Dove House School Academy Trust

What Dove House School Academy Trust does

Dove House School Academy Trust operates Dove House Academy, a state-funded special school serving approximately 230 pupils aged 11-19 across two sites in Basingstoke, Hampshire. The school provides a highly specialist curriculum for young people with Moderate and Severe Learning Difficulties, Autism and Specific Learning Difficulties, organised around a three-pathway model — Peregrine for complex SEMH needs, Merlin for Severe Learning Difficulties and Kestrel for Moderate Learning Difficulties — supplemented by a proprietary EPIC (Embedding Positive Interaction and Communication) subject, PALS literacy intervention, Life Skills curriculum, My Choices KS4 options and a Post-16 programme at the Everest Community Academy site. Teaching staff are credentialed in advanced SEN modalities including PECS, TEACCH and AET, and the Principal (appointed April 2024) holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Special Needs / Inclusive Education with trauma-informed practice orientation.

The business model is publicly funded rather than commercial: there is no tuition fee, and revenue is derived from per-pupil EHCP/DfE high-needs funding routed through Hampshire local authority, plus Pupil Premium (£1,345 per eligible pupil per year) and ancillary Pupil Premium grants. Admissions are coordinated via the local authority's EHCP process; parents name the school as a preference on their child's plan. The school is part of Solent Academies Trust since August 2023, a multi-academy trust of five (now six) specialist schools that provides shared governance, HR, finance and curriculum infrastructure. The trust is a charitable company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (Company No. 08374351). Distribution is functionally a state-mandated placement channel; marketing is community-led via website, newsletters, parent-link books and college open days.

Name

Dove House School Academy Trust

Legal name

Solent Academies Trust

Website

https://dovehouseacademy.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dove House Academy is a state-funded special school in Basingstoke, UK, serving approximately 230 pupils aged 11-19 with Moderate and Severe Learning Difficulties, Autism and SEMH needs through a three-pathway curriculum and Post-16 provision, operating within Solent Academies Trust and funded via EHCP/DfE per-pupil grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs (EDAJACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialized Learning Support (Dyslexia/LD Coaching, Assistive Strategies) (EDAJALAJ)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Learning difficulties curriculum
• Specialist school provision
• SEN education programs
• Alternative education provision

Headquarters

HQ city

Basingstoke

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Funding (EHCP/DfE): As a state-funded academy, Dove House Academy receives its primary funding through the Education Funding Agency and local authority for pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). Revenue is derived per-pupil based on EHCP needs assessment.
2. Free School Meals (Pupil Premium): The school receives Pupil Premium funding (£1,345 per eligible pupil per year) for pupils registered as eligible for free school meals. Additional funding may be derived from pupil premium grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Dove House Academy is a state-funded special school in Basingstoke providing a specialist pathway-based curriculum for approximately 230 pupils aged 11-19 with Moderate and Severe Learning Difficulties, Autism and Specific Learning Difficulties. The core offering comprises three named pathways (Peregrine for SEMH, Merlin for SLD, Kestrel for MLD) plus the proprietary EPIC subject, PALS literacy intervention, Life Skills programme, My Choices KS4 options, and a Post-16 employability-focused programme, all delivered through EHCP-funded local authority admissions.

Product overview

Dove House Academy is a special school for approximately 230 pupils aged 11-19 with Moderate and Severe Learning Difficulties, including Autism and Specific Learning Difficulties. The school offers a pathway-based curriculum with three specialized tracks: Peregrine Pathway for complex SEMH needs, Merlin Pathway for Severe Learning Difficulties, and Kestrel Pathway for Moderate Learning Difficulties. The school provides specialist subjects including EPIC (communication skills), Life Skills, PALS literacy intervention, and a My Choices option program at KS4. Additional offerings include a Post-16 program for learners aged 16-19 focused on employability and independence. The school is part of Solent Academies Trust, a family of five highly successful Special Schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Peregrine Pathway

Quantifiable outcome

• Pupils prepared for 'gloriously ordinary lives' with qualifications suited to their abilities (GCSE, BTEC, Entry Level, AQA Unit Awards) and skills for independent living.
• +1 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Solent Academies TrustcoreOthers · 1 August 2023Dove House Academy joined Solent Academies Trust in August 2023. The trust comprises five highly successful special schools: Cliffdale Primary, Dove House, Littlegreen Academy, Luminous Oak Academy, Mary Rose Academy, and Redwood Park Academy. Each school provides a curriculum that is creative, relevant, motivating and personalised to meet the wide ranging needs of its pupils. The trust provides governance, HR, finance, and shared best practices across its member schools.
• STEM Enthuse Partnership For SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSolent Academies Trust partnered with STEM Enthuse Partnership For Schools to improve young people's engagement in STEM subjects. The partnership includes 8 schools in total within the STEM cluster, both within the trust and external schools. The plan includes teacher CPD, quality-assured resources, STEM clubs, LEGO Education SPIKE boxes, Sphero and Indi Robots, and enrichment visits. STEM ambassadors provide support across the cluster.
• Challenge PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDove House Academy, through Solent Academies Trust, is a member of Challenge Partners, a network of schools that share best practice and undergo peer review. Challenge Partners provides quality assurance and professional development for trust schools.
• Basingstoke Alliance SCITTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDove House Academy partners with the Basingstoke Alliance SCITT (School Centred Initial Teacher Training), supporting the training and development of new teachers.
• Social Care, Solent Health and CAMHScoreOthersDove House is committed to developing strong and supportive partnerships with Social Care, Solent Health and CAMHS (Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service). These partnerships contribute to the development, rigour and challenge of the school's approach and support its aim to be open and outward facing.
• MCKS Charitable FoundationminorOthersMCKS Charitable Foundation supports the school by providing food or hygiene packs to families in need, with no criteria requirements or paperwork to complete.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cliffdale Primary Academy: Sister special school within Solent Academies Trust serving primary-age pupils with similar SEN needs; comparable in funding model, regulatory environment and multi-academy trust governance structure.
• Treloar School and College: Hampshire-based (Alton) state-funded special school and FE college serving pupils aged 5-25 with physical and sensory disabilities and complex SEN; overlaps materially in cohort profile, funding model and region.
• Littlegreen Academy: Sister special school within Solent Academies Trust; directly comparable as a state-funded academy for pupils with complex SEN, governed under the same charitable company structure.
• Freemantles School: Surrey-based maintained special school serving pupils with autism and complex learning needs; comparable pathway-based curriculum structure and EHCP-funded admissions model.
• Redwood Park Academy: Sister special school within Solent Academies Trust, also operating a state-funded specialist SEN model with comparable per-pupil EHCP funding mechanics and trust-level reporting obligations.
• Luminous Oak Academy: Sister special school within Solent Academies Trust serving pupils with similar moderate and severe learning difficulties; shares the same trust-level quality assurance and CPD arrangements.
• Mary Rose Academy: Sister special school within Solent Academies Trust operating a comparable state-funded specialist model for pupils with learning difficulties; shares back-office, governance and best-practice sharing with Dove House.

Others

• nasen (National Association for Special Educational Needs): UK membership and standards body for the SEN sector; comparable not as an operating peer but as a key industry participant shaping policy, training and SEND practice that Dove House's curriculum design responds to.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dove-house-school-academy-trust

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 Dove House School Academy Trust