Saxon Hill Academy

What Saxon Hill Academy does

Saxon Hill Academy is a state-funded special education school based in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England, operating under the Shaw Education Trust multi-academy trust. The school provides education and residential short breaks for children and young people aged 5-18 with complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including physical disabilities, learning difficulties, autism, and communication impairments. It delivers its LEADERS Curriculum framework — structured around Communication, Independence, Thinking, Physical Skills, Community, and Creativity — through four pathway-based departments (Explorers, Investigators, Adventurers, Towards Independence) and supports pupils via four pathways (pre-formal, informal, semi-formal, formal) matched to ability. The school employs a comprehensive Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) toolkit including PODD, Makaton, TaSSeLs, VOCAs, and switch-accessed technology, alongside digital systems such as Evidence for Learning for portfolio tracking, My Concern for safeguarding reporting, and My Voice for pupil feedback.

The school's business model is non-profit and state-funded: educational placements are commissioned by the Local Authority via Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) with no tuition fees charged to families, while residential Sleepover Club placements are separately commissioned through children's services. Ancillary revenue is generated through social-enterprise work-experience hubs — Saxon Hill Craft Barn (established 2012) and the on-site Community Café (established 2013) — which also serve as vocational training environments for older pupils. The Sleepover Club, a 14-bed residential short breaks facility operating Monday-Thursday, has achieved 17 consecutive Outstanding Ofsted ratings, and the school received a Strong judgement across all areas in its January 2026 Ofsted inspection under the new framework. The school's go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via EHCP admissions and a residential admissions panel, supported by community engagement through the parent-led FOSH fundraising organization, work-experience partnerships (Dobbies, Beaudesert Park Farm, Lichfield Foodbank, Tamworth Rotary), and transition events linking pupils to post-19 providers.

Name

Saxon Hill Academy

Legal name

Saxon Hill Academy

Website

https://saxonhillacademy.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Saxon Hill Academy is a state-funded special education school in Lichfield, England, operating under Shaw Education Trust to deliver the LEADERS Curriculum and residential short breaks to children aged 5-18 with complex SEND, funded via Local Authority EHCP commissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Residential Special Education Programs (EDAKAAAH)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Residential care
• SEND schooling
• Special needs curriculum
• Vocational training

Headquarters

HQ city

Lichfield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. State-Funded Education: Saxon Hill Academy operates as a state-funded special school within the Shaw Education Trust. Funding comes from the Local Authority for educational provision and separately for residential care placements through children's services. No direct tuition fees are charged to families.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Saxon Hill Academy is a state-funded special education school providing individualized education for children and young people aged 5-18 with complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), delivered through its proprietary LEADERS Curriculum across four pathway stages. The school operates a 14-bed Sleepover Club residential short-breaks provision and runs social-enterprise vocational training arms (Saxon Hill Craft Barn and Saxon Hill Community Café) that provide real-world work experience, supported by a comprehensive Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) toolkit and the Evidence for Learning digital portfolio platform.

Product overview

Saxon Hill Academy is a special school providing education for pupils aged 5-18 with complex needs. The school's offering is a unified educational programme built around its LEADERS Curriculum framework, which is delivered through four department pathways (Explorers, Investigators, Adventurers, and Towards Independence) tailored to different key stages and learning approaches. Key products and services include: the Evidence for Learning digital portfolio system for tracking pupil progress; the Sleepover Club residential provision offering overnight short breaks rated Outstanding by Ofsted for 17 consecutive years; vocational training through the Saxon Hill Craft Barn and Community Café social enterprises; and specialist programmes including Forest School, Food Technology, AAC communication support, and a comprehensive Careers Education programme. The school operates under Shaw Education Trust and serves pupils with a range of additional needs including physical disabilities, learning difficulties, and autism.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sleepover Club: Residential short breaks provision for pupils aged 5-18 with complex needs, offering overnight stays, independence development, and social opportunities with peers. Has received 17 consecutive Outstanding Ofsted ratings.

Products and services

• Sleepover Club (Residential Short Breaks) Residential short-breaks provision offering overnight stays for pupils aged 5-18 with complex special educational needs, providing independence-skills development, self-help training, and social opportunities with peers. Rated Outstanding by Ofsted for 17 consecutive years (most recent inspection 30 Sep - 2 Oct 2025). Placements are commissioned separately through children's services.
• LEADERS Curriculum Proprietary curriculum framework designed to prepare pupils for future life, delivered through four pathway stages (pre-formal, informal, semi-formal, formal) across the Explorers, Investigators, Adventurers, and Towards Independence departments. Built around six interconnected learning aspects and designed to develop pupils as leaders in their own learning and lives.
• Towards Independence Department (14-19 Programme) Post-14 education programme for pupils aged 14-19 focused on preparation for adulthood, delivering work experience, community engagement, and accredited qualifications (AQA Unit Awards, AIM Qualifications, Entry Level Certificates, Level 1 qualifications). Organised across Hubs 4 and 5 within the Towards Independence structure.
• Saxon Hill Craft Barn Social enterprise retail craft store established in 2012 at Chasewater Country Park, Burntwood/Brownhills, selling craft packs and materials sourced from donated and surplus business items. Provides vocational work experience for students in sorting, manufacturing, pricing, customer service, and till operations, contributing to both student skill development and environmental sustainability.
• Saxon Hill Community Café On-site community café established in 2013, open to pupils, staff, and community visitors. Operated by Towards Independence students who prepare lunches, develop hospitality skills, and learn food preparation and customer service in a real working café environment serving hot and cold food and drink.
• Forest School Programme Outdoor learning programme delivered by qualified instructor Isobel Jellyman, fully accessible to pupils of all abilities and age groups. Provides hands-on environmental education experiences that broaden pupils' horizons and extend learning beyond the classroom.
• Food Technology Programme Specialist cooking programme taught across the school by Food Technology Lead Eve Bryan, covering food preparation, health and safety skills, and cooking of savoury and sweet dishes. Supports Preparation for Adulthood outcomes through practical life-skills development.
• Careers Education and Guidance Programme Structured careers programme aligned with the Gatsby Benchmarks, offering enterprise projects, work experience placements, careers week activities, and annual Transition Events featuring local and regional colleges, day services, care providers, and post-19 leisure opportunities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 17 consecutive Outstanding Ofsted ratings for residential provision (Sleepover Club)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Saxon Hill Community CafecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013On-site community cafe established 2013, open to pupils, staff, and community. Students in Towards Independence department prepare lunches, develop hospitality skills, and learn about food preparation and service. Cafe serves hot and cold food and drink in a warm, friendly environment.
• Saxon Hill Craft BarncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Social enterprise retail store established 2012, located at Chasewater Country Park. Provides work experience opportunities for students in workshop (sorting, manufacturing craft packs) and retail (pricing, facing up stock, till operations, customer service). Uses donated and surplus materials, contributing to environmental sustainability. Generates revenue supporting the work experience program.
• Shaw Education TrustcoreOthersMulti-academy education trust based at Kidsgrove Secondary School, Gloucester Road, Kidsgrove ST7 4DL. The trust operates multiple academies and provides governance, support, and leadership oversight for Saxon Hill Academy. The Headteacher's message is delivered under the Shaw Education Trust banner.
• Dobbies Garden Centre, ShenstonecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOn-site class base established at Dobbies Shenstone location. Students access work opportunities including unpacking deliveries, stacking shelves, facing up products, designing displays, pricing, and operating tills. Provides corporate retail experience in a real business environment.
• Lichfield FoodbankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollection centre located in school grounds. Students identify and sort foods, deliver to Foodbank, record sell-by dates and weights, and package food packs for families. Students also participate in supermarket food collections. Links to community service and functional skills development.
• Beaudesert Park FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeekly work experience opportunity where students gain insight into farm operations including animal care (feeding, cleaning, collecting eggs), food processing (making sausages, burgers, bread, hot cross buns), packaging to industry standards, pricing and selling products. Provides full production process experience.
• Tamworth Rotary (Interact Club)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTowards Independence students participate in Interact group supported by Tamworth Rotary. Elected positions include President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary. Community projects include Lichfield Foodbank, SANDS, St John's Hospital, and overseas project Aqua Box. Helps students understand community contribution.
• Staffordshire Police (Operation Encompass)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInformation sharing partnership where Staffordshire Police contact the school whenever called to a domestic abuse incident at a pupil's home. Enables school to offer immediate support for children experiencing domestic abuse. Part of safeguarding framework.
• Staffordshire UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity staff attend and lead annual Children's University graduation ceremonies. Recognizes learning opportunities taken outside normal school hours and awards credits towards Children's University awards.
• Various Local Colleges and Post-19 ProviderscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnnual Transition Event features representation from local and regional colleges, day services, care providers, and leisure opportunities. Provides information to families about post-Saxon Hill options. Includes careers talks and college visits as part of preparation for adulthood.
• Simple Stuff WorksminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPosture support training provider. School is working with Simple Stuff Works to get training and resources for posture support, identified as priority in school development plan following parent feedback.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Witherslack Group: One of the UK's leading specialist education and care providers operating residential and day schools for children with complex SEND, autism, and social, emotional and mental health needs. Directly comparable in operating model (residential + day school + complex needs) but operates at much greater scale across multiple sites.
• Cambian Group (now part of Aura Care): UK provider of specialist education and residential care for children with autism, learning disabilities, and complex behavioural needs. Operates specialist schools and residential homes similar to Saxon Hill's model but with a national footprint.
• Outcomes First Group (Acorn Education): UK specialist education provider running residential and day schools focused on outcomes for children with complex needs, autism and SEMH. Comparable in curriculum/Ofsted-led operating model and is a direct competitor for LA-commissioned SEND placements.
• Aspris Children's Services: Operates specialist day and residential schools for children with learning disabilities, autism and SEMH across the UK. Mid-market comparable on EHCP-funded residential SEND model.
• Priory Group (Education & Children's Services): Operates a network of specialist day and residential schools for children with SEN, autism and social/emotional difficulties across the UK. Wide portfolio of services; serves the same EHCP-commissioned SEND residential market as Saxon Hill.

Direct peers

• Hesley Group: Specialist residential and education provider for children and adults with autism and complex needs in South Yorkshire. Closest peer in residential special-education niche with comparable bed-scale and EHCP-funded model.
• Chadsgrove Teaching School Alliance: UK specialist day and residential special school for pupils with complex learning needs, including physical disabilities and AAC users. Operates a comparable LEADERS-style curriculum under a multi-academy trust. Closest peer on operational scale and provision type.

Emerging players

• National Autistic Society (NAS) Schools: Operates specialist schools and residential services for autistic children in the UK. Comparable on autism pathway focus and EHCP-funded model, though typically smaller and charity-run rather than trust-run.
• RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) Schools: Runs specialist schools for children with vision impairment and complex needs (e.g., RNIB Pears Centre). Overlap with Saxon Hill on multi-sensory impairment / TaSSeLs portfolio, serving EHCP-funded pupils.
• Henshaws Society for Blind People: Charitable specialist education and residential provider for children with vision impairment and additional disabilities in the North of England. Compares to Saxon Hill on residential special education and AAC for sensory-impaired pupils.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/saxonhillacademy
• Instagraminstagram.com/friendsofsaxonhill
• Xx.com/saxonacademy

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Saxon Hill Academy