What Haberdashers' Aske's Federation does

Haberdashers' Aske's Federation Trust (also operating as Haberdashers' Academies Trust South) is a UK multi-academy trust registered in England (Company No. 02535091) and sponsored by the Haberdashers' Company, a livery company with a historic commitment to education dating back to 1876. The trust operates nine schools across South London: five primary schools (Haberdashers' Crayford Primary, Hatcham Free School, Hatcham Primary, Knights Primary, and Slade Green Primary) and four secondary academies (Borough Academy, Crayford Academy, Hatcham College, and Knights Academy). The federation serves approximately 6,000 students with 600+ staff, delivering state-funded primary and secondary education within a unified governance structure.

The trust's core product is full-spectrum K-12 education delivered through its nine schools, augmented by the 'Haberdashers' Advantage' enrichment programme covering music, sport, Aspire Mentoring, the Literacy Festival, the Youth Advisory Board, and the Windrush 75 Project. Beyond direct school delivery, the trust operates the Habs Institute for Professional Learning (offering National Professional Qualifications for educators), a School Direct teacher training programme, and produces the 'Inspiring Women in Education' podcast. The underlying technology stack is not disclosed in available materials, and there is no evidence of proprietary technology platforms or AI/ML capabilities.

Revenue is derived entirely from UK government state education funding, routed through the Education and Skills Funding Agency, with no tuition fees charged to families. The trust functions as a not-for-profit charitable entity under multi-academy trust governance with a board of trustees and local governing bodies. Strategic partnerships with Challenge Partners, The Brilliant Club, UCL Institute of Education, Youth Sport Trust, Envision, Prince's Trust Institute, and Naz Legacy extend the trust's enrichment and social mobility programming. Distribution is exclusively direct through school enrolment within the trust's South London catchment areas.

Name

Haberdashers' Aske's Federation

Legal name

Haberdashers' Aske's Federation Trust

Website

https://haaf.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1876

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Haberdashers' Aske's Federation is a UK multi-academy trust operating nine state-funded primary and secondary schools across South London, serving approximately 6,000 students with enrichment programmes in music, sport, and mentoring.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

Keywords

• Primary school education
• Secondary academy education
• Teacher training programs
• Educational enrichment programs
• Multi-academy trust

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. State Education Funding: Government-funded education trust receiving public funding for school operations, likely through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) for maintained schools and academies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Haberdashers' Aske's Federation is an educational trust operating nine state-funded schools (five primary and four secondary/academies) across South London, serving approximately 6,000 students. It delivers the national curriculum alongside the Haberdashers' Advantage enrichment programme covering music, sport, mentoring, literacy, and youth voice initiatives. It also runs the Habs Institute for Professional Learning (including National Professional Qualifications) and a School Direct teacher training programme for educators.

Product overview

Haberdashers' Aske's Federation is an educational trust operating nine schools across London (five primary schools and four secondary schools/academies), united under the 'Haberdashers' Advantage' brand. The federation provides educational services through its school network and extends offerings beyond traditional schooling via the Habs Institute for Professional Learning (providing National Professional Qualifications for educators), a School-Direct teacher training programme, and the Haberdashers' Advantage enrichment programme covering music, sport, mentoring, and literacy. The organization also produces the 'Inspiring Women in Education' podcast. The portfolio comprises nine individual school brands (Haberdashers' Crayford Primary/Academy, Haberdashers' Hatcham Free School/Primary/College, Haberdashers' Knights Primary/Academy, Haberdashers' Borough Academy, and Haberdashers' Slade Green Primary) that operate under the unified federation structure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Haberdashers' Advantage: Educational enrichment program providing experiences beyond the classroom including music, sport, mentoring, and youth development initiatives
• Habs Institute for Professional Learning
• Aspire Mentoring
• Literacy Festival
• Youth Advisory Board
• Windrush 75 Project

Products and services

• Haberdashers' Crayford Primary

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Challenge PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation partnership network focused on school improvement and sharing best practices across a network of schools.
• The Brilliant ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity that works with schools to increase the number of pupils from underrepresented backgrounds going to top universities.
• UCL Institute of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership providing access to research, teacher training, and professional development programs.
• Youth Sport TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity improving the lives of young people through sport, supporting the trust's Sport at Haberdashers program.
• EnvisionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth charity working to empower young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to realise their potential.
• Prince's Trust InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrograms supporting young people with enterprise, education, and employment opportunities.
• Naz LegacyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity legacy project focused on supporting underrepresented communities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• United Learning: Large multi-academy trust combining state and independent schools nationally. Comparable scale and structure, with similar professional development, teacher training, and curriculum enrichment programmes.
• E-ACT: Multi-academy trust operating primary and secondary schools across multiple regions. Similar charitable structure, K-12 school network, and central trust operating model.
• Harris Federation: Large London-based multi-academy trust operating primary and secondary schools. The closest geographic and operational peer given similar size, London footprint, K-12 school network, and reputation-driven recruitment model.
• Outwood Grange Academies Trust: Large multi-academy trust operating primary and secondary schools nationally with a strong school-improvement focus. Comparable operational scale, multi-school governance, and state-funding model.
• Reach2: One of the UK's largest multi-academy trusts, operating primary schools nationally. Comparable scale, primary-led portfolio, and central support operating model.
• Ark Schools: National multi-academy trust operating primary and secondary schools with a focus on educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. Comparable charitable structure, mission, and K-12 multi-school operating model.
• Oasis Community Learning: Multi-academy trust operating primary and secondary schools nationally with a strong community-focused mission. Similar charitable structure and K-12 multi-school operating model.
• Greenwood Academies Trust: Large multi-academy trust operating primary and secondary schools across multiple regions. Comparable operational scale and structure to the Haberdashers' Federation.
• Star Academies: Multi-academy trust operating primary and secondary schools nationally. Comparable structure, K-12 school network, and reliance on DfE/ESFA state funding.

Regional players

• Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School: Independent (fee-paying) boys' school operating under the broader Haberdashers' Company umbrella. Shares the same historic livery company sponsor as the Federation Trust but operates as an independent school rather than a state-funded academy trust.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/habstrustsouth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries9 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 Haberdashers' Aske's Federation