill Academy, Ivy House School, and the newly opened Brookhaven School in Bury. The Trust is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Andrew Meehan, with Kerry Inscker currently serving as Interim CEO and Accounting Officer.

The Trust's core product is the operation of publicly funded academies delivering free education to pupils aged 3-19, with secondary offerings routed through its Institute of Education. The Institute provides Initial Teacher Training via Keele and North Staffordshire Teacher Education (KNSTE, rated Outstanding by Ofsted), National Professional Qualifications, the Early Career Training Programme aligned with the Early Career Framework, and apprenticeship pathways funded through the Apprenticeship Levy. Underlying technology consists of standard educational technology and school management systems, with the Trust contributing to the National PedTech Partnership, a two-year research and development programme on pedagogy-first digital learning.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through government education funding: per-pupil grants from the Department for Education via the ESFA Master Funding Agreement, supplemented by local authority SEND commissioning, ITT and NPQ programme fees, and apprenticeship levy utilisation. Schools are free at the point of use; there is no traditional commercial pricing. Following the September 2024 transition from Shaw Trust sponsorship to a strategic partnership, Shaw Education Trust now operates as an independent MAT while continuing to collaborate with Shaw Trust on access to education, work, and wellbeing initiatives.

Name

Shaw Education Trust

Legal name

The Shaw Education Trust Limited

Website

https://shaw-education.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Shaw Education Trust operates 32 primary, secondary, and special academies across England serving over 11,000 students. Funded primarily by UK government per-pupil grants, the Trust also delivers teacher training and apprenticeships through its Institute of Education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kidsgrove

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and 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, Shaw Education Trust receives government funding from the Department for Education (DfE) for operating academies. Funding covers educational operations, staffing, and capital investments.
2. Initial Teacher Training (KNSTE): The Institute of Education provides Initial Teacher Training programmes, generating revenue through trainee fees and government teacher training funding.
3. Apprenticeship Programmes: The Trust utilises the Apprenticeship Levy to develop staff across teaching, support, finance, HR, estates, IT, and administration functions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Shaw Education Trust operates a network of 32 primary, secondary and special academies across England serving more than 11,000 students. It delivers classroom education through these academies and runs an Institute of Education (IoE) that supplies school improvement support, Initial Teacher Training, National Professional Qualifications, Early Career Training, and apprenticeship programmes to member and external schools.

Product overview

Shaw Education Trust operates as a multi-academy trust managing 32 academies across England with over 11,000 students. The organization offers a unified educational services portfolio comprising the core academy network (primary, secondary, and special schools) and an Institute of Education (IoE) that provides Initial Teacher Training, National Professional Qualifications, and Early Career Training Programmes. The academies span various educational phases and sectors, with the IoE serving as the central hub for professional development and school improvement across the trust.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Institute of Education (IoE): A key strand of Shaw Education Trust that leads on school improvement, talent management and continuing professional development (CPD), providing support through a network of Professional Advocates and System Leaders.

Products and services

• Shaw Education Trust Academies A network of 32 primary, secondary, and special education academies across England, serving 11,000+ students with a focus on high achievement and inclusive education. Schools join the Trust through formal MAT conversion.
• Institute of Education (IoE)

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of inspected schools rated good or outstanding
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• National PedTech PartnershipflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2025A two-year research and development programme focused on ensuring high-impact and equitable teaching and learning supported by contemporary digital tools. Shaw Education Trust's Tanya Rowley and Helen Taylor contribute to this partnership, championing inclusive, digitally-enabled practice that puts pedagogy first.
• Shaw TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 September 2024Shaw Trust was the original sponsor of Shaw Education Trust when it was created in 2014. In September 2024, the relationship evolved from sponsor to strategic partner as SET achieved maturity and independence. Shaw Trust is one of the UK's 25 largest charities with 75+ years experience in employment, learning and skills. They continue working closely with SET including exploring new ways to increase access to education, work and wellbeing.
• ESFA (Education and Skills Funding Agency)coreOthersShaw Education Trust operates in line with the ESFA Academies Financial Handbook. The Trust has a Master Funding Agreement with the Secretary of State for Education setting out funding arrangements.
• OfstedcoreOthersAll academies are inspected by Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills. Ofsted ratings are a key measure of school quality and Trust effectiveness.
• Brookhaven SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew special school development in Bury opening January 2024 for students with Autism and speech, language, and communication difficulties (ages 11-16). Designed as centre of excellence with Passivhaus sustainable design approach.
• Local Authorities (Bury, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, Derbyshire)coreOthersTrust works with multiple local authorities for school placements, commissioning, and regional educational provision. Bury Local Authority faces increased mainstream school populations driving need for Brookhaven School.
• Alice CharityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNewfriars College developed Community Junction in partnership with Alice Charity, a community space and café operated by students with learning disabilities to support vulnerable and disadvantaged families.
• Opening WorldsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImmersive humanities programme for Years 3-6 providing curriculum resources, training, and professional development. Steve Mastin from Opening Worlds conducted training at Redhill Primary.
• BMet CollegeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBMet College partnered with Fortis Academy for Prom Package Competition, with outreach activities helping students make informed choices about post-16 education and apprenticeships.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Academy Transformation Trust: Mid-sized multi-academy trust operating primary, secondary, and special academies across the Midlands. Directly comparable in scale, regional footprint, and service offering to SET.
• Reach Academy Trust: UK multi-academy trust operating a network of primary and secondary academies, providing school improvement and central services. Comparable MAT structure serving a similar pupil demographic and age range as SET.
• Delta Academies Trust: Large multi-academy trust operating academies across northern England. Directly comparable as a regional MAT with a comparable mix of primary and secondary provision and similar growth strategy through conversions.
• Greenwood Academies Trust: Multi-academy trust with a comparable regional footprint across the East Midlands. Operates a similar portfolio of primary, secondary, and special schools and competes directly for new academy conversions.
• Northern Education Trust: Multi-academy trust operating a comparable number of primary and secondary schools across northern England with similar school improvement and central service offerings. Directly comparable in size and operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Ormiston Academies Trust: One of the largest UK MATs operating dozens of academies across England. A broader incumbent in the same space with overlapping capabilities but at significantly greater scale than SET.
• E-ACT: National multi-academy trust operating primary and secondary academies across multiple regions. Broader incumbent in the MAT sector with overlapping education service offerings and a similar growth-by-conversion model.
• United Learning: Largest UK MAT combining state and independent schools with a wide range of academic and professional development programmes. Broad incumbent providing an institutional-scale benchmark for SET's growth trajectory.
• Harris Federation: Major London-based multi-academy trust operating primary, secondary, and special schools at significant scale. Broad incumbent with comparable school improvement and teacher training offerings, though operating primarily in a different geography.

Others

• Newfriars College (within SET): Part of SET providing post-16 specialist provision for students with learning disabilities, comparable to other post-16 specialist colleges such as National Star or Mencap College that deliver similar vocational and independent living programmes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ShawEduTrust
• Facebookfacebook.com/ShawEducationTrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shaw-education-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries34 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 Shaw Education Trust