Elstree Screen Arts Academy

What Elstree Screen Arts Academy does

Elstree Screen Arts Academy (ESA) is a free, state-funded University Technical College based in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, operating within the UK's Film & TV production cluster. It is licensed by the Baker Dearing Trust and governed as part of the Danes Educational Trust multi-academy trust. ESA delivers specialist creative arts and technical education to students aged 14–19 across 20+ disciplines organised into four curriculum strands: Media/Digital/Film Arts (including T Level Media, Broadcast & Production, Creative Media Production, Film Studies, Digital Creation and Game Design), Visual Arts/Fashion/Costume (Art & Design, Costume and Fashion, Photography), Performing Arts (Acting, Dance, Music Performance, Musical Theatre), and Production/Technical Arts (Lighting and Sound, Set and Props Design, Production Hair and Makeup). Alongside creative specialisms, students take core GCSE subjects (English, Maths, Science). The institution also runs two extension tracks: ESA ScreenCraft (18+ industry traineeships) and ESA Productions (an in-house production company providing applied industry experience).

ESA's business model is government-funded education with no student fees. Revenue is derived from UK state per-pupil grants channelled through Danes Educational Trust, with no disclosed tuition, subscription, or commercial pricing. Customer acquisition is event-driven: open events, school tours, and an online application portal, supplemented by external creative arts festivals (OnEx, MadeHERE) and digital marketing via website, Instagram, and YouTube. In January 2025 ESA was judged Outstanding in every Ofsted category, the strongest possible UK regulatory outcome; the academy also holds Platinum ArtsMark from Arts Council England and is recognised as a UK Centre of Screen Excellence. In September 2025 it announced a partnership with CAMHS Digital Lab on a youth mental health research initiative ('RESEARCH EXPLORED'). ESA serves three primary customer segments: KS4 students (14–16), KS5 students (16–19), and adult learners (18+) via ScreenCraft, with industry-aligned traineeships and partnerships positioning the academy as a talent pipeline into Film & TV production roles.

Name

Elstree Screen Arts Academy

Legal name

Elstree Screen Arts Academy

Website

https://esaacademy.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Elstree Screen Arts Academy is a free, UK state-funded University Technical College in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, delivering specialist creative media and production arts education to students aged 14–19 for entry-level Film & TV industry roles, with extension tracks for 18+ traineeships and in-house production.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Arts Education

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Film, Television & Media Arts Colleges (EDAHAJAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Arts Colleges (Theatre, Dance, Musical Theatre) (EDAHAJAD), Visual Arts Instruction (Drawing, Painting, Sculpture) (EDAMAAAA)

Keywords

• Creative arts education
• Vocational media training
• Film and TV education
• Production arts training
• University technical college

Headquarters

HQ city

Borehamwood

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, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. State-Funded Education: ESA is a free academy funded by the UK government. It operates as a University Technical College licensed by the Baker Dearing Trust, providing free education to students aged 14-19 in creative media and production arts disciplines.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Elstree Screen Arts Academy is a free, state-funded University Technical College (UTC) providing specialist creative arts education and vocational training to students aged 14 to 19 in media, production arts, performing arts, and creative technical practice. The academy delivers academic qualifications (GCSEs, A Levels), T Levels, and vocational courses, alongside industry traineeships through its ScreenCraft track and hands-on production experience through its in-house ESA Productions company.

Product overview

Elstree Screen Arts Academy is a free creative academy and training provider for the culture industry, judged Outstanding by Ofsted in 2025. The academy offers a comprehensive multi-disciplinary curriculum across Media/Digital/Film Arts (Creative Media Production, T Level Media Broadcast & Production, Film Studies, Digital Creation and Game Design), Visual Arts/Fashion/Costume (Art & Design, Costume and Fashion, Photography), Performing Arts (Acting, Dance, Music Performance and Production, Musical Theatre Performance), and Production/Technical Arts (Lighting and Sound, Set and Props Design Production, Production Hair and Makeup Artistry). The academy also provides core academic subjects (English, Maths, Science) and personal development programmes. ESA operates three training tracks: ESA Academy for 14-19 year olds, ESA ScreenCraft for 18+ industry traineeships, and ESA Productions as an in-house production company, together forming a unified ecosystem preparing students for trainee-level roles in the Film and TV industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ESA ScreenCraft: 18+ Industry Traineeships for school leavers seeking professional training in the creative industry.
• ESA Productions

Products and services

• ESA Academy (KS4 and KS5 Programmes) Main free creative arts education programme for students aged 14-19, offering GCSEs, A Levels, T Levels, and vocational qualifications across media, production arts, performing arts, and creative technical practice disciplines.
• ESA ScreenCraft Industry traineeship programme for learners aged 18 and above, providing professional training and transition into creative industry careers in film and TV.
• ESA Productions In-house production company providing hands-on industry experience for ESA students, producing real-world creative projects including short films and media content.
• ESA Reads Reading and literacy programme providing book recommendations and literacy development resources across all key stages, supporting personal development and communication skills.

Quantifiable outcome

• GCSE and Level 2 results improved in 2025 despite national declines
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CAMHS Digital LabcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 September 2025ESA has partnered with CAMHS Digital Lab on the 'RESEARCH EXPLORED' initiative — a collaboration focused on mental health crisis research for young people. Students produce innovative short films and media content including digital animation, script writing, art direction, and post production as part of the programme.
• Danes Educational TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESA is part of the Danes Educational Trust, a multi-academy trust. The trust provides governance, strategic oversight, and shared resources across its academies.
• Baker Dearing TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESA is a University Technical College (UTC) licensed by the Baker Dearing Trust, which promotes and supports the UTC model of technical education across the UK.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• ScreenSkills: ScreenSkills is the UK industry body that funds skills and training for the screen industries. It is comparable as an adjacent funder and partner ecosystem in the UK Film & TV trainee talent pipeline that ESA ScreenCraft feeds into.
• Baker Dearing Trust UTC Network: The Baker Dearing Trust is the body that licenses and supports the UTC network, of which ESA is a member. It is comparable as the institutional and licensing framework governing ESA's operating model and strategic direction.

Direct peers

• National Film and Television School (NFTS): NFTS is the UK's national centre for postgraduate training in film, TV, and screen craft. It is comparable to ESA on the screen-excellence specialization, with NFTS serving as the natural postgraduate destination for ESA ScreenCraft and Post-16 graduates.
• Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts: Italia Conti is one of the UK's oldest performing arts schools, offering training across acting, dance, and musical theatre from secondary age upward. ESA competes with Italia Conti for the same aspiring performing arts students, particularly at KS5 and ScreenCraft stages.
• ArtsEd (Arts Educational Schools London): ArtsEd offers both secondary-level performing arts schooling and degree-level training in acting, dance, and musical theatre. It is comparable to ESA in secondary-age curriculum and a candidate destination for ESA's Post-16 leavers.
• Sylvia Young Theatre School: Sylvia Young is a London-based performing arts school covering acting, dance, and music for school-age students. It overlaps with ESA's performing arts curriculum and competes for the same London/Hertfordshire student catchment.
• Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA): RADA is one of the UK's leading drama conservatoires, providing specialist acting and technical theatre training. It overlaps with ESA's acting and production arts provision and represents a destination competitor for top creative talent.
• BRIT School: The BRIT School is a free, state-funded UK performing and creative arts school for 14-19 year olds, widely regarded as the UK benchmark for specialist creative secondary education. It is the closest direct peer to ESA in mission, funding model, age range, and arts-focused curriculum.
• Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA): LIPA is a specialist higher-education institution focused on performing arts and the creative industries, founded by Paul McCartney. While degree-granting, it is comparable as a specialist arts training pipeline and a likely Post-18 destination for ESA ScreenCraft graduates.

Regional players

• Royal Conservatoire of Scotland: The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland offers specialist training across performing arts and production. It is comparable as a specialist creative institution but is geographically anchored in Scotland, so it does not directly compete with ESA in the South-East England catchment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@elstreescreenartsacademy4894
• Instagraminstagram.com/elstreescreenarts

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Elstree Screen Arts Academy