The BOA Group

What The BOA Group does

The BOA Group, formally the Birmingham Ormiston Academy Group, is a UK multi-academy trust operating three specialist secondary and post-16 academies in Birmingham under the BOA Trust umbrella, supported by the Ormiston Trust as parent sponsor and Birmingham City University as a strategic educational partner. Founded in 2011 with the opening of BOA Creative, Digital and Performing Arts Academy, the Group expanded in 2021 with BOA Stage and Screen Production Academy in the Jewellery Quarter and again in September 2022 with BOA Digital Technologies Academy. The Group serves more than 2,000 learners aged 11-19 across pathways covering acting, dance, music, musical theatre, visual art and design, games design and new media, production, broadcast, lighting, sound, hair and make-up, set, props, costume, digital innovation, gaming, and cyber security. Educational delivery is government-funded under Department for Education funding agreements; ancillary revenue is generated through annual professional theatrical productions at The Old Rep Theatre (ticket prices £11.50 school / £16.50 public), with prominent industry placement partnerships most notably with PRG UK, which has placed students on The BRIT Awards 2026.

The Group is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Dr Jonnie Turpie MBE, with executive leadership provided by Chief Executive Kate Tague (appointed September 2022) alongside a central team including a Chief Operations Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Education Officer. Each academy has its own Principal; Dr Jonathan Morris was appointed Principal of the Digital Technologies Academy in September 2025 to lead the next growth phase. Outcomes data cited by the Group includes 93% of BOA Creative students achieving DDD or higher (equivalent to AAA at A-Level), 60.2% achieving 5+ strong GCSE passes including English and Maths, and a 100% pass rate with 96% high grades at BOA Stage and Screen.

Commercially, BOA Group operates a community-led go-to-market: prospective students and families are reached through the corporate website, open events and taster sessions, school visits, community outreach (including the BOA Youth Social Action programme engaging 25 local primary schools and 6,591 children over five years), and earned media coverage. The Group is preparing for its next chapter via the 'Imagine Everything 2026-2031' five-year strategy focused on Educational Excellence, Skills and Employability, and Inclusion and Opportunity, alongside planned sixth-form expansion at the Digital Technologies Academy in 2027.

Name

The BOA Group

Legal name

Birmingham Ormiston Academy Group

Website

https://boa-group.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The BOA Group is a UK multi-academy trust operating three specialist academies in Birmingham (Creative/Digital/Performing Arts, Stage and Screen Production, and Digital Technologies), serving more than 2,000 learners aged 11-19 via government-funded education and industry placement partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Education Funding: As an academy trust, BOA Group receives government funding through Department for Education funding agreements (Mainstream Supplemental Funding Agreement, 16-19 Supplemental Funding Agreement) to provide secondary and further education to students aged 11-19.
2. Theatrical Production Revenue: BOA Group produces annual Christmas pantomimes and theatrical productions at The Old Rep Theatre. Revenue generated through ticket sales: school performances at £11.50 per student, evening performances at £16.50.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The BOA Group operates three specialist academies (BOA Creative, Digital & Performing Arts Academy; BOA Stage and Screen Production Academy; BOA Digital Technologies Academy) delivering GCSE, A-Level, BTEC and Level 4 Diploma qualifications to more than 2,000 learners aged 11-19 in Birmingham. The trust supplements academic delivery with annual professional pantomime productions at The Old Rep Theatre, industry placements with partners such as PRG UK, and a youth social action programme engaging local primary schools.

Product overview

The BOA Group is a multi-academy trust operating three specialist academies (BOA Creative, Digital & Performing Arts; BOA Stage and Screen Production; and BOA Digital Technologies) offering creative, digital, and performing arts education to students aged 11-19. The Group supports over 2,000 learners across pathways in performance, production, digital creativity, and technology. Beyond academic delivery, BOA Group produces annual professional theatre productions at The Old Rep Theatre featuring student participation, operates youth social action programmes reaching thousands of children, and provides industry placement opportunities with partners like PRG UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BOA Creative, Digital & Performing Arts Academy Specialist academy for 14-19-year-olds delivering pathways in Acting, Dance, Musical Theatre, Music, Music Technology, Visual Art & Design, and Games Design & New Media. Rated 'Good with Outstanding Features' by OFSTED. Qualifications include GCSE, A-Level and BTEC.
• BOA Stage and Screen Production Academy Production and broadcast technologies academy for 16-19-year-olds in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. Industry-led curriculum covers film, TV, online content and theatre production, plus technical courses in lighting, sound, hair and make-up, set design, props and costume.
• BOA Digital Technologies Academy Specialist digital technologies academy for 11-18-year-olds focused on digital innovation, gaming, cyber security and emerging tech industries. Delivers GCSE and A-Level pathways.
• BOA Group Productions Christmas Pantomimes Annual professional Christmas pantomime productions staged at The Old Rep Theatre, featuring professional cast and creative teams alongside BOA student ensembles. School group tickets £11.50 per student (teachers free, including workshops); public evening tickets £16.50.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% of students achieved DDD or higher in BTEC Level 3 arts pathway (equivalent to AAA at A Level)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• West Midlands MetrominorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Seasonal transportation partnership offering 10% off tram tickets for audiences attending Cinderella pantomime at The Old Rep Theatre. Third year of partnership.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities UKminorOthers · 1 January 2025Charity partner for Cinderella production. BOA cast visited Ronald McDonald House Birmingham to perform for families with seriously ill children. BOA supports the charity's mission to keep families close during hospital treatment.
• Ormiston TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-academy trust sponsor and founding partner. Supports BOA Group's governance and educational mission. Partnership in Youth Social Action (#WeWill project) delivering arts workshops to primary schools.
• Birmingham City UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner providing university connections and progression pathways for students. Supports BOA Group's mission to nurture talent and provide industry-ready skills.
• PRG UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading production company providing industry placements for BOA Stage and Screen Production Academy students. Students worked on The BRIT Awards 2026. PRG provides sponsorship, equipment, and real-world industry experience.
• The Old Rep TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric Birmingham theatre (110+ years) hosting BOA's annual Christmas productions. Partnership spanning 10+ years for pantomimes including Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz, and Cinderella. Students gain professional stage experience alongside industry cast and crew.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts: Long-established London performing arts school offering secondary and post-16 training in acting, dance and musical theatre. Directly comparable to BOA Creative on curriculum pathways, age range and vocational performing-arts specialism.
• Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts: Drama and musical theatre school with secondary, post-16 and degree-level programmes in Peckham, London. Comparable to BOA Creative on performing-arts specialism and progression into higher education/industry, with a wider degree-granting remit.
• Tring Park School for the Performing Arts: Specialist boarding school for ages 7–19 covering dance, drama, music and musical theatre. Comparable to BOA Creative on specialist performing-arts curriculum and academic/vocational dual pathway, with a stronger boarding/dance focus.
• BRIT School: Croydon-based specialist performing arts and creative media school for ages 14–19, free to attend and industry-connected. Closest direct peer to BOA Creative in terms of specialist creative curriculum, free specialist provision and industry placement model.
• Sylvia Young Theatre School: London-based independent school specialising in performing arts for ages 10–16, known for producing high-profile alumni. Comparable to BOA Creative as a secondary-age specialist performing arts school, with a London rather than regional catchment.
• Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA): Liverpool-based higher education institution co-founded by Paul McCartney offering degree-level training across performance and production disciplines. Comparable to BOA Stage and Screen on production/broadcast curriculum and industry-led design, at degree rather than secondary level.
• ArtsEd: London specialist performing arts school (formerly Arts Educational Schools) offering secondary, sixth-form and degree-level training across acting, dance and musical theatre. Comparable to BOA Creative on age range, vocational pathway mix and progression into higher-level training.
• WMG Academy Trust: Multi-academy trust founded in partnership with Warwick Manufacturing Group offering specialist engineering and STEM pathways for ages 14–19. Directly comparable to BOA on the specialist academy trust model with deep university/industry partnerships; differs in subject focus (engineering vs creative).

Broad incumbents

• Ormiston Academies Trust: National multi-academy trust that sponsors BOA Group. Operates a broad portfolio of primary and secondary academies across England, so it overlaps with BOA on governance and MAT funding structures but does not specialise in creative or performing arts.

Emerging players

• Stagecoach Performing Arts: Franchised network of weekend performing arts schools for ages 4–18 across the UK and internationally. Adjacent to BOA's performing-arts curriculum but operates as part-time enrichment rather than full-time secondary education, so a more niche or earlier-stage alternative for the same pupil interest.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-boa-group

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries3 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 BOA Group