The Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust

What The Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust does

The Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust (DoWAT) is a Catholic Multi-Academy Trust established in 2012 and headquartered in Pinner, United Kingdom, operating 16 schools — 11 primary and 5 secondary — across Hertfordshire and London. The trust is structured as a charitable educational trust affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster, which serves as its parent entity, and it serves approximately 9,460 pupils through a workforce of 1,283 employees including more than 700 qualified teachers. Its mission centres on delivering Catholic education from early years through secondary within the English state-funded system.

DoWAT's core product is school education, supplemented by an Initial Teacher Training (ITT) program developed in partnership with St. Mary's University — awarding PGCE and QTS qualifications — and by more than 400 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) sessions delivered annually to staff. The trust holds 100% Good or Outstanding Ofsted ratings across its portfolio and 100% Outstanding or Good on Section 48 Diocesan inspections, and it self-describes as the country's top-performing mid-size Catholic MAT. Recent activity includes selection of St Mark's Catholic School for the Department for Education's School Rebuilding Programme in January 2023 and the launch of the in-house ITT offering in November 2023.

Revenue is driven almost entirely by UK Department for Education per-pupil funding via the national funding formula, with additional allocations for SEND pupils and Pupil Premium grants; education is free at the point of delivery for families, so there is no commercial pricing model and no proprietary technology platform. Go-to-market is operational rather than commercial, executed through local school admissions processes, open days, and community engagement rather than via any sales-led channel. The trust operates as a traditional educational provider with its ITT program and CPD catalogue representing the only extension beyond direct school operations.

Name

The Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust

Legal name

The Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust

Website

https://dowat.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Catholic Multi-Academy Trust operating 16 primary and secondary schools across Hertfordshire and London, serving approximately 9,460 pupils via UK state-funded education under the Diocese of Westminster.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Catholic Primary and Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Faith-Based Early Learning Academies (EDACADAH)

Keywords

• Catholic multi-academy trust
• Primary and secondary education
• Teacher training program
• Continuing professional development
• Catholic school education

Headquarters

HQ city

Pinner

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Education Funding: State-funded education through the UK government's national funding formula. Schools receive per-pupil funding from the Department for Education, with additional funding for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust operates 16 Catholic schools (primary and secondary) across Hertfordshire and London, providing state-funded education to approximately 9,460 pupils supported by 1,283 employees including 700+ qualified teachers. Beyond school-based education, the trust delivers an Initial Teacher Training (ITT) program in partnership with St. Mary's University and offers more than 400 Continuing Professional Development sessions annually for staff across its schools.

Product overview

The Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust (DoWAT) operates as a Catholic Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) providing educational services through 16 schools. The portfolio includes 11 primary schools and 5 secondary schools serving approximately 9,460 pupils. Core offerings include school-based education services, an Initial Teacher Training (ITT) program developed in partnership with St. Mary's University (awarding PGCE and QTS), and over 400 Continuing Professional Development sessions annually for staff. All schools hold Good or Outstanding Ofsted ratings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Catholic School Education Services State-funded Catholic school education delivered across 16 primary and secondary schools in Hertfordshire and London, serving approximately 9,460 pupils with 1,283 employees including 700+ qualified teachers. All schools hold Good or Outstanding Ofsted ratings.
• Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Program A collaborative teacher training program co-developed with St. Mary's University, offering PGCE and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) with practical school placements across Hertfordshire and London schools within the trust.
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Over 400 professional development sessions offered annually to support teaching staff across DoWAT's family of schools, supporting career progression and ongoing skill development.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of schools rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• St. Mary's UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 November 2023DoWAT and St. Mary's University collaborated to develop a ground-breaking Initial Teacher Training (ITT) program. The program provides expert-led, school-centred training designed by experienced teachers and leaders. Trainees receive PGCE and QTS qualifications and are placed in contrasting schools across Hertfordshire and London.
• Department for EducationcoreOthers · 3 January 2023The Department for Education selected St Mark's Catholic School in Hounslow for the School Rebuilding Programme, part of 239 schools chosen for renovation projects. First projects expected between April 2023 and March 2024, providing modern education environments with energy-efficient buildings.
• Diocese of WestminstercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe trust is an integral part of the Diocese of Westminster's educational mission. DoWAT is proud to be part of the Diocese of Westminster and operates as its academy trust, providing Catholic education across Hertfordshire and parts of London within the diocese.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Harris Federation: One of the UK's largest multi-academy trusts operating primary and secondary schools (secular, not faith-based). Comparable as a benchmark for MAT scale, central infrastructure, and cross-school operating model, though DoWAT's Catholic focus is distinctive.
• United Learning: Large national MAT running both state and independent schools with centralised curriculum and CPD. Comparable as a broad incumbent operating model in UK multi-academy trust sector, though much larger and broader in scope than DoWAT.
• Oasis Community Learning: Major UK multi-academy trust operating primary and secondary academies across multiple regions. Comparable as a broad incumbent benchmark for trust-level operating leverage and geographic expansion, though not faith-affiliated.

Direct peers

• Carmel Education Trust: Catholic multi-academy trust operating a network of diocesan schools with cross-school collaboration. Comparable to DoWAT in faith-based operating model and network-effect operating approach.
• Xavier Catholic Education Trust: Catholic multi-academy trust running a network of Catholic schools with shared curriculum and teacher development infrastructure. Directly comparable in faith-based K-12 mission and trust-level operating model.
• St John the Baptist Catholic Multi-Academy Trust: Catholic MAT operating primary and secondary schools with similar diocesan affiliation structure. Closely comparable to DoWAT in operating model, scale range, and pupil demographics.
• Corpus Christi Catholic Academy Trust: Catholic multi-academy trust running a comparable cluster of primary and secondary schools with shared teacher development and centralised curriculum delivery. Direct peer in Catholic K-12 trust operations.
• All Saints Catholic Collegiate Trust: A Catholic multi-academy trust operating a comparable portfolio of primary and secondary Catholic schools in the Midlands. Most directly comparable to DoWAT in mission, structure, and faith-based K-12 operating model.
• Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Multi-Academy Trust: Catholic MAT serving primary and secondary schools within a defined diocese, with a similar pupil-count range and operating structure. Closely comparable in mission and operating model to DoWAT.
• Holy Cross Catholic Multi-Academy Trust: Catholic MAT running a portfolio of faith-based primary and secondary schools. Comparable to DoWAT in faith-based admissions model and centralised professional development infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-diocese-of-westminster-academy-trust

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Diocese of Westminster Academy Trust