The Gilberd School

What The Gilberd School does

The Gilberd School is a state-funded, non-selective, co-educational secondary academy located on Brinkley Lane in the Highwoods area of north Colchester, Essex, serving approximately 1,600 students aged 11-16 (Years 7-11). Founded in 1912 as a boys' technical school, it joined the Alpha Multi-Academy Trust in 2018 and is rated 'Outstanding in every category' by Ofsted following its November 2018 inspection. The school operates from a single main campus with substantial grounds, and acts as the primary feeder for families across north Colchester including Highwoods, St Johns, Mile End, Langham and Boxted.

The school's core offering is the delivery of the UK national curriculum including English Baccalaureate subjects, alongside an extensive co-curricular programme of 80+ clubs, a Combined Cadet Force (the only one in north Essex), the Duke of Edinburgh Award (Bronze and Silver), a leadership development track, and a careers programme (CEIAG) following the Gatsby Benchmarks. Its digital infrastructure consists of a SharePoint-based Virtual Learning Environment (the 'Gilberd School VLE') plus third-party platforms including ParentPay for payments and Unifrog for careers guidance. There are no proprietary software products; digital tools serve as delivery infrastructure rather than commercial offerings.

The Gilberd is funded primarily through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) under the UK government's per-pupil funding formula for academy schools, with education provided free to admitted students. Some optional services (uniform, catering, extra-curricular clubs) generate supplementary income. Admissions are coordinated through Essex County Council for Year 7 intake and handled directly by the school's Admissions Officer for mid-year transfers, with 30 additional places per year offered through a separate music-aptitude selection. The school is heavily oversubscribed, indicating demand materially exceeds supply in its catchment area.

Name

The Gilberd School

Legal name

The Gilberd School

Website

https://gilberd.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1912

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Gilberd School is a state-funded, non-selective co-educational secondary academy in north Colchester, Essex, serving approximately 1,600 students aged 11-16 within the Alpha Multi-Academy Trust and funded by UK government per-pupil grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Colchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. State Education Funding: The school operates as an academy within the Alpha Multi-academy Trust, receiving government funding for education services. As a non-selective, co-educational academy, it is funded through the UK government's education funding formula.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Gilberd School is a non-selective, co-educational secondary academy school in Colchester, Essex, delivering state-funded education to students aged 11-16 (Years 7-11). It offers a comprehensive academic curriculum including English Baccalaureate subjects, creative arts, technology and computing, alongside extensive co-curricular programs such as Combined Cadet Force, Duke of Edinburgh Award, and a student leadership framework. Education is delivered through on-site instruction supported by a SharePoint-based Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

Product overview

The Gilberd School is a non-selective, co-educational academy secondary school in Colchester, Essex. The school offers educational services through its main website and virtual learning environment (SharePoint-based VLE). The institution provides academic curriculum delivery, personal development programs, and pastoral support. The school's digital infrastructure includes ParentPay for payments, Unifrog for career guidance, and the Gilberd School VLE hosted on SharePoint. No distinct commercial technology products or SaaS offerings are provided.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Secondary School Education (Years 7-11) State-funded secondary education for approximately 1,600 students aged 11-16 in north Colchester and surrounding areas, covering KS3 and KS4 curriculum including English Baccalaureate subjects.
• Combined Cadet Force (CCF) Military-themed extra-curricular program sponsored by the Ministry of Defence, offered to students as part of personal development. The only CCF in north Essex at a non-selective state school.
• Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme

Quantifiable outcome

• Outstanding in every category - Ofsted November 2018

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and moderate.

• Ministry of Defence (Combined Cadet Force)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021The Combined Cadet Force was established in 2021 as part of the Cadet Expansion Programme. Sponsored by 13 Air Assault Support Regiment Royal Logistic Corps. The only CCF in north Essex and one of few non-selective state schools offering this experience.
• Alpha Multi-Academy Trust (Alpha MAT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2018The Gilberd School converted to academy status and joined the Alpha MAT in March 2018, alongside Colchester County High School for Girls, Manningtree High School and Home Farm Primary School. The trust provides governance and support services.
• Duke of Edinburgh AwardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegistered provider of the DofE Award scheme (Bronze and Silver levels) for students in Years 9-11, offering opportunities for volunteering, physical activities, skills development, and expeditions.
• Careers Convention PartnersmoderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAnnual careers convention with representatives from businesses, careers advisors, colleges, and universities attending to help students make informed choices about post-16 destinations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Colchester County High School for Girls: Co-member of the Alpha Multi-academy Trust and the other secondary school within the trust serving the Colchester area. Directly comparable on governance structure, funding model, and Ofsted framing.
• Stanway School: Co-educational secondary school serving the Stanway area of Colchester. Comparable as a state secondary competitor for pupils across the broader Colchester catchment.
• Philip Morant School and College: Secondary school in Colchester with a similar non-selective, comprehensive intake. Comparable on size, locality, and state-funded operating model within the same Essex region.
• Manningtree High School: Secondary academy within the Alpha Multi-academy Trust alongside The Gilberd School. Comparable as a trust-mate Essex secondary academy sharing governance and back-office functions.
• The Trinity School: New secondary school for north Colchester opened on The Gilberd's site in 2021 and now at Chesterwell. Directly comparable as a state-funded secondary academy serving an overlapping north Colchester catchment.
• St Benedict's Catholic College: Catholic secondary school located in Colchester serving a similar age range. Comparable as a local state-funded secondary competitor within the same admissions geography.
• Thomas Lord Audley School: Secondary school in north Colchester serving an overlapping catchment. Directly comparable as a local state secondary competing for the same applicant pool.
• Colchester Academy: Secondary school in the Colchester area serving a similar state-funded intake. Comparable as a local secondary competitor for students in the wider Colchester region.

Regional players

• Home Farm Primary School: Primary member of the Alpha Multi-academy Trust, serving as a feeder into The Gilberd School. Comparable as a same-trust state school sharing governance and the north Colchester catchment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Gilberdschool
• Xx.com/gilberdschool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Gilberd School