Learning in Harmony Trust

What Learning in Harmony Trust does

Learning in Harmony Trust (LiHT) is a UK Multi-Academy Trust established on 1 September 2014 as a charitable company limited by guarantee, directly accountable to the Department for Education. The trust operates 14 schools — 10 primary, 4 special, plus early years settings — across London (Newham, Islington) and Southend-on-Sea, serving approximately 5,000 pupils. Headquartered at Hartley Primary School in London, LiHT is led by founding CEO Gary Wilkie (National Leader of Education since 2011) and governed by 4 Members, 9 Trustees, and Local Governing Bodies at each member school. The federation model is explicitly non-standardised: member schools retain their own identity, uniform, and curriculum while sharing values, governance, and central services.

The trust's commercial product surface is anchored by Flourish Specialist Education Services, a training and outreach division delivering Initial Teacher Training (11-month QTS + PGCE programme in partnership with Ambition Institute and accredited by Liverpool Hope University), an Early Career Teacher Programme rated Outstanding by Ofsted in 2023 and 2025, NPQs, Foundation Degrees validated by Greenwich, Kingston, UEL, Birmingham, and Liverpool John Moores universities, and SEND-focused outreach covering autism, deaf support, vision impairment, and specialist IT consultancy. The Project SEARCH internship programme, run in partnership with Barts Health NHS Trust at Whipps Cross and St Bartholomew's hospitals, has achieved a 70%+ employment success rate for young people aged 16-24 with SEND. Other offerings include NASENCO qualifications, Autism Education Trust training, Team Teach, and the Attention Autism programme.

Revenue derives primarily from per-pupil government funding supplemented by SEND top-up grants, with secondary fee-based income from teacher training tuition (£9,790 full-time / £7,335 part-time), SEND school improvement consultancy at £550/day, and quality reviews at £850–£1,700. LiHT is not a technology company: it has no proprietary software, no API surface, and relies on third-party tools such as the Steplab learning platform for instructional coaching. Central teams in finance, HR, IT, estates, and governance provide shared services across the 14-school network.

Name

Learning in Harmony Trust

Legal name

Learning in Harmony Trust

Website

https://lihtrust.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Learning in Harmony Trust is a UK Multi-Academy Trust operating 14 primary, special, and early years schools across London and Southend, serving approximately 5,000 pupils. It delivers teacher training, SEND outreach, and specialist education services through its Flourish division and partner universities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education (Multi-Academy Trust)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs (EDAJACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialized Learning Support (Dyslexia/LD Coaching, Assistive Strategies) (EDAJALAJ), Special Education Vocational & Transition Programs (18–22) (EDAKAAAG)

Keywords

• Multi-academy trust
• Primary education
• Special educational needs
• Teacher training
• SEND outreach

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Government Education Funding: As a multi-academy trust, the organization receives government funding for educating pupils across its 14 schools. Funding is received per pupil and is supplemented by additional grants for special educational needs and disabilities.
2. Educational Services Revenue: Flourish Specialist Education Services generates revenue through training programs, professional development courses, NPQ programs, and outreach services for SEND support delivered to other schools and settings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Learning in Harmony Trust operates a network of 14 primary, special, and early years schools across London (Newham and Islington) and Southend-on-Sea (Essex), educating approximately 5,000 pupils. Through its Flourish Specialist Education Services division, it delivers initial teacher training, early career teacher programmes, SEND outreach, and professional development to external schools and educators. The Trust also runs Project SEARCH internships in partnership with Barts Health NHS Trust for young people aged 16-24 with SEND.

Product overview

Learning in Harmony Trust is a Multi-Academy Trust operating 14 schools (primary, special, and early years settings) across London and Southend. The Trust offers a portfolio of educational services including Flourish Specialist Education Services (NPQs, Foundation Degrees, outreach for Autism/LD, Deaf Support, Vision Impairment, IT consultancy); an 11-month ITT programme with QTS and PGCE in partnership with Ambition Institute; an ECT Programme using instructional coaching and Steplab; Project SEARCH internships at Barts Health NHS Trust; and Outreach & Training programmes including NASENCO, Autism Education Trust training, Team Teach, and Attention Autism. The Trust also operates dedicated SEND specialist schools and provides school improvement, leadership development, and central support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Flourish Specialist Education Services: Specialist educational services division of Learning in Harmony Trust providing training opportunities, specialist outreach services, and SEND support to educational professionals across London and Essex.
• Project SEARCH

Products and services

• Flourish Specialist Education Services A professional development and outreach division offering NPQ qualifications, Foundation Degrees validated by partner universities, specialist outreach services for Autism/Learning Disabilities, Deaf Support, and Vision Impairment, plus specialist IT consultancy for students with SEND.
• Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Programme An 11-month in-school teacher training programme leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), delivered in partnership with Ambition Institute, based in Southend-on-Sea. Full-time tuition fees £9,790; part-time £7,335 per annum, with government funding available.
• ECT Programme Early Career Teacher programme delivered in partnership with Ambition Institute, rated Outstanding by Ofsted, using instructional coaching and the Steplab learning platform to support newly qualified teachers across Southend, Newham, Barking and Dagenham, and Havering.
• Project SEARCH Internship Programme Internship programme for young people aged 16-24 with SEND, providing work placements at Barts Health NHS Trust hospitals (Whipps Cross and St Bartholomew's) across clinical and non-clinical departments, with ASDAN qualification and over 70% employment success rate.
• SEND Outreach and Training Professional development offerings including NASENCO qualification, Advanced SENCO Award, Autism Education Trust accredited training, Team Teach Level 1 & 2 training, Engagement Model training, and Attention Autism training delivered across London and Southend. SEND Quality Review priced at £850 (small/medium primary) or £1,700 (large primary and secondary); SEND School Improvement Consultancy at £550 per day.
• 14-School Academy Network Network of 14 schools comprising primary, special, and early years settings across London (Newham, Islington) and Southend, including Sheringham Primary School, Temple Sutton Primary School, Whitefield School, Barons Court Primary School, Blenheim Primary School, Connaught Special School, Drew Primary, Edwards Hall Primary School, Greenways Primary School, Hartley Primary, JFK Special School, Joseph Clarke School, and The New North Academy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 70% employment success rate for Project SEARCH interns with SEND, above national average
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and supporting.

• Barts Health NHS TrustflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Partnership since 2014 for Project SEARCH internship programme at Whipps Cross Hospital and St Bartholomew's Hospital. Programme helps young people with SEND gain employability skills and achieve 70%+ employment success rate.
• Greenwich UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerValidates the Education and Special Educational Needs (SEND) Foundation Degree offered through Flourish Specialist Education Services.
• Kingston UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerValidates the Early Years Foundation Degree delivered at Flourish Specialist Education Services in Walthamstow.
• University of East LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerValidates Masters in Special Education courses offered through the specialist education services.
• Birmingham UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides training and accreditation for Postgraduate Diploma and Masters for Teachers of Children and Young People with Vision Impairments.
• Liverpool John Moores UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides training and accreditation for Post Graduate Diploma in Teaching Learners with a Visual Impairment (QTVI).
• UCLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides CPD, NPQ and ECT training partnerships for professional development programs.
• Ambition InstituteflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational education charity partner delivering teacher training programme (QTS and PGCE) and ECT Programme rated Outstanding by Ofsted 2023 and 2025. Learning in Harmony is the only delivery partner for Ambition ECT Programme in Southend area.
• Southend Partner SchoolscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGrowing network of partner schools across Southend-on-Sea providing school placements for ITT trainees including Barons Court, Blenheim, Brightside, Briscoe, Earls Hall, Eastwood, Edward Francis, Edwards Hall, Fairways, Friars, Greenways, Hamstel, Hilltop, Leigh North Street, Porters Grange, St Mary's Prittlewell, Stambridge, Temple Sutton, West Leigh, Westborough.
• Eastern Partnership UK (SEND)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivers NASENCO qualification and Advanced SENCO award nationally through SEND School Improvement Team.
• Autism Education TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccredited training provider for Autism Education Trust programmes including Early Years, Schools, and Post-16 programmes across Newham and Southend.
• Best Practice NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for NPQ for SENCos and Leadership NPQ programmes across North East London.
• Chartered College of TeachingsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides access to professional development resources for instructional coaching and teaching practice development.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Harris Federation: One of the UK's largest multi-academy trusts, operating primary, secondary, and special schools across London and the South East. Directly comparable as a scaled MAT with centralized business services and teacher-training programmes; LiHT's CFO previously served at Harris Federation.
• Big Education Trust: Multi-academy trust operating primary and secondary schools in London with a focus on character education and inclusion. Comparable as a London-based MAT of similar scale; LiHT's CFO previously held Director of Finance & Operations role there.
• Academy Transformation Trust: Mid-sized multi-academy trust operating primary, secondary, and special schools across the Midlands and East of England. Comparable as a similarly sized MAT with SEND provision and school-improvement services.

Broad incumbents

• United Learning: Large national MAT and independent schools group operating across England with a wide portfolio of primary, secondary, and special schools. Comparable as a broader-incumbent MAT with cross-phase provision and a teacher-training dimension.
• ARK (Absolute Return for Kids): National charity running a network of academies and early-years settings across the UK, with a portfolio spanning mainstream and alternative provision. Comparable as a large-scale, values-driven academy operator with growth ambitions.
• Oasis Community Learning: National MAT operating primary, secondary, and special schools with strong inclusion and community-hub orientation. Comparable in operating model, scale ambition, and inclusion ethos to Learning in Harmony.
• Outwood Grange Academies Trust: Large national MAT operating primary and secondary academies with centralized school-improvement services. Comparable as a scaled academy operator with structured school-improvement and training offerings.
• Dixons Academies Trust: Multi-academy trust known for outstanding-rated schools and a strong teacher-development pipeline in the North of England. Comparable in operating-school-improvement-plus-ITT strategy at scale.

Emerging players

• Eastern Partnership UK (SEND): SEND-focused training partnership delivering NASENCO and SENCO qualifications nationally. Comparable as a SEND training partner that LiHT delivers NASENCO through, overlapping directly with Flourish Specialist Education Services.

Others

• Ambition Institute: National education charity delivering teacher training, ECT, and NPQ programmes. Comparable as the upstream partner whose flagship ECT programme LiHT delivers in Southend, making it both a partner and a category peer in teacher development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lihtrust
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Flourish6530

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries14 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 Learning in Harmony Trust