The LEARNERs’ Trust
The LEARNERs' Trust is a UK Multi-Academy Trust operating 18 primary and infant schools across Derbyshire and South Yorkshire, founded in 2016, providing shared educational support services including IT, HR, finance, and centralised programmes to its member schools.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSheffield, United Kingdom
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The LEARNERs’ Trust does
The LEARNERs' Trust is a UK-based Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) operating 18 primary and infant schools across Derbyshire and South Yorkshire, founded in 2016 from a collaboration between two Chesterfield primary schools. As a private company limited by guarantee with charitable status (Company Number: 10224802), the trust provides centralised educational support services to its member schools, including shared back-office functions in IT, HR, finance and buildings, executive coaching and mentoring through Trust Partners, and central programme leadership. Member schools retain their individual identity and leadership autonomy while gaining access to the trust's pooled services and collaborative networks.
The trust's product surface spans three layers: (1) core educational services including a broad curriculum covering Core subjects, World Curriculum, STEM, Arts, and specialised programmes such as Forest School outdoor learning; (2) technology and infrastructure including cloud-based management systems, the iPad Initiative (rolled out October 2024 across all schools with accessibility features, content filtering and remote device management), and a redesigned website launched November 2024; and (3) community programmes such as the daily Breakfast Club serving approximately 85 children and National Lottery-funded community cooking workshops. Member schools include Ashgate Croft School, Brimington Junior School, Brimington Manor Infants, Brookfield Primary, Catcliffe Primary, Chaddesden Park Primary, Eckington Junior School, High Greave Infants and Juniors, Hodthorpe Primary, Holme Hall Primary, Mary Swanwick Primary, New Whittington Primary, Old Hall Junior School, Ridgeway Primary, Somercotes Infants & Nursery, Somerlea Park Juniors, Walton Holymoorside Primary, and Westfield Infant School.
The trust's revenue model is structured around UK government per-pupil funding routed through the academy arrangement, supplemented by grants (e.g., £19,960 National Lottery Community Fund award in July 2026 for cooking workshops) and ancillary services. The go-to-market is sales-led and referral-driven, with prospective member schools engaging through a dedicated "Join Us" channel and growth catalysed by headteacher network recommendations and demonstrated outcomes such as the Spring 2025 questionnaire (100% staff pride, 99% pupil safety, 96% parent satisfaction) and Walton Holymoorside Primary's top 10% national KS2 results in 2024. The trust is led by founder and CEO Matt (25+ years in education), CFO Gary (joined December 2021), COO Fran (promoted 2021 from school business administrator role), and four Trust Business Managers (Karen Barnes, Helen Dean, Tracy Adams, Jonathan Elton), with a workforce of 501-1,000 employees.
The LEARNERs’ Trust firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The LEARNERs’ Trust
- Legal name
- LEARNERs' Trust
- Website
- https://thelearnerstrust.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- The LEARNERs' Trust is a UK Multi-Academy Trust operating 18 primary and infant schools across Derbyshire and South Yorkshire, founded in 2016, providing shared educational support services including IT, HR, finance, and centralised programmes to its member schools.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where The LEARNERs’ Trust is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sheffield
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices5 records
Markets served
The LEARNERs’ Trust business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Educational Funding: As a multi-academy trust with charitable status, The LEARNERs' Trust receives government funding for education services. Schools within the trust receive dedicated funding allocations managed centrally with support for effective deployment.
- Grants and Community Funding: Trust receives grants for specific initiatives such as the £19,960 National Lottery Community Fund grant for cooking workshops. Funding supports programme delivery over defined periods.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
The LEARNERs’ Trust product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The LEARNERs' Trust is a multi-academy trust that provides centralised educational support and development services to its 18 member primary and infant schools across Derbyshire and South Yorkshire. It offers shared back-office capacity in IT, HR, finance, and buildings, coaching and mentoring through Trust Partners, and runs school-level programs including a Trust-wide iPad initiative, breakfast clubs, curriculum delivery, and Forest School outdoor learning.
Product overview
The LEARNERs' Trust is a multi-academy trust operating 18 schools in the UK, providing educational support services rather than a software product. The trust offers a unified educational ecosystem consisting of collaboration networks for schools, coaching and mentoring services through Trust Partners, and capacity support in IT, HR, finance and facilities management. Key programs include an iPad technology initiative for inclusive learning, breakfast clubs serving nutritious meals to students, and community cooking workshops funded by the National Lottery Community Fund. The trust's schools deliver a broad curriculum encompassing Core subjects (Reading, Writing, Maths), World Curriculum (History, Geography, RE, PSHE), STEM, Arts, and specialized programs like Forest School for outdoor learning.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Educational Support Services (Multi-Academy Trust Membership) Centralised educational support and development services for member schools including collaboration with local schools, coaching and mentoring through Trust Partners, and capacity support in IT, HR, finance and buildings. Offered to primary and infant schools joining the multi-academy trust.
- iPad Technology Initiative Trust-wide technology programme providing iPads to all schools with accessibility features (voice-to-text, screen readers, adjustable settings), advanced safeguards, content filtering and remote device management for inclusive education across the trust's 18 schools.
- Breakfast Club Program Daily breakfast programme serving approximately 85 children with nutritious meals including bagels, cereal, fruit, and toast, addressing family challenges and supporting pupil wellbeing at school sites such as High Greave.
- Community Cooking Workshops Interactive cooking sessions for children, families and the wider community over two years, funded by a £19,960 National Lottery Community Fund grant, helping participants develop cooking skills and healthy meal preparation on a budget.
- Curriculum Programs (Somerlea Park Juniors) Broad and balanced curriculum with key drivers of Aspiration, Communication, Equality and Diversity, including Core Curriculum (Reading, Writing, Maths), World Curriculum (History, Geography, RE, PSHE), STEM, and Arts, delivered to pupils at Somerlea Park Juniors.
- Forest School Program (Walton Holymoorside Primary) Outdoor learning programme with woodland sessions offering den building, fire lighting, bush crafts and tool use, promoting holistic child development at Walton Holymoorside Primary.
Quantifiable outcome
- Spring 2025 survey: 100% staff pride, 99% pupil safety, 96% parent satisfaction
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The LEARNERs’ Trust
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The LEARNERs’ Trust technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
The LEARNERs’ Trust partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Mellors CateringminorExternal catering service provider for school meals at Somerlea Park Juniors and other trust schools. Menu updated seasonally to reflect ingredients and student preferences.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The LEARNERs’ Trust competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Harris Federation: Large London-centric multi-academy trust operating primary and secondary schools; overlaps with LEARNERs' Trust on the primary MAT operating model but at significantly larger scale.
- Oasis Community Learning: National multi-academy trust operating primary, secondary, and all-through schools across England, with a broader portfolio and geographic reach than LEARNERs' Trust.
- Ark Schools: National multi-academy trust operating primary and secondary schools across England; comparable on MAT operating model and central support services, but with broader geographic reach and a different philanthropic heritage.
- United Learning: One of the largest UK multi-academy trusts operating schools nationwide across primary and secondary phases; overlaps in operating model but materially larger and more diversified.
- Outwood Grange Academies Trust: Large multi-academy trust concentrated in the north of England, primarily secondary-led, comparable in geographic region but broader in scale and age-range focus.
- Star Academies: National multi-academy trust running primary and secondary schools with a strong focus on outcomes and character education, comparable on mission and central-support model.
Direct peers
- STEP Academy Trust: Multi-academy trust operating primary schools across southern England with a hub-and-spoke central services model similar to LEARNERs' Trust's IT/HR/finance shared support.
- White Horse Federation: Multi-academy trust operating a mix of primary and secondary schools across southern England with a comparable central support model (IT, HR, finance) layered over locally autonomous member schools.
- Greenwood Academies Trust: Mid-sized Midlands-based MAT operating primary and secondary schools with shared back-office services, closely comparable to LEARNERs' Trust in scale and operating geography.
- REAch2 Academy Trust: One of the largest primary-focused multi-academy trusts in England, operating a similar school-conversion model with shared central services for member primaries — the closest direct analogue to LEARNERs' Trust's primary-centric network.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The LEARNERs’ Trust social profiles
Digital presenceThe LEARNERs’ Trust financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The LEARNERs’ Trust leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
The LEARNERs’ Trust subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries19 records
The LEARNERs’ Trust funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The LEARNERs’ Trust M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The LEARNERs’ Trust
What does The LEARNERs’ Trust do?
The LEARNERs' Trust is a multi-academy trust that provides centralised educational support and development services to its 18 member primary and infant schools across Derbyshire and South Yorkshire. It offers shared back-office capacity in IT, HR, finance, and buildings, coaching and mentoring through Trust Partners, and runs school-level programs including a Trust-wide iPad initiative, breakfast clubs, curriculum delivery, and Forest School outdoor learning.
Is The LEARNERs’ Trust a public or private company?
The LEARNERs’ Trust is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The LEARNERs’ Trust founded?
The LEARNERs’ Trust was founded in 2016. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is The LEARNERs’ Trust based?
The LEARNERs’ Trust is headquartered in Sheffield, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The LEARNERs’ Trust make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Educational Funding is the primary driver. The others are grants and Community Funding.
Who are The LEARNERs’ Trust's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Harris Federation, Oasis Community Learning, Ark Schools, United Learning, Outwood Grange Academies Trust and Star Academies. Direct peers are STEP Academy Trust, White Horse Federation, Greenwood Academies Trust and REAch2 Academy Trust.
Does The LEARNERs’ Trust have an API?
No public API is recorded for The LEARNERs’ Trust.