What Astrea Academy Trust does

Astrea Academy Trust is a UK multi-academy trust (MAT) and exempt charity headquartered in Sheffield, operating a network of 26 schools across South Yorkshire (Sheffield, Barnsley, Rotherham, Doncaster) and Cambridgeshire (St Ives, St Neots, Cottenham). Founded in 2016, the trust runs twenty primary academies, four secondary academies with sixth-form provision, three further secondary academies, one specialist secondary school and one nursery, serving approximately 14,000 students. The portfolio mix spans early-years through post-16 A-Level, with full coverage of GCSE and A-Level qualifications and targeted support for disadvantaged pupils.

The trust generates revenue primarily through Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) per-pupil funding, supplemented by targeted capital and project grants (notably a £646,000 Football Foundation Lionesses Futures Fund grant and a £20,000 Built for Change sustainability grant). All 26 schools have achieved Ofsted 'Good' ratings — some for the first time in their history. Academic outcomes have improved materially over the past year: 65.6% of pupils achieved Grades 9–4 in GCSE English and Maths (up from 60.9% in 2024); KS2 results rose 25%; and over 22% of A-Level grades at Astrea Academy Sheffield were A* or A.

Operating model is a centralized MAT structure with shared governance, HR, finance, estates and catering services across all academies, recognized with a CIPS Procurement Excellence Standard Award in 2025. The trust is led by CEO Rowena Hackwood and governed by a board of trustees with deep sector experience, and won both Large Trust of the Year and Most Improved Trust of the Year at the nEdEx Awards 2026. The trust's stated 'Astrea 3.0' 2030 strategy targets top-5% national performance, indicating continued quality-led expansion rather than scale-driven growth. There is no proprietary technology platform; the operating model is a traditional, regulated education-services delivery business dependent on government per-pupil funding.

Name

Astrea Academy Trust

Legal name

Astrea Academy Trust

Website

https://astreaacademytrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Astrea Academy Trust is a UK multi-academy trust operating 26 primary, secondary, sixth-form and specialist schools across South Yorkshire and Cambridgeshire, serving approximately 14,000 students with government-funded education since its founding in 2016.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sheffield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Funding (ESFA): Academy trusts in England receive funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) based on pupil numbers. This is the primary recurring revenue stream.
2. Grants and Additional Funding: The trust receives additional grants for specific projects such as sports facilities (£646,000 Football Foundation grant) and sustainability initiatives (£20,000 Built for Change funding).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Astrea Academy Trust is a multi-academy trust operating 26 state-funded primary, secondary, and specialist academies across South Yorkshire and Cambridgeshire. It delivers education from early years (nursery) through GCSEs and A-Levels to approximately 14,000 students, supported by centralized governance, curriculum, safeguarding, HR, finance, and estates services.

Product overview

Astrea Academy Trust operates a network of 26 academies across South Yorkshire and Cambridgeshire, including primary schools, secondary schools, sixth forms, and one nursery. The trust provides educational services from early years (nursery) through primary and secondary education to sixth form/A-Level provision. The portfolio comprises 20 primary academies, 8 secondary academies (including 4 with sixth form provision), and 1 nursery. All schools are rated Good by Ofsted. The trust offers GCSE and A-Level qualifications, with additional support programs including extra revision sessions, mentoring, and community engagement initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Astrea Academy Sheffield Secondary academy in Sheffield offering GCSE and A-Level education to students aged 11-18.
• Astrea Academy Dearne Secondary academy in Goldthorpe, Rotherham offering GCSE education to students aged 11-16.
• Astrea Academy Netherwood Secondary academy in Wombwell, Barnsley offering GCSE education to students aged 11-16.
• Astrea Academy Woodfields Secondary academy in Doncaster offering GCSE education to students aged 11-16.
• Cottenham Village College Secondary school and sixth form in Cottenham, Cambridge offering GCSE and A-Level education to students aged 11-18.
• Ernulf Academy Secondary academy in Saint Neots offering GCSE education to students aged 11-16.
• Longsands Academy Secondary academy with sixth form in St Neots offering GCSE and A-Level education to students aged 11-18.
• St Ivo Academy Secondary academy with sixth form in St Ives, Cambridgeshire offering GCSE and A-Level education to students aged 11-18.
• The Centre School Specialist secondary school in Cottenham, Cambridge supporting students with additional needs.
• Hilltoppers Nursery Nursery provision for children aged 0-4 based at The Hill Primary Academy in Thurnscoe, Rotherham.
• Atlas Academy Primary academy in Doncaster serving children aged 4-11.
• Byron Wood Primary Academy Primary academy in Sheffield serving children aged 4-11.
• Carrfield Primary Academy Primary academy in Bolton upon Dearne, Rotherham serving children aged 4-11.
• Castle Academy Primary academy in Conisbrough, Doncaster serving children aged 4-11.
• Denaby Main Primary Academy Primary academy in Denaby Main, Doncaster serving children aged 4-11.
• Edenthorpe Hall Academy Primary academy in Edenthorpe serving children aged 4-11.
• Gooseacre Primary Academy Primary academy in Thurnscoe, Rotherham serving children aged 4-11.
• Greengate Lane Academy Primary academy in High Green, Sheffield serving children aged 4-11.
• Hartley Brook Primary Academy Primary academy in Sheffield serving children aged 4-11.
• Hatfield Primary Academy Primary academy in Sheffield serving children aged 4-11.
• Hexthorpe Primary Academy Primary academy in Doncaster serving children aged 4-11.
• Highgate Primary Academy Primary academy in Goldthorpe, Rotherham serving children aged 4-11.
• Intake Primary Academy Primary academy in Doncaster serving children aged 4-11.
• Kingfisher Primary Academy Primary academy in Doncaster serving children aged 4-11.
• Lower Meadow Primary Academy Primary academy in Sheffield serving children aged 4-11.
• The Hill Primary Academy Primary academy in Rotherham serving children aged 4-11.
• Waverley Primary Academy Primary academy in Balby, Doncaster serving children aged 4-11.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65.6% of students achieved Grades 9 to 4 in English and Maths GCSEs (up from 60.9% in 2024)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

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 and core.

• Cottenham Colts, Waterbeach Colts, Cottenham UnitedminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 6 October 2025Local football clubs use the 3G pitch at Cottenham Village College for training and matches, extending community access to the facility.
• Sheffield Hallam University and Sheffield City Council (Built for Change)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Lower Meadow Primary Academy secured £20,000 funding through the Built for Change project, a partnership between Sheffield Hallam University and Sheffield City Council, to install a 'living roof' addressing climate change risks.
• Let's Go ZerominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Lower Meadow Primary Academy worked with sustainability charity Let's Go Zero to explore practical solutions to reduce climate risk before installing the living roof.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Harris Federation: One of the largest UK multi-academy trusts, operating a network of primary and secondary academies (including in South Yorkshire) with a similar school-improvement and sponsor-conversion model to Astrea. Closely comparable on scale, governance structure, and Ofsted-improvement focus.
• Oasis Community Learning: National multi-academy trust operating primary, secondary and all-through academies across England, with a similar focus on disadvantaged-pupil outcomes and a comparable trust-wide shared-services operating model to Astrea.
• Star Academies: Multi-academy trust running primary and secondary schools nationally with a strong record of school improvement in disadvantaged communities. Comparable to Astrea on multi-region primary/secondary operation, disadvantaged-pupil focus, and award-winning improvement narrative.
• United Learning: One of the UK's largest MATs, operating both state-funded academies and independent schools across England. Comparable to Astrea on trust-level governance, broad curriculum offering (primary through sixth form), and focus on outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.
• Greenwood Academies Trust: Mid-sized UK MAT operating primary and secondary academies, with overlapping East Midlands / South Yorkshire-style footprint and a similar school-improvement and trust-conversion model to Astrea.
• Ark Schools: National charity running a network of academies across England, with a strong track record of school turnaround and improving pupil outcomes in disadvantaged areas. Directly comparable to Astrea on charitable MAT structure, school-improvement mission, and primary/secondary academy mix.
• Outwood Grange Academies Trust: Large UK MAT running 30+ primary and secondary academies with a strong reputation for transforming underperforming schools and driving up GCSE outcomes. Directly comparable to Astrea on multi-academy trust model, school-improvement narrative, and northern-England footprint.
• The Kemnal Academies Trust (TKAT): Large multi-academy trust operating primary, secondary and special academies across southern and central England. Comparable to Astrea on trust-level central services, sponsor model, and breadth of primary/secondary provision.
• REAch2 Academy Trust: Largest primary-only multi-academy trust in England, operating a national network of primary academies. Comparable to Astrea on shared central services for primary schools, sponsor-of-underperforming-schools role, and non-profit trust governance model.
• Academies Enterprise Trust (AET): Large national MAT running primary and secondary academies across England with a sponsor-conversion and school-improvement history. Comparable to Astrea on scale, sponsor-of-last-resort role, and regional-cluster operating model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/astreaacademies
• Facebookfacebook.com/AstreaAcademyTrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/astrea-academy-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Astrea Academy Trust