De Lisle College

What De Lisle College does

De Lisle College is a co-educational Catholic Voluntary Academy secondary school located in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England, founded in 1959 to serve the Catholic community across north Leicestershire. It delivers secondary education to students aged 11-18 across Years 7-13, operating an expanded capacity of eight forms of entry in Years 7-11 and five forms in the Sixth Form. The college is part of the St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi-Academy Trust (STA-CMAT), having joined the trust on 1 September 2018 under the governance authority of the Nottingham Diocese. It is the only secondary Catholic college in Loughborough, with a feeder pipeline from six named Catholic primary schools.

The academic offering spans over 20 subjects across Key Stages 3-5, structured around three Key Stage 4 pathways (Facilitating, STEM, and Applied Learning) and a Sixth Form curriculum of A-level, BTEC, and IB programmes. Specialised programmes include the Mandarin Excellence Programme (running since September 2019 in partnership with UCL Institute of Education and the British Council, funded by the Department for Education), the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme across Bronze, Silver and Gold tiers, and a literacy programme built on The Writing Revolution methodology. The college operates a 16,000+ book library, a dedicated Careers Centre integrating Unifrog and UCAS, and an extensive Catholic Life and Chaplaincy programme supported by a Lay Chaplain and a 60+ student Mission Team across five strands (Love, Opportunity, Values, Encounter, Serve). Technology infrastructure is standard third-party edtech: Arbor for student information and meal payments, Go4Schools for parental engagement with real-time assessment data, Unifrog for careers, and Microsoft/Google/Canva productivity tools.

The business model is that of a UK state-funded academy: tuition is free to parents, with revenue derived primarily from per-pupil government grants via the academy funding agreement. Supplementary income streams include on-site catering services (paid through Arbor and ParentPay), venue hire to external parties, and uniform assistance grants; the trustees award over £105,000 annually in financial assistance grants to support music tuition, educational courses, books, specialist clothing, and educational visits. Admissions are coordinated through Leicester City and Leicestershire County Council Local Authorities, with the Local Governing Body making final decisions; the marketing motion is centred on annual Open Evenings (September for Year 7, October for Sixth Form), diocesan and feeder-school referrals, and an active social media presence (@delisleacademy on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram). Performance metrics publicly disclosed for 2025 GCSE results include an Attainment 8 score of 55.1 versus a national 46.1, 60% of students achieving Grade 5+ in English and Maths versus national 45%, and a 94% progression rate to education, apprenticeships, or employment versus national 92%.

Name

De Lisle College

Legal name

De Lisle College

Website

https://delisle.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

De Lisle College is a Catholic Voluntary Academy secondary school in Loughborough, England, founded 1959, serving approximately 1,300+ students aged 11-18 across north Leicestershire through GCSE, A-level, BTEC, and IB programmes as part of the St Thomas Aquinas CMAT.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Loughborough

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, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Venue Hire: The college generates revenue through hiring out its facilities (venue hire) to external parties. Contact is managed through the College Operations Manager, Wendy Herbert.
2. State Education Funding: As a Catholic Voluntary Academy part of the St Thomas Aquinas CMAT, the school is funded by the government via the academy funding agreement. Additional income is derived from catering services, uniform assistance grants, and voluntary contributions.
3. Catering Services: Meals are prepared on-site using local suppliers. Payments are managed through the Arbor platform. The school offers free school meals to eligible families and also provides financial assistance grants totalling over £105,000 annually for educational support including music tuition, educational courses, books, specialist clothing, and educational visits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

De Lisle College is a co-educational Catholic secondary school and academy in Loughborough delivering secondary education (Years 7-11) and Sixth Form education (Years 12-13). It offers a broad curriculum across 20+ subjects with three KS4 pathways (Facilitating, STEM, Applied Learning), alongside GCSE, A-level, BTEC, and IB programmes, plus enrichment such as the Mandarin Excellence Programme, Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Catholic Life/chaplaincy, and careers guidance.

Product overview

De Lisle College is a Catholic secondary school offering a comprehensive educational programme from Years 7-13. The core academic curriculum spans over 20 subjects across key stages 3-5, with three distinct KS4 pathways (Facilitating, STEM, and Applied Learning). Specialised programmes include the Mandarin Excellence Programme (partnered with UCL Institute of Education) and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. The school provides extensive student support services through a dedicated Careers Centre (integrated with Unifrog and UCAS), Library Services (14,000+ books with reading awards), and Catholic Life/Chaplaincy programme. Administrative services include catering (via Arbor), parental engagement (Go4Schools), and examination administration. Extra-curricular offerings encompass clubs, performing arts, and residential retreats.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Academic Curriculum (Years 7-13) Broad and balanced secondary and post-16 curriculum following the National Curriculum, offering three KS4 pathways (Facilitating, STEM, Applied Learning) and subjects including Art, Business, Computer Science, English, Maths, Sciences, Languages (French, Mandarin, Spanish), Humanities, Performing Arts, and Religious Studies. Delivered to students aged 11-18 at the Loughborough campus.
• Sixth Form Post-16 education provision offering A-levels, BTEC (e.g. Digital Media Production), and IB programmes with dedicated sixth form facilities, supercurricular activities, and integrated careers guidance for progression to university, apprenticeships, or employment. Targeted at students aged 16-18.
• Mandarin Excellence Programme Intensive Mandarin language programme funded by the Department for Education and delivered in partnership with UCL Institute of Education and the British Council, running for Years 7-11 with Sixth Form study toward HSK Level 1.
• Careers Centre and Guidance Dedicated careers centre providing impartial guidance on further education, training, and employment, with access to Unifrog, UCAS, work placements for Year 12, workplace visits for Year 10, and a Careers Education Programme embedded in the Learning For Life curriculum across KS3 and KS4. Meets all 8 Gatsby Benchmarks.
• Duke of Edinburgh's Award DofE programme offering Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards, comprising volunteering, physical, skills sections, and expeditions for students.
• Catholic Life and Chaplaincy Catholic formation programme with a Mission Team of over 60 students, a Lay Chaplain, weekly liturgical prayer, form-time Mass, residential retreats (The Briars for Year 7, Alton Castle for Year 8, SPEC for Year 9, Lourdes pilgrimage for Years 10-13), and use of the College Chapel.
• Examinations Services Full examination administration including GCSE, A-level, and vocational qualifications, with candidate handbook, exam policies, and results summaries.
• Catering Services On-premises meal preparation using local suppliers, with daily changing menus offering hot meals, pasta, jacket potatoes, and cold options. Payments handled through the Arbor platform. Free school meals available for eligible families.
• Admissions Services Admissions processing for Year 7 and Year 12 through the normal admission round plus in-year applications, coordinated with St Thomas Aquinas CMAT and the relevant Local Authority.
• Venue Hire Hiring out of school facilities (e.g. halls, sports facilities) to external community groups and organisations, managed by the College Operations Manager.
• Library Services School library with over 14,000 books supporting academic study and reading enrichment, including Reading Challenges (Bronze, Silver, Gold), Library Reading Awards, and Yoto Carnegie Award shadowing.
• Extra-Curricular Clubs and Activities After-school enrichment activities including Eco-Club, Ethics Cup debating, Chess Club, Drama Club, Choir, Dance, Ensemble Orchestra, Steel Pans, and PE sports clubs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Attainment 8 score of 55.1 vs national 46.1 (2025 GCSE results)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi-Academy Trust (CMAT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2018De Lisle College is a member of the St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi-Academy Trust, established by Bishop Patrick McKinney of Nottingham and effective from 1 September 2018. The CMAT provides strategic leadership, shared training, resource pooling, and quality oversight. All academies operate under a company limited by guarantee (Company Number 8090890) with registered office at Unit 5 Charnwood Edge Business Park, Cossington, LE7 4UZ. CEO is Mr N Lockyer.
• Nottingham Diocese Education ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school operates under the authority of the Nottingham Roman Catholic Diocesan Education Service. The Diocese provides Section 48 canonical inspections of Catholic Life and Religious Education, and the school follows Diocesan guidance including the 'Extra-Ordo-nary' document for prayer and liturgical materials. Contact: 01332 293833.
• Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe LLEP provides careers-related resources including labour market information, the WOW (World of Work) guide, qualifications charts, and industry sector videos. Students access LLEP resources in the Careers Centre and through curriculum activities.
• Local Universities (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal universities deliver introductory talks on higher education to Years 7-8, KS4 options guidance, post-16 options talks, and university experience visits for Years 9-10 and 12. Students also use UCAS for university applications.
• Local Employers and BusinessesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal employers participate in 'Encounters with Business' talks, mock interviews with Year 10, CV workshops, STEM events, workplace visits for Year 10, and work experience placements for Year 12. Contact: [email protected] or Mrs Heather Tyers.
• Local Further Education CollegesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with Loughborough College, Leicester College, North Warwickshire & South Leicestershire College (NW SLC), and SMB College Group to provide information on post-16 vocational and academic pathways, T-levels, and apprenticeships.
• The Briars Catholic Retreat CentreminorOthersYear 7 students attend retreats at The Briars, a Catholic retreat centre within the Nottingham Diocese, for faith formation, friendship-building, and spiritual development.
• Alton Castle Catholic Retreat CentreminorOthersYear 8 students attend retreats at Alton Castle, a Catholic retreat centre in the Birmingham Diocese (Stoke-on-Trent), combining outdoor adventure activities (trekking, biking, climbing, archery, survival) with spiritual development through liturgies, Mass, and adoration.
• SPEC Catholic Retreat CentreminorOthersYear 9 students attend retreats at SPEC (Westminster Diocese) for spiritual and personal encounter with Christ, equipped to live out their faith mission.
• Lourdes PilgrimageminorOthersYears 10-13 have the opportunity to participate in a 5-day pilgrimage to Lourdes in southern France, including Mass, processions, baths, Grotto visits, and exploration of the town.
• UCL Institute of Education / British Council (Mandarin Excellence Programme)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Mandarin Excellence Programme is funded by the Department for Education and delivered in partnership with UCL Institute of Education and the British Council. Running at De Lisle since September 2019 for Years 7-11 plus Sixth Form students studying for HSK Level 1.
• OfstedcoreOthersThe school is subject to inspection under Section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Most recent full Ofsted inspection was September 2022. The school also undergoes Section 48 Diocesan canonical inspections by the Nottingham Roman Catholic Diocesan Education Service.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Humphrey Perkins School: A co-educational secondary school in Barrow upon Soar, Leicestershire, serving the same Charnwood/north Leicestershire geography as De Lisle. Direct peer within the Local Authority common application framework competing for the same pupil pool.
• Rawlins Academy: A co-educational secondary school in the Charnwood area (Quorn), operating as an academy within its own trust and serving the same broader Loughborough/north Leicestershire admissions catchment as De Lisle. Comparable on size, age range, and state-funded comprehensive model.
• Woodbrook Vale School: A co-educational secondary school located in Loughborough, serving the same Local Authority catchment as De Lisle. Direct peer because both schools compete for the same Year 7 cohort within the Leicester City/Leicestershire County Council admissions process and serve overlapping north Leicestershire families.

Regional players

• Charnwood College: A secondary school located in Loughborough and now operating within a multi-academy trust structure. Comparable as a state-funded comprehensive secondary serving the same Local Authority admissions round, though operating under a different governance model than the diocesan CMAT structure De Lisle sits within.

Broad incumbents

• Cardinal Newman Catholic School: A Catholic secondary school in a different region (Coventry area), operating on the same state-funded Catholic academy model with a similar mission-driven ethos, sixth form provision, and diocesan governance. Comparable on Catholic identity and broad curriculum model even though geographically distinct.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/delisleacademy
• Facebookfacebook.com/delisleacademy
• Instagraminstagram.com/delisleacademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/de-lisle-college

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 De Lisle College