The Priory Federation of Academies

What The Priory Federation of Academies does

The Priory Federation of Academies Trust is a state-funded multi-academy trust headquartered in Lincoln, England, operating 15 wholly-owned academies across Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Peterborough. It delivers education across primary, secondary, sixth form, special (Willoughby Academy), and early years (Bracebridge Nursery and Infant School) phases, with core values of Wisdom, Curiosity, Generosity, Courage, and Passion anchoring its curriculum. Sixth Form provision is differentiated across multiple campuses and includes T Levels, A Levels, AAQs, Level 2 and Level 3 triple-BTECs, and apprenticeship pathways.

The trust operates two adjacent lines outside the academy model: Priory Apprenticeships, which provides earn-while-you-learn programmes in Teaching Assistant, Business Administration, and Facilities and Estates Management roles, and Lincolnshire ITT, a school-centred initial teacher training partnership with the University of Lincoln awarding QTS and PGCE. Centralised services (Finance, HR, Estates, IT, Communications, Governance) support all member academies, and a standard productivity stack (Microsoft 365, Citrix Workspace, ClassCharts for behaviour tracking, Satchel for homework, SharePoint, and Juniper Education for the web platform) underpins daily operations. Cyber Essentials certification has been obtained for data security compliance.

The revenue model is subscription-recurring government funding per pupil, with no tuition fees charged for standard provision. GTM is direct-to-consumer via catchment-area admissions at each academy site, supplemented by open evenings and prospectus documents for sixth-form recruitment, and a WebTrent vacancies portal for staff and apprentice intake. The trust has no parent company, no external investor ownership, and no funding rounds; it is governed as an independent charitable academy trust by a Board of Trustees chaired by Mr H D Gee.

Name

The Priory Federation of Academies

Legal name

The Priory Federation of Academies Trust

Website

https://prioryacademies.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Priory Federation of Academies Trust is a state-funded multi-academy trust operating 15 primary, secondary, sixth-form, special, and early-years academies across Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, and Peterborough, serving pupils from early years through age 18 with government per-pupil funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 and Post-16 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (61), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Special Needs-Inclusive Early Learning Academies (EDACADAI)

Keywords

• Primary education services
• Secondary education services
• Sixth form education
• Teacher training programs
• Apprenticeship programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Lincoln

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Academy Funding: State-funded academy trust receiving government funding per pupil for primary and secondary education. Additional funding for sixth form provision.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Priory Federation of Academies Trust operates a network of 15 academies across Lincolnshire providing state-funded education from early years through sixth form, including primary, secondary, special, and post-16 education. It also offers apprenticeship programmes (Priory Apprenticeships) and school-centred initial teacher training (Lincolnshire ITT) in partnership with the University of Lincoln. Academies within the trust are supported by shared central services including Finance, HR, Estates, IT, Communications, and Governance.

Product overview

The Priory Federation of Academies Trust operates as a multi-academy trust offering a comprehensive educational portfolio spanning primary, secondary, and post-16 education across 15 academies in Lincolnshire. The core offerings include Sixth Form education (with T Levels, A Levels, BTECs, and apprenticeships), the Priory Apprenticeships programme, and Initial Teacher Training through Lincolnshire ITT. The academies are connected through shared services including Priory Web Applications (Microsoft 365, Satchel, ClassCharts, Itrent ESS) and supported by Central Services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Priory Apprenticeships: Apprenticeship programmes offering earn-while-you-learn opportunities across various roles including Teaching Assistant, Business Administration, and Facilities Management.
• Lincolnshire ITT
• Priory Sixth Form

Products and services

• Multi-Academy Trust Education Services (Primary, Secondary, Special, Early Years) A network of primary, secondary, special, and early years academies across Lincolnshire delivering state-funded education to school-age pupils within the trust's catchment areas.
• Priory Sixth Form Education Post-16 education across multiple specialist campuses offering T Level qualifications, A Level courses, AAQs, Level 2 and Level 3 triple-BTECs, and apprenticeship pathways for students aged 16-18.
• Priory Apprenticeships Apprenticeship programmes offering hands-on training and professional learning across roles including Teaching Assistant, Business Administration, and Facilities and Estates Management.
• Lincolnshire ITT (Initial Teacher Training) One-year postgraduate school-centred initial teacher training programme offered in partnership with the University of Lincoln, awarding Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) to teacher trainees across Lincolnshire and its neighbouring counties.

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lincolnshire ITT (School Centred Initial Teacher Training)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLincolnshire ITT offers a one-year postgraduate school-centred training programme with the award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), through the University of Lincoln. The academies of The Priory Federation work with Lincolnshire ITT in the delivery of Initial Teacher Training, encompassing a large range of schools in Lincolnshire and its neighbouring counties.
• Evans Cycles (Cycle to Work Scheme)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe trust operates a cycle to work scheme with Evans Cycles, allowing employees to purchase bicycles through salary sacrifice arrangements.
• Teachers DiscountminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive discounts platform for education workers, providing huge discounts on various products and services for Trust employees.
• Specsaver (VDU Eye Tests)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Trust provides VDU eye examinations funded through Specsavers, including full eye examination and discounts on glasses for employees using display screen equipment.
• One NK GymminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne NK gym in North Hykeham offers Trust employees a Corporate Discount at £33.75 per month, including pool and classes.
• Central WellnessminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorYoga studio and wellness centre in Lincoln offering Trust employees 10% off attending classes.
• Lincoln City FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Lincoln City Football Club's foundation for physical, social, and mental wellbeing programmes including walking football, team talks, and fighting fit sessions.
• Prudential (AVC Pension)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdditional Voluntary Contributions provider for the Local Government Pension Scheme, allowing employees to accrue additional pension benefits.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Outwood Grange Academies Trust: Large multi-academy trust operating primary and secondary academies, including a number in the East Midlands and Yorkshire regions. Comparable to Priory in scale (dozens of academies), geographic focus on the Midlands/North and a centralised school-improvement model.
• Academy Transformation Trust: Mid-sized multi-academy trust with primary, secondary and special academies across the East Midlands and other regions. Directly comparable to Priory in regional footprint, mixed-phase portfolio and inclusive SEND provision.
• Greenwood Academies Trust: Multi-academy trust operating primary and secondary academies across the East Midlands (Nottingham, Leicestershire and surrounding areas). Directly comparable to Priory in being a regional state-funded MAT with mixed primary/secondary provision and a similar pupil-population profile.
• Oasis Community Learning: Large national multi-academy trust running primary, secondary and post-16 academies across England. Comparable to Priory in operating as a federation of state-funded academies with shared curriculum intent and central services support.
• United Learning: National multi-academy trust comprising both state-funded and independent schools with primary through sixth form provision. Comparable to Priory in operating a federation of academies with shared services, curriculum and a teacher-training pipeline.
• Harris Federation: One of the UK's largest multi-academy trusts running primary, secondary and post-16 provision including sixth forms and teacher training. Directly comparable in operating model (state-funded MAT with shared central services and federated governance) and in offering full educational pathways.
• REAch2 Academy Trust: Primary-focused multi-academy trust running a large network of primary academies nationally. Comparable to Priory's primary phase scale and federated operating model, especially around shared curriculum and central services.
• L.E.A.D. Academy Trust: Nottingham-based multi-academy trust operating a network of primary and secondary academies across the East Midlands. Comparable to Priory in geographic proximity, regional demographic exposure and federation governance model.

Broad incumbents

• GEMS Education: Global K-12 school group operating premium and mainstream schools across multiple countries. Comparable to Priory in offering a fully federated K-12 pathway with central curriculum and shared services, but as a fee-charging international operator with different funding model.

Regional players

• Diocese of Lincoln Education: Coordinates Church of England schools across Lincolnshire and the wider diocese, some of which compete directly with Priory academies for pupils in the same catchment. Regionally comparable as a school network with overlapping geography and demographic base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PrioryLSST
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-priory-federation-of-academies

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Priory Federation of Academies