ACT Multi Academy Trust

What ACT Multi Academy Trust does

ACT Multi Academy Trust (A.C.T MAT) is a UK Multi Academy Trust registered in England under the Academies Act 2010, headquartered at St Mary's Primary Academy, Wintringham Road, St Neots, Cambridgeshire. The Trust operates as a charitable company limited by guarantee and functions as an umbrella governance and central services body for five Church of England primary academies: Buckden C of E, Burrough Green CofE, Great Wilbraham C of E, St Michael's Church School, and St Mary's CE Primary Academy. It serves pupils from Reception through Year 6 across Cambridgeshire and extends Continuing Professional Development (CPD) delivery into Suffolk and Peterborough via a funded partnership with the Diocese of Ely.

The Trust delivers a shared educational and operational platform across its academies rather than standalone software products. Its differentiating pedagogical frameworks include the Thrive Approach for social and emotional development, Cambridgeshire Therapeutic Thinking for behaviour management, and a Graduated SEND Approach (Assess, Plan, Do, Review). Centralised back-office services (finance, HR, IT, procurement) are pooled across member schools, alongside bespoke school improvement support, governance development, and structured CPD programmes. The Associate Membership pathway offers non-binding entry to schools exploring full MAT conversion.

Revenue is sourced almost entirely from UK government per-pupil grants administered by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), supplemented by Diocese-funded CPD income. ACT MAT is a not-for-profit entity; surpluses are reinvested into educational provision, and the organisation is governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees supported by Local Governing Bodies at each academy. There is no disclosed private equity, venture capital, or external funding.

Name

ACT Multi Academy Trust

Legal name

ACT Multi Academy Trust

Website

https://act-academytrust.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ACT Multi Academy Trust is a UK Church of England Multi Academy Trust operating five primary academies in Cambridgeshire, providing shared governance, central services, and CPD programmes funded primarily through ESFA government grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Primary Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

Keywords

• Primary education services
• Multi academy trust
• Church of england schools
• SEND support services
• Academy school governance

Headquarters

HQ city

St Neots

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Academy Funding: Government funding through the Academy Trust funding model. Schools receive funding through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) based on pupil numbers and specific educational needs.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ACT Multi Academy Trust operates five Church of England primary schools in Cambridgeshire providing primary education for pupils from Reception through Year 6. The Trust additionally delivers SEND support, social and emotional development programmes (Thrive Approach), behaviour management (Cambridgeshire Therapeutic Thinking), a graduated SEND framework, and continuing professional development for headteachers, governors, and teaching staff.

Product overview

ACT Multi Academy Trust operates as an educational organization managing five Church of England primary schools: Buckden C of E Primary Academy, Burrough Green CofE Primary Academy, Great Wilbraham C of E Primary Academy, St Michael's Church School, and St Mary's CE Primary Academy. The Trust provides educational services including SEND support, Pupil Premium programmes, the Thrive Approach for emotional wellbeing, Cambridgeshire Therapeutic Thinking for behaviour management, and professional development (CPD) programmes. The organization does not offer software products or digital technology services; its offerings are educational programmes and school management services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Primary Education Services Primary education delivered through five Church of England primary schools across Cambridgeshire, serving pupils from Reception through Year 6. Education is grounded in a Christian values-led ethos that prioritises inclusivity and individual school identity.
• Associate Membership Programme Programme allowing schools to explore the benefits of partnership with ACT Multi Academy Trust before committing to full MAT membership, providing access to CPD, governance support, and Trust expertise on a flexible basis. Subject to approval and annual review.
• CPD and Professional Development Programmes Continuing Professional Development programmes for headteachers, senior leaders, governors, and teaching staff, delivered in partnership with the Diocese of Ely across Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, and Peterborough. The Diocese funds this pilot initiative.

Quantifiable outcome

• Buckden C of E Primary Academy rated Outstanding by Ofsted July 2015 and maintained Outstanding status in 2019 monitoring report
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Break CharityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Break is a charity working in Cambridgeshire to raise aspirations of young care leavers. ACT schools (Buckden and Great Wilbraham) are participating in the Cambridge Standing Tall Project 2024, a Wild in Art event in partnership with Break and Cambridge BID.
• Wild in ArtminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Wild in Art collaborates with Break and Cambridge BID to deliver the Cambridge Standing Tall Project - featuring 40 ginormous Giraffe sculptures forming a free public art trail. ACT schools participated in the learning programme with pupils decorating mini Giraffe sculptures.
• Diocese of ElycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACT Multi Academy Trust has formed a strategic partnership with the Diocese of Ely to deliver comprehensive CPD programmes for headteachers, senior leaders, governors, and teaching staff across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough, Suffolk, and Norfolk. The Diocese funds this pilot initiative, leveraging ACT's expertise to support professional development opportunities for schools in the region. This initiative aims to create lasting improvements in education across the partner areas.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ark Schools: Large national multi-academy trust with primary provision. Provides a counterpoint benchmark on central-team-to-school ratios, governance scale and centralised services delivery.
• Anglian Learning: Multi-phase MAT operating across Cambridgeshire and the wider East of England. Overlaps with ACT in primary education and Cambridgeshire geography but spans secondary and post-16, making it a broader incumbent.
• Reach Academy Trust: Established Church-affiliated multi-academy trust operating nationally. Not a direct competitor in the East of England, but a benchmark for what a scaled values-led MAT can achieve.

Direct peers

• Campfire Education Trust: Small Church of England primary MAT covering 6 schools in the Diocese of Ely. Closely comparable in scale, geography and values-led ethos; previous employer of ACT trustee Sarah Conant.
• Diocese of Ely Multi Academy Trust (DEMAT): The largest Church of England primary MAT in the Diocese of Ely region, scaled from 2 to 34 schools. Most direct peer — same diocesan catchment, same C of E ethos, and overlapping candidate schools for academy conversion.
• St Edmund's Academy Trust: Diocesan Church of England primary MAT in a neighbouring diocese. Comparable in size, ethos and academy conversion focus, providing a benchmark for ACT's growth trajectory.
• Vivo Education Trust: Small Church primary MAT operating in the East of England. Similar scale and Church of England foundation to ACT, competing for the same pool of converting primary schools.

Regional players

• Diocese of Peterborough Academy Trust: Diocesan primary MAT in neighbouring Peterborough. Comparable Church of England primary model serving an adjacent but distinct geographic catchment — a regional rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/act-mat

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries5 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 ACT Multi Academy Trust