New Collaborative Learning Trust

What New Collaborative Learning Trust does

New Collaborative Learning Trust (NCLT) is a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) registered in England (Company Number 09257194), headquartered in Normanton, West Yorkshire, and operating as a government-funded exempt charity. It delivers primary, secondary, and post-16 education across nine schools — three colleges for ages 16-19, three secondary schools serving ages 11-16/18, and three primary schools — collectively educating several thousand students (over 5,300 in the three colleges alone). All three colleges hold Outstanding Ofsted ratings, and the Trust has received multiple sector awards including TES recognition and MAT Excellence Awards.

Its core "product" is the Teaching for Learning Framework, a proprietary pedagogical model applied consistently across Trust schools. The underlying technology layer is a standardized enterprise software stack built on Microsoft 365 and Teams, supplemented by Adobe Creative Cloud, which supports collaboration, teaching delivery, and back-office operations across the multi-school footprint. Wingfield Academy within the Trust has also been designated by the Department for Education as a behaviour hub lead school, extending the Trust's remit beyond its own pupils into system-wide advisory work.

As a government-funded MAT, NCLT's revenue mechanics rest on per-pupil funding allocations from the Department for Education, with no commercial product pricing or private-pay revenue streams. The Trust's growth model is academy conversion and sponsored onboarding of additional schools into the Trust structure, governed centrally and supported by an expanding Board of Directors. In September 2024, NCLT restructured governance by separating its Finance committee from its Risk and Audit committee, and it has continued to expand geographically beyond its original West Yorkshire base into the Bradford district.

Name

New Collaborative Learning Trust

Legal name

New Collaborative Learning Trust

Website

https://nclt.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

New Collaborative Learning Trust is a government-funded Multi Academy Trust in England operating nine schools across primary, secondary, and post-16 phases, serving several thousand pupils, and standardizing on a Microsoft 365 enterprise technology stack.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Normanton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Education Funding: As an Academy Trust exempt charity, NCLT receives funding from the Department for Education (DfE). The trust operates state-funded schools and colleges providing free education to students aged 5-19.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

New Collaborative Learning Trust (NCLT) is a Multi Academy Trust that operates nine state-funded educational institutions across Yorkshire, England: three 16-19 colleges (New College Bradford, New College Doncaster, New College Pontefract), three secondary schools (Brinsworth Academy, Dinnington High School, Wingfield Academy), and three primary schools (Thorpe Hesley, Redscope, Anston Greenlands). The Trust delivers free education to approximately 5,300+ students aged 5-19, offering A-Level and Applied General qualifications, GCSE programs, and primary education underpinned by its proprietary Teaching for Learning framework.

Product overview

New Collaborative Learning Trust operates a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) structure comprising nine educational institutions: three 16-19 colleges (New College Bradford, New College Doncaster, New College Pontefract), three secondary schools (Brinsworth Academy, Dinnington High School, Wingfield Academy), and three primary schools (Thorpe Hesley Primary, Redscope Primary, Anston Greenlands Primary). The Trust's core offering centers on educational provision through A-Level and Applied General qualifications, underpinned by the proprietary Teaching for Learning Framework—a research-informed methodology focused on metacognitive skills, spaced retrieval practice, and sustained learning outcomes. All three colleges hold 'Outstanding' Ofsted ratings. The Trust provides technology access including Microsoft Office, Teams, and Adobe Creative Cloud (for Visual Arts students) to support educational delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• New College Bradford A post-16 college situated in Bradford city centre serving approximately 1300 students, offering A-Level and Applied General qualifications. Graded outstanding in all areas by Ofsted in 2023.
• New College Doncaster A post-16 college in Auckley, Doncaster, welcoming their first cohort in September 2017 with over 1300 students. Offers A-Level and Applied General qualifications. Graded outstanding in all areas by Ofsted in December 2021.
• New College Pontefract A post-16 college enrolling over 2700 students from across Wakefield, Leeds, Barnsley and Selby. The founding member of NCLT. Retained Ofsted outstanding status in 2023, won TES Sixth Form College of the Year award in 2020 and TES Best Overall FE Provider of the Year 2020.
• Brinsworth Academy A secondary school in Brinsworth, Rotherham for students aged 11-16. Provides GCSE preparation, pastoral care, behaviour for learning support, and develops confident, resilient young adults through inspirational learning experiences.
• Dinnington High School An inclusive secondary school serving Dinnington and surrounding villages, following the 'Dinnington Way' values of kindness, respect, and excellence. Provides education for students aged 11-18.
• Wingfield Academy An 11-16 secondary school with 900 students in Rotherham, one of the highest performing schools in the area with Progress 8 score of 0.77 (top 7% nationally). Named a national lead school as part of the DfE's behaviour hub programme. 78.6% of students achieve grade 4+ including English and Maths.
• Thorpe Hesley Primary School An outstanding primary school in Rotherham for children aged 5-11, described as a place where children grow with creativity, excitement, and enthusiasm for learning. Provides creative curriculum, early reading/phonics, and SATs preparation.
• Redscope Primary School A primary school in Rotherham committed to uncovering children's talents and celebrating achievements. Offers experiences including forest walks, swimming, musical instruments, and residential trips.
• Anston Greenlands Primary School A friendly primary school in North Anston village for children aged 5-11. Offers breakfast and after school clubs, wide-ranging extra-curricular activities, and adult-learning opportunities.
• Teaching for Learning Framework A research-informed teaching methodology applied across the Trust, focusing on six strands: Learning Environment, Teacher Subject Knowledge, Learning in Lessons, Learning out of Lessons, Assessment, and Support. Based on cognitive science research around memory and learning, with focus on metacognitive skills, spaced retrieval practice, and long-term retention.
• A-Level and Applied General Qualifications Academic and vocational qualification programs across the Trust's three colleges, with strong pass rates (99.4-99.8%) and high grades (A*-B ranging from 47.3% to 73.5% across institutions). Programs lead to university, apprenticeship, and career progression.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.4%-99.8% A-Level pass rates; 56.9%-61.2% A*-B grades across colleges
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Department for Education (DfE)coreOthersNCLT operates as an exempt charity under the Academies Act 2010, accountable to the DfE. The trust receives funding and operates within DfE regulatory frameworks.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationNCLT has a Microsoft agreement allowing all staff and students to download Office for personal devices. Staff and students access Teams, SharePoint, Outlook, and Remote Desktop through Microsoft 365.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• GEMS Education: Global K-12 education operator with a much broader international portfolio. Comparable to NCLT in operating K-12 institutions but at very different scale and with commercial, fee-paying model versus NCLT's state-funded MAT structure.

Direct peers

• Harris Federation: One of the largest UK Multi Academy Trusts, running primary, secondary and post-16 institutions on a community-led growth model. Directly comparable to NCLT in structure, governance under the Academies Act, and reliance on DfE funding.
• ARK Schools: UK MAT operating schools primarily in disadvantaged areas with a social-mobility focus, including post-16 provision. Comparable to NCLT on mission, target demographics, and DfE funding model.
• Academies Enterprise Trust: Large national MAT running primary, secondary and post-16 institutions with shared-service central teams. Comparable to NCLT in structure, phase mix, and DfE accountability framework.
• Star Academies: National MAT running primary and secondary schools with a focus on disadvantaged communities, paralleling NCLT's social-mobility positioning. Comparable on charitable trust structure and conversion-led expansion strategy.
• Greenwood Academies Trust: Regional MAT with a multi-phase estate and focus on areas of educational underachievement. Comparable to NCLT on East Midlands/Yorkshire footprint overlap and converter-academy expansion approach.
• Oasis Community Learning: Large national MAT operating schools across all phases including sixth-form provision, with a strong social-mobility mission. Closely comparable to NCLT on phase mix, charitable status, and growth via academy conversions.
• United Learning: Large non-profit MAT operating a mix of state-funded and independent schools across all phases. Directly comparable to NCLT in phase coverage, charitable status, and centralised shared-service model.
• REAch2 Academy Trust: Primary-led national MAT with a growth model based on school conversions and shared services. Comparable to NCLT on primary phase expansion mechanics, though narrower in age range.
• Outwood Grange Academies Trust: Major UK MAT with secondary-led growth, strong performance league-table presence, and a regional cluster approach similar to NCLT's Yorkshire footprint. Comparable in operating model and DfE-funded per-pupil economics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NCLearningTrust
• Facebookfacebook.com/people/New-Collaborative-Learning-Trust/100094478104632

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about New Collaborative Learning Trust