Olive Academies

What Olive Academies does

Olive Academies is a UK not-for-profit multi-academy trust, established in 2013 and registered as a charitable company limited by guarantee (company number 08747464). It operates seven alternative provision academies and independent schools — OA-Cambridge, OA-Havering, OA-Nene Valley, OA-North View (SEMH), OA-Suffolk, OA-Thurrock, and OA-Tunbridge Wells — serving children and young people aged 7-16 who have been permanently excluded from mainstream school, are at risk of exclusion, or have social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. The trust's stated purpose is to transform the lives of students for whom traditional teaching has not worked, delivering GCSE and vocational qualifications alongside pastoral and therapeutic support, with recent reported outcomes including an 82% GCSE pass rate in English and Maths at OA-Havering (2024-25) and 0% NEET for Year 11 leavers.

The trust's core 'technology' is a specialist alternative-provision pedagogy rather than a software product: project-based learning, therapeutic and pastoral teams embedded in each academy, a behavioural framework called 'Dare to be Olive', and Personalised Learning Passports that tailor provision to individual need. Outreach programmes (notably the Tier 1 six-week early-intervention programme) extend the methodology into mainstream schools. The offering sits on a small but increasingly important digital surface — individual academy websites under oliveacademies.org.uk sub-domains, a central trust website, and Twitter/X accounts for the trust and each academy — though there is no proprietary platform, mobile app, API, or integrations described.

The business model is government-funded: the trust receives per-pupil funding from the Department for Education for students enrolled across its academies, supplemented by Pupil Premium grants for eligible cohorts and likely high-needs top-ups from commissioning Local Authorities. Pupils are placed via Local Authority Inclusion Team panels rather than recruited directly, making the Local Authority Inclusion Teams and mainstream schools the de facto customers/go-to-market channel. The OA Foundation runs as a parallel charitable vehicle funding enrichment activities through grants and donations. Outreach and Trust Services commissions for Local Authorities and schools represent a secondary revenue stream beyond per-pupil funding. CEO Mark Vickers leads the trust with a board of trustees and per-academy Academy Advisory Boards.

Name

Olive Academies

Legal name

Olive Academies Trust

Website

https://oliveacademies.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Olive Academies is a UK not-for-profit multi-academy trust, established in 2013, operating seven alternative provision academies across London, Kent, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Essex. It serves children aged 7-16 at risk of exclusion or with SEMH needs, funded primarily through Department for Education per-pupil grants and Local Authority commissions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Alternative Provision Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs (EDAJACAF)

Keywords

• Alternative provision education
• Multi-academy trust
• SEMH school services
• Special educational needs
• Academy education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hornchurch

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Academy Funding: Funded through the Department for Education as a multi-academy trust. Schools receive per-pupil funding from government for each student enrolled.
2. Pupil Premium: Additional funding received based on number of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years or who have been in care for 6 months or longer

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Olive Academies operates a network of seven alternative provision academies and one independent school delivering full-time education to children and young people aged 7-16 who have been excluded from or struggle in mainstream schools, with a focus on therapeutic support, project-based learning, enrichment activities, and GCSE/vocational qualifications. In addition to operating the academies, the trust delivers commissioned outreach programmes providing early intervention to mainstream schools and offers trust-wide governance and operational support services to local authorities.

Product overview

Olive Academies is a not-for-profit multi-academy trust established in 2013, specializing in alternative provision education. The organization operates as a platform of multiple individual academies (OA-Cambridge, OA-Havering, OA-Nene Valley, OA-North View, OA-Suffolk, OA-Thurrock, and OA-Tunbridge Wells) across London, Kent, Cambridgeshire, and East of England. Each academy provides educational support for children and young people aged 7-16 who have experienced difficulty in mainstream education or face risk of exclusion. The trust also offers complementary services including outreach programmes for early intervention, a charitable foundation for enrichment funding, and commissioned trust services for local authorities. The academies share expertise and resources within the network while maintaining individual identities and local partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OA-Cambridge Alternative provision academy in Cambridge supporting young people aged 13-16 who have experienced difficulty in mainstream education.
• OA-Havering Alternative provision academy in Hornchurch (London Borough of Havering) supporting up to 40 young people aged 11-16 who have been permanently excluded from school, with additional primary provision.
• OA-Nene Valley Alternative provision academy based in Wisbech supporting up to 52 students aged between 11 and 16.
• OA-North View Alternative provision SEMH (Social, Emotional and Mental Health) independent school in Tilbury supporting young people aged 11-16.
• OA-Suffolk Alternative provision academy in Stowmarket supporting up to 94 pupils aged between 7 and 16.
• OA-Thurrock Purpose-built alternative provision academy in Tilbury supporting up to 85 pupils aged between 11-16, with facilities including computing suites, outdoor gym, music studio, hair and beauty salon, and multi-sports pitch.
• OA-Tunbridge Wells Alternative provision academy in Tunbridge Wells supporting young people aged 11-16, with up to 51 pupils on roll.
• Outreach Programmes Tier 1 outreach programmes working with mainstream schools to provide early intervention for pupils at risk of exclusion, including therapeutic assessments, self-regulation support, and bespoke learning passports.
• Trust Services Commissioned services providing governance, leadership, and operational support to schools and local authorities implementing strategies to prevent permanent exclusion.

Quantifiable outcome

• 82% of students achieved GCSEs in both English and Maths at OA-Havering (2024-25)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• London Borough of HaveringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partnership with London Borough of Havering to support children at risk of exclusion. Collaboration includes the primary provision outreach programme launched in September 2025 to support Key Stage 2 pupils showing early signs of disengagement.
• Thurrock CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Thurrock Council for the OA-Thurrock academy and joint governance arrangements. LA representatives from Havering and Thurrock serve on the Academy Advisory Board.
• Balfour Beatty (Lower Thames Crossing)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partnership providing real-world engineering challenges for students. Students designed 'School of the Future' proposals and presented to Balfour Beatty representatives at the Lower Thames Crossing site.
• St. James's Place Charitable FoundationminorOthersGrant funding for ski programme allowing students to develop ski skills through dry ski lessons prior to the Italy trip. Part of the Olive Academies Foundation enrichment programme.
• Mainstream Schools NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong partnership working with local mainstream schools for referrals, outreach programmes, and reintegration support. Joint working between Havering and Thurrock academies has had positive impact on quality of education.
• Youth Sport TrustminorOthersPartnership supporting physical education and sporting activities across academies, including Well Schools initiative.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• NAS (National Autistic Society) Schools: A large UK charity operating specialist schools and support services for SEND pupils, with overlapping SEMH/SEND mission though broader in scope than Olive Academies.
• Engage Schools (E-ACT AP): Part of the E-ACT multi-academy trust network operating alternative provision and SEMH schools, with a comparable cohort and referral-driven model to Olive Academies.

Direct peers

• Catch22 Multi Academies Trust: Operates alternative provision academies across England under the Catch22 charity, comparable to Olive Academies in AP-focused education for disengaged young people.
• Wellspring Academy Trust: A large UK MAT operating alternative provision and SEMH schools, similar to Olive Academies in serving excluded/at-risk pupils with therapeutic and behavioural support.
• TBAP Multi-Academy Trust: A UK multi-academy trust specialising in alternative provision and SEMH education across London, directly comparable to Olive Academies in mission, target cohort, and operating geography.
• Lift Schools: A multi-academy trust providing alternative provision and SEMH education in the UK, with a similar referral-based admissions model and focus on re-engaging excluded pupils.
• The Spring Partnership Trust: Multi-academy trust specialising in alternative provision and SEMH education in the Midlands, sharing Olive Academies' model of serving excluded and at-risk learners.
• The Whitefield Academy Trust: A UK MAT operating SEMH and alternative provision schools, comparable to Olive Academies in serving pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.

Regional players

• Aspire Academy Trust: A UK MAT operating AP/SEMH provision in a different region, comparable in operating model and student cohort focus to Olive Academies.

Emerging players

• Reach Academy Trust: A UK academy trust with a focus on inclusion and alternative pathways, partially overlapping with Olive Academies' mission around re-engaging disengaged students.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/oliveacademies
• Facebookfacebook.com/OliveAcademies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oliveacademies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries7 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 Olive Academies