E-ACT Crest Academy

What E-ACT Crest Academy does

E-ACT Crest Academy is a state-funded secondary school located in Neasden, North-West London, serving students aged 11–18 (Years 7–13). Founded in 2006, the academy operates as a member of the E-ACT multi-academy trust, a national network of 28 academies educating over 18,000 pupils and employing more than 2,300 staff. The school currently holds an Ofsted 'Good' rating and is led by a team of approximately 54 on-site employees, delivering a broad secondary curriculum alongside a flagship Basketball Academy that competes in the EYBL and routes elite players into US college scholarships via a partnership with Western Texas College.

The core instructional offering is the standard UK secondary curriculum, supplemented by specialist sports academies (Basketball Academy, with a Football Academy in trial), enrichment programmes, and international trips funded under the Turing Scheme (Thailand, Budapest). Technology infrastructure is built on a stack of third-party educational platforms including Sparx (adaptive maths), Lexia (AI-driven literacy), ClassCharts (behavior tracking), GCSE Pod (revision), Tassom.ai, and Carousel/d6 communication tools; there is no indication of proprietary platform development. Trust-level central services handle HR, finance, and procurement under the E-ACT umbrella.

The business model is fundamentally non-commercial: the academy is funded primarily through government per-pupil grants routed via E-ACT, supplemented by a modest commercial layer comprising facility lettings (booked through Vivify Venues), uniform sales, and catering services. As a state-funded institution, there is no fee revenue, no equity capital structure, and no investor return mechanism. Strategic value to a PE/VC/M&A audience lies primarily in understanding the trust's scale economics, the defensibility of the specialist sports niche, and the replicability of the academy model rather than in direct acquisition of the academy itself.

Name

E-ACT Crest Academy

Legal name

E-ACT Crest Academy

Website

https://crestacademy.e-act.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

E-ACT Crest Academy is a state-funded secondary school in Neasden, London, serving pupils aged 11–18 as part of the E-ACT multi-academy trust. It delivers the standard UK curriculum alongside specialist sports academies, primarily funded via government per-pupil grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Literacy & ELA Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAF)

Keywords

• Secondary education
• Academy schooling
• Sixth form education
• GCSE A-Level programs
• SEND inclusive education

Headquarters

HQ city

Neasden, 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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Per-Pupil Funding: State-funded academy receiving per-pupil funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) via E-ACT trust. Secondary-aged pupil premium: £1,075 per pupil for those eligible for free school meals or previously eligible in past 6 years.
2. Facility Lettings: The academy generates revenue through hiring out facilities including outdoor astro turf, cricket surface, artificial nets, sports halls, dance studio, main hall, and function spaces with full service kitchen. Available evenings, weekends, and school holidays via Vivify Venues platform.
3. Uniform Sales: School uniform items available for purchase directly from the academy (blazers, shirts, trousers, shoes, ties) and through Rumbles Uniform Shop in Wembley.
4. Catering Services: Meals provided by Aspens catering company. Parents pay for school meals via ParentPay system. Free school meals available for eligible families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

E-ACT Crest Academy is a state-funded secondary academy in Neasden, London, providing comprehensive secondary education for students aged 11-18 (Years 7-13). It delivers the National Curriculum across core subjects, humanities, languages, arts, and technical subjects, followed by GCSE, A-Level, and BTEC qualifications. The academy also offers specialized programs including an elite Basketball Academy integrated with Sixth Form studies, and provides pastoral support, safeguarding, careers guidance, and personal development as part of its educational mission.

Product overview

E-ACT Crest Academy is a secondary school in Neasden, London, offering a unified educational program spanning Years 7-13. The core product is the Main Academy (Years 7-11) delivering comprehensive secondary education through a three-year Key Stage 3 followed by GCSE options at Key Stage 4. This is extended by the Sixth Form Academy providing A-Level and BTEC pathways for Years 12-13. The school differentiates through specialized add-on programs including the Basketball Academy (an elite sports pathway integrated with Sixth Form studies) and Football Academy trials. Supporting the academic core are essential modules: the ASK Mental Health Framework for wellbeing, Safeguarding Services for child protection, Personal Development Program for character and citizenship education, and the Careers Education Program aligned with Gatsby Benchmarks. Additional services include school catering through Aspens and community facility hire. The school integrates various education technology platforms including Sparx Maths/Reader, ClassCharts, Microsoft 365, and Unifrog for specific functional needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Basketball Academy: Elite basketball programme offering 14 hours of training per week, 15 hours of academic lessons, 12 hours of Level 1 Coaching, 6 hours of Level 1 Refereeing, 4 hours of supervised study, and 2 hours of strength and conditioning for students in the Sixth Form.

Products and services

• Main Academy (Years 7-11) Comprehensive secondary education program for students in Years 7 through 11, delivering the National Curriculum across core subjects (English, Maths, Science), languages, humanities, arts, and technical subjects. The curriculum includes a 3-year Key Stage 3 program followed by GCSE options at Key Stage 4.
• Sixth Form Academy Post-16 education program offering A-Level and BTEC vocational pathways for Years 12-13. Provides academic qualifications alongside the Basketball Academy elite program and pastoral support to prepare students for university, employment, or apprenticeships.
• Basketball Academy Elite basketball program within the Sixth Form offering 14 hours of weekly training, competition in the European Youth Basketball League (EYBL), international exposure, pathways to US college scholarships, and professional basketball careers. Integrated with academic studies.
• ASK Mental Health Framework Whole-school mental health and wellbeing framework comprising Awareness, Support, and Kindness components. Provides education on mental health, multiple support avenues, and embeds wellbeing across all school activities for students and staff.
• Personal Development Program Whole-school personal development curriculum delivered through PSHE, RSE, British Values, citizenship education, careers guidance, and enrichment activities. Covers character development, wellbeing, relationships, and preparation for life beyond school.
• Careers Education Program Comprehensive careers guidance program aligned with Gatsby Benchmarks, providing labor market information, employer encounters, work experience, and personal guidance across all year groups through the Unifrog platform.
• Facility Hire School facilities available for community hire including 3G football pitch, MUGA, cricket nets, sports halls, dance studio, function hall, and kitchen. Booked through Vivify Venues platform for evenings, weekends, and school holidays.

Quantifiable outcome

• Alumni Liam secured full basketball scholarship to Western Texas College in the US (2023)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Vivify VenuesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party venue booking platform for school facility lettings. Allows external organizations and individuals to book academy facilities including sports halls, dance studio, function hall, and outdoor pitches for events, sports, and activities.
• Aspens CateringcoreOthersCatering provider for school meals at Crest Academy. Offers halal menu options with nutritional variety. Provides free school meals management for eligible students and meal provision during exam periods.
• ParentPaycoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline payment system for school meals, trips, and other academy payments. Parents top up dinner money and pay for activities through the platform, reducing cash handling on premises.
• CPOMScoreTechnology or IntegrationSafeguarding and child protection software used by the academy to securely record and manage all safeguarding incidents and concerns. Staff can report incidents and safeguarding team receives immediate notifications.
• European Youth Basketball League (EYBL)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerElite basketball league providing international competition opportunities for Crest Academy Basketball Academy students. Students participated in tournaments in Budapest and Naples, competing against top European academy teams.
• Western Texas CollegemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUS college where Crest Academy student Liam secured a full scholarship to play basketball. Scholarship covers academic and athletic costs including textbooks and basketball equipment. Represents pathway for student athletes to combine education with sport at US institutions.
• Pro-Excel DanceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDance production company that worked with E-ACT Crest Academy students to create a performance routine at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in July 2022. Students performed alongside 1,700 other students from schools across the country.
• Brent Family Front DoorcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBrent Council's front door service for family support, including contact for safeguarding referrals, LADO (Local Authority Designated Officer) referrals, and child welfare concerns. Phone: 0208 937 4300.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Dulwich College: Leading London independent secondary school. Not a competitor for state admissions, but sets the upper-bound benchmark on pastoral care, enrichment and post-18 outcomes that fee-paying and state families in the same catchment compare against.
• Ark Academy: Wembley-based secondary within the Ark Schools network — a larger multi-academy trust competing in the same Brent/NW London catchment as Crest. Comparable all-through curriculum with stronger specialism branding.
• Oasis Academy Enfield: Secondary academy under Oasis Community Learning, one of the larger UK academy trusts. Operates a similar state-funded, urban-cohort comprehensive model and competes with Crest for the same talent and benchmarking league tables.

Direct peers

• Harris Academy St John's Wood: London comprehensive secondary directly referenced as a sporting competitor (Crest recorded a 101-40 win in Academy Leagues). Operates under the Harris Federation, a similarly scaled multi-academy trust benchmarked against Crest's E-ACT trust model.
• Westminster City School: State-funded boys' secondary in Westminster, directly adjacent to Crest's admissions boroughs. Competes for the same London comprehensive applicant pool with a similar academic-plus-enrichment value proposition.
• Paddington Academy: E-ACT secondary academy in Westminster, North-West London, serving Years 7-13 with a similar mixed-ability comprehensive intake. Same trust, same funding mechanics, and overlapping admissions boroughs.
• Greig City Academy: E-ACT secondary academy in Hornsey, North London, serving a similar urban comprehensive cohort. Closest operational peer given identical trust governance, same funding model and comparable London admissions catchment.
• City Academy, Hackney: E-ACT secondary academy in Hackney, East London. Shares Crest's trust governance, EdTech stack (Sparx, ClassCharts, CPOMS) and state-funded comprehensive operating model.

Regional players

• Werneth School: E-ACT secondary academy in Stockport, Greater Manchester. Direct sister school inside the same trust, sharing governance and EdTech stack, but serves a different regional admissions market — useful benchmark for non-London operating performance.

Emerging players

• West London Free School: Free school secondary in Hammersmith serving a similar West/NW London comprehensive cohort. Competes directly with Crest for Brent-adjacent applicants and represents the new-entrant free school model pressuring traditional academy intakes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/eactcrest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-crest-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 E-ACT Crest Academy