CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST
Cathedral Schools Trust was a state-funded Church of England Multi-Academy Trust in Bristol operating 12 schools (3 secondary and 9 primary) serving approximately 4,000 pupils, which merged with Trust in Learning Academies on 1st March 2026 to form Amplify Education.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersBristol, United Kingdom
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST does
Cathedral Schools Trust (CST) was a Church of England Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) operating in Bristol, England, structured as a charitable company limited by guarantee under the Academies Act 2010 (company number 06516626). Founded in 2016 and headquartered at St Katherine's School, Pill Road, Bristol, the trust operated a network of 12 schools — 3 secondary schools (Bristol Cathedral Choir School, Trinity Academy, and St Katherine's School, each with 11-16 and Post-16 provision) and 9 primary schools (including Cathedral Primary School, Headley Park, Hotwells, Stoke Park, St Werburgh's, Henleaze Infant, Henleaze Junior, Ashton Gate, and Victoria Park) — collectively educating approximately 4,000 pupils. The trust's model combined secular academies with Church of England designated schools, and featured an all-through K-13 design where Cathedral Primary School shares a campus with Bristol Cathedral Choir School.
The business model is non-commercial: CST was state-funded through per-pupil funding agreements with the Department for Education, with education provided free at point of use under standard UK school admissions processes governed by annually published admission arrangements. Revenue mechanics are entirely government-derived, with no commercial pricing structure. Technology consists of standard school websites with accessibility features (responsive design, screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation), and the organization maintains GDPR compliance through documented data protection and records retention policies. Key leadership includes CEO Neil Blundell MA (who led the trust from its 2016 formation and previously grew Bristol Cathedral Choir School from 300 to 1,200 students) and Chair of Members William Browne, Professor of Statistics at the University of Bristol.
On 1st March 2026, following a period of consultation, CST merged with Trust in Learning Academies to form Amplify Education. Following the merger, only a skeleton board remains in place for Cathedral Schools Trust to comply with its statutory duties until dissolution is complete. The legacy CST entity is therefore in the process of being wound down, with operational growth and any future expansion now residing within the Amplify Education vehicle.
CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST
- Legal name
- Cathedral Schools Trust
- Website
- https://cathedralschoolstrust.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Cathedral Schools Trust was a state-funded Church of England Multi-Academy Trust in Bristol operating 12 schools (3 secondary and 9 primary) serving approximately 4,000 pupils, which merged with Trust in Learning Academies on 1st March 2026 to form Amplify Education.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST industry classification
Industry- Product category
- K-12 Education Services
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Services (611), Religious Organizations (8131)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Charter Career & Technical Education (CTE) Schools (EDAJACAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC), Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)
Keywords
Where CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bristol
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cathedral Schools Trust is a UK Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) that operates a network of state-funded Church of England and secular academies in the Bristol area. It delivers primary and secondary education (reception through Year 13, ages 4-18) through individual schools operating under a single trust governance structure, including the all-through Cathedral Primary School and Bristol Cathedral Choir School model.
Product overview
Cathedral Schools Trust is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) that operated a network of 12 schools across Bristol, UK, including 3 secondary schools (Bristol Cathedral Choir School, Trinity Academy, St Katherine's School) and 9 primary schools. Following a merger with Trust in Learning Academies on 1st March 2026, the combined entity formed Amplify Education. The Trust provided educational services through its schools rather than technology products. The schools collectively educate approximately 4000 pupils and operated as individual academies under the Trust's governance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bristol Cathedral Choir School (BCCS) A secondary school (11-16 provision) and sixth form (Post 16 provision) academy within the Trust, located in Bristol, offering academic education with a choir school heritage.
- Trinity Academy A secondary school (11-16 provision) and sixth form academy that opened in 2019, providing academic education within the Trust.
- St Katherine's School
Companies that use CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Ormiston Academies Trust: One of the largest national MATs in England, operating dozens of primary and secondary academies; comparable as a broad incumbent in the same academy/trust structure.
- Academy Transformation Trust: Mid-sized national Multi-Academy Trust operating academies across the Midlands and East of England; comparable as a broader MAT incumbent with similar governance structure.
- E-ACT: Large national Multi-Academy Trust running primary and secondary academies across multiple regions; comparable as a broad incumbent with similar per-pupil funding model.
- Oasis Community Learning: Large national Multi-Academy Trust operating faith-inspired academies across England; comparable as a broader incumbent with overlapping CofE-style ethos and far greater scale.
Regional players
- Lighthouse Schools Partnership: South-West England Multi-Academy Trust operating a network of primary and secondary schools across Bristol and Somerset; comparable as a regional MAT with similar school mix.
- Greenshaw Learning Trust: Multi-Academy Trust with schools across the South West and South East of England; comparable as a growing regional MAT with both primary and secondary phases.
Emerging players
- Aspire Academy Trust: Smaller, growing South-West Multi-Academy Trust operating a handful of primary and secondary schools; comparable as an emerging MAT with similar governance and growth profile.
Direct peers
- Diocese of Bristol Academies Trust: Church of England-affiliated Multi-Academy Trust in the Bristol and surrounding region; directly comparable as a faith-based MAT competing for the same family demographic.
- Trust in Learning Academies: Bristol-area Multi-Academy Trust that merged with Cathedral Schools Trust on 1 March 2026 to form Amplify Education; directly comparable in size, structure, and regional footprint.
- Venturers Trust: Bristol-based Multi-Academy Trust operating a small portfolio of academies including faith-linked schools; comparable in scale, geography, and CofE-style mission.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST social profiles
Digital presenceCATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries12 records
CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST
What does CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST do?
Cathedral Schools Trust is a UK Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) that operates a network of state-funded Church of England and secular academies in the Bristol area. It delivers primary and secondary education (reception through Year 13, ages 4-18) through individual schools operating under a single trust governance structure, including the all-through Cathedral Primary School and Bristol Cathedral Choir School model.
Is CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST a public or private company?
CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST founded?
CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST was founded in 2016. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST based?
CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST is headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
Who are CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Ormiston Academies Trust, Academy Transformation Trust, E-ACT and Oasis Community Learning. Regional players are Lighthouse Schools Partnership and Greenshaw Learning Trust. Aspire Academy Trust is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Diocese of Bristol Academies Trust, Trust in Learning Academies and Venturers Trust.
Does CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST have an API?
No public API is recorded for CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST.
What industry is CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST in?
CATHEDRAL SCHOOLS TRUST's product category is K-12 Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJACAK, Charter Career & Technical Education (CTE) Schools, with a secondary code of EDAJABAC, Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools. Its NAICS code is 611110 and its SIC code is 8200.