The LEARNERs’ Trust

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.

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Sheffield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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

Core 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

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Mellors CateringminorOthersExternal 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

Broad 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/somerleapark
• TikToktiktok.com/@thelearnerstrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries19 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 The LEARNERs’ Trust