What Welland Park Academy does

Welland Park Academy is a state-funded secondary school (academy) located on Welland Park Road in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, England (LE16 9DR). Operating independently of the local authority since gaining academy status in 2011, the school receives its funding directly from the UK Government through the Department for Education, including Pupil Premium top-ups for eligible students. It is structured as a company limited by guarantee (company number 7675238) and registered as an exempt charity, governed by its own Governing Body. The school serves students in Years 7–11, preparing them for GCSE qualifications and onward pathways to A Levels, T Levels, and apprenticeships.

The school offers a values-based curriculum (Persevere, Achieve, Respect, Kindness) supported by a careers education programme structured around all eight Gatsby Foundation benchmarks. Service delivery is enabled by a layered digital platform: Microsoft 365 for staff email and operations, Edulink One as the parent and student communication portal, Unifrog for careers guidance and work experience administration, ParentPay for parental payments, and Ticket Tailor for event ticketing. The school's official website — built on FSE Design's CMS — is WCAG 2.2 accessibility compliant and serves as the primary digital interface for prospective families. Academic outcomes in 2024 placed the school above national averages (Progress 8 +0.37; Attainment 8 53.4), with a top-five Leicestershire ranking for combined English and Maths GCSE pass rates, a Gold School Games Mark for 2025/26, and a self-reported top-20% national position among state schools. The school operates at full capacity across all year groups.

Welland Park Academy's revenue model is government funding, primarily per-pupil allocation from the DfE, with supplementary income from Pupil Premium grants, optional paid work-experience placement support via LEBC (charged at £61 per student unable to secure their own placement), and premises lettings as a diversification channel. Admissions to Year 7 are coordinated through three local authorities — Leicestershire County Council, Leicester City Council, and North Northamptonshire Council — while in-year transfers are managed directly by the school. The school has no parent company, no venture or private equity ownership, and no subsidiaries; it is led by Principal Pete Leatherland and a senior leadership team of Vice Principal, Director of Finance and Operations, four Assistant Principals, and dedicated SEND, careers, pastoral, and safeguarding functions.

Name

Welland Park Academy

Legal name

Welland Park Academy

Website

https://wellandparkacademy.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Welland Park Academy is a state-funded UK secondary school in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, serving approximately 900–1,200 pupils in Years 7–11 and funded directly by the Department for Education. It delivers GCSE preparation, a Gatsby-aligned careers programme, pastoral and SEND support, and enrichment, operating at full capacity with above-average academic outcomes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Market Harborough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Education Funding: As an academy, Welland Park Academy operates independently of the local authority and receives its funding directly from the UK Government. The school also receives Pupil Premium funding for eligible students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Welland Park Academy is a state-funded UK secondary school delivering full-time education to students aged 11-16 across Years 7-11, leading to GCSE qualifications. Its core offering comprises a values-based academic curriculum (centred on Persevere, Achieve, Respect and Kindness), complemented by a Gatsby Benchmark-aligned Careers Education Programme, a Year 10 Work Experience Programme, comprehensive SEND provision, pastoral care and safeguarding infrastructure, and a wide extra-curricular programme including the Duke of Edinburgh Award and international trips. Education is provided free at the point of delivery, with admissions coordinated through local authorities or managed directly by the school for in-year transfers.

Product overview

Welland Park Academy is a UK secondary school offering educational services primarily through its website and associated digital platforms. The core offering is the school's website, which serves as an information portal and administrative interface. Supporting modules include Edulink One for parent/student communication and academic tracking, the Work Experience Programme managed via Unifrog for career development, and a broader Careers Education Programme providing guidance on post-16 pathways. Additional services include ParentPay for payments and Ticket Tailor for event bookings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Secondary School Education (Years 7-11) Full-time secondary education for students aged 11-16 across Years 7-11, delivering a values-based academic curriculum leading to GCSE qualifications. Free at the point of delivery as a state-funded academy.
• Careers Education Programme Structured careers education, information, advice and guidance programme providing mock interviews, careers fairs, labour market information and post-16 pathway support across all year groups, aligned with all eight Gatsby Benchmarks.
• Year 10 Work Experience Programme Year 10 work experience placement programme managed through Unifrog, connecting students with employer placements and handling administrative processes including risk assessments, health and safety policies, and parental permissions. LEBC-assisted placements are charged at £61.
• SEND Provision and Learning Support Hub Special Educational Needs and Disabilities provision led by the SENDCo, supported by the Assistant SENDCo, Manager of Learning Support and SEND Administrator, delivering tailored support for students with greater difficulties in learning through the Learning Support Hub.
• Safeguarding and Pastoral Support Service Whole-school safeguarding service led by the Designated Safeguarding Lead, with multiple Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads across senior leadership, heads of year and pastoral support managers, governance oversight from a Nominated Safeguarding Governor, and active participation in Operation Encompass for domestic abuse incident notification.
• Admissions Service Admissions service processing Year 7 applications via three Local Authorities (Leicestershire County Council, Leicester City Council, North Northamptonshire Council) and managing in-year admissions directly through the school's Admissions Team, including appeals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Progress 8 score of +0.37 above national average
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Operation Encompass (Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council, Leicestershire Police)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSafeguarding partnership whereby schools are formally notified of domestic abuse incidents at addresses where children are present, enabling appropriate support to be provided to affected pupils. Part of a multi-agency approach to child protection.
• LEBC (Leicester Employment and Business Club)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides support for students who cannot source their own work experience placement. LEBC will attempt to find placements for students who have been unable to secure one independently, with placements charged at £61.
• UnifrogcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline platform used by the school to manage work experience programme administration, including collecting employer risk assessments, health & safety policies, and parent permissions. Also used for career exploration and post-16 applications.
• Local Sixth Forms and CollegesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local post-16 providers including Beauchamp City, Beauchamp.org, Bishop Stopford's, Robert Smyth, WQE, Corby Sixth Form, Kingswood, SMB College Group (Brooksby Campus), Leicester College, Moulton College, Northampton College, NW SLC, and Bedford College Group (Tresham).
• Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCareer resources and labour market information provider. WPA uses LLEP resources including 'My Learning, My Future' career resources, WOW industry sector materials, and Local Skills Improvement Programme guidance.
• Gatsby FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school aims to meet all eight Gatsby Benchmarks for good career guidance, using their framework to structure careers education, information, advice and guidance programs.
• Careers and Enterprise CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides access to career resources including 'My Learning My Future' subject-specific materials and supports the school's careers hub activities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ARK: ARK is a UK education charity running a network of academies. Same not-for-profit academy operating model with focus on serving disadvantaged communities, but at network scale across multiple regions.
• Star Academies: Star Academies is a UK multi-academy trust operating primary and secondary schools with a faith-based ethos. Comparable academy trust operating model serving similar state-funded secondary populations across multiple regions.
• GEMS Education: GEMS Education is a global private K-12 education provider operating premium international schools across multiple countries. Comparable K-12 operating model and curriculum delivery, but funded through private fees rather than government grants.
• Ormiston Academies Trust: Ormiston Academies Trust operates 40+ schools across England. Comparable academy trust operating model with the same state funding base, but with a broader multi-region footprint.
• Academies Enterprise Trust: Academies Enterprise Trust is one of the largest UK multi-academy trusts, operating 50+ primary and secondary academies. Same academy operating model and state funding base, but at materially greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Cognita: Cognita is a UK-headquartered international schools group operating 80+ private schools worldwide. Similar K-12 educational offering at scale, but with a private fee-paying business model rather than state funding.

Others

• Unifrog: Unifrog is a careers guidance and work experience management platform used by Welland Park Academy. It is an enabling technology provider for the school's careers programme, not a competing school.

Direct peers

• Loughborough Grammar School: Loughborough Grammar School is a leading independent day and boarding school in Leicestershire. Comparable secondary education product and overlapping regional catchment, although funded through fees rather than government grants.
• Bishop Stopford School: Bishop Stopford School is a secondary school in Kettering, Northamptonshire, listed by Welland Park as a partner for post-16 transitions. Comparable state secondary offering serving a similar demographic in an adjacent county.
• Robert Smyth Academy: Robert Smyth Academy is a state-funded secondary school in Market Harborough, listed by Welland Park as a local post-16 partner. It operates the same academy funding model, same catchment area, and serves the same secondary-age demographic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WellandParkAcademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/welland-park-academy-market-harborough-4ba3a1203
• Xx.com/welland_park

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Welland Park Academy