Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust

What Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust does

Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust (DSAT) is a Church of England multi-academy trust registered in England and Wales (Company No. 08656655), operating 28 primary and first schools across Dorset and Wiltshire and serving nearly 5,000 pupils. Founded around 2015 with Mark Lacey as CEO since September 2015, the trust is structurally embedded within the Diocese of Salisbury under the oversight of the Bishop of Sherborne and the Salisbury Diocesan Board of Education (SDBE). The trust organizes its 28 schools into five geographic/operational hubs (Forum, Bay, Spire, Priory, Thrive), each supported by a dedicated Hub Business Manager and a Regional Director of Education within the Academy Improvement Team.

DSAT delivers a centralized services platform to its member schools covering HR and legal support (delivered via a core partnership with Browne Jacobson), finance, safeguarding, governance, compliance, IT infrastructure (built on Microsoft 365), and business operations. Beyond core shared services, the trust operates structured programmes including the Church Schools Flourishing programme (in which DSAT is the first trust in the diocese fully accredited to lead it), DSAT Collaborate Professional Learning (CPL), Career Pathways for teachers and leaders, an Apprenticeship Programme with LMP, teacher training partnerships (OTT SCITT, TeachFirst, Poole SCITT, Bath and Winchester universities), and a Climate Action Plan 2030 targeting Net Zero Carbon. The Apple Regional Training Centre based at St Bartholomew's Primary Academy extends the trust's technology training footprint.

The revenue model is public-sector funded: DSAT receives the bulk of its income from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), supplemented by central service contributions from member schools, capital allocations (e.g., School Condition Allocation for infrastructure), and ancillary fees (shared website maintenance ~£400, centralized MIS and payroll licences). Schools join DSAT through direct conversion/inquiry supported by Academy Improvement Meetings (AIMs), Regional Directors, and Trust Officers. The trust is governed by Members (including the Bishop of Sherborne and the Diocesan Secretary) and a board of Trustees chaired by Siân Thornton, a former senior HMI.

Name

Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust

Legal name

Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust

Website

https://dsat.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust is a Church of England multi-academy trust operating 28 primary schools across Dorset and Wiltshire, serving nearly 5,000 pupils with centralized HR, legal, finance, safeguarding, and governance services funded primarily through the ESFA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Primary Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

Keywords

• Multi-academy trust
• Primary education services
• Church school governance
• School improvement support
• Centralised school services

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Central Services to Schools: Schools pay for shared services including finance, HR, governance, technology, safeguarding, compliance, and business support. Costs are shared across hubs with Hub Business Manager time being a common expense.
2. Government Funding (ESFA): Funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency for academy operations, including annual School Condition Allocation for infrastructure improvements

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust (DSAT) is a Multi-Academy Trust operating 28 Church of England primary and first schools across Dorset and Wiltshire, serving nearly 5,000 pupils. The trust delivers centralised shared services to its member schools including HR, legal, finance, governance, safeguarding, IT, compliance, and business support, organised across five geographic hubs. It additionally offers professional learning programmes, teacher training pathways, apprenticeships, and Christian-values-based education underpinned by its LOVE, HOPE, JOY ethos.

Product overview

The Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust operates as a unified multi-academy trust serving 28 primary schools across Dorset and Wiltshire. The trust provides a centralized services platform offering HR and legal support (via Browne Jacobson), finance, safeguarding, technology infrastructure (Microsoft 365), governance, compliance, and business support to member schools. The DSAT Collaborate programme delivers professional learning through joint INSET days, SENCO networks, and Teaching School hub partnerships, while Career Pathways frameworks support teacher and leader progression. The Church Schools Flourishing Programme provides Anglican distinctiveness support, and the Climate Action Plan 2030 guides sustainability across all schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DSAT School Network
• DSAT Central Services
• DSAT Collaborate Professional Learning (CPL)
• DSAT Career Pathways
• Church Schools Flourishing Programme
• DSAT Apprenticeship Programme
• Teacher Training Partnership

Quantifiable outcome

• 28 schools serving nearly 5,000 pupils across Dorset and Wiltshire
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OTT SCITTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with OTT SCITT (Oxfordshire Teacher Training) to support training of teachers across Berkshire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire, and Dorset. Works with the trust to provide placement opportunities in DSAT schools for trainee teachers.
• TeachFirstminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with TeachFirst to take on trainee teachers as part of their scheme within DSAT schools.
• Poole SCITTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Poole SCITT for initial teacher training placements in trust schools.
• Universities in Bath and WinchesterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with universities in Bath and Winchester for teacher training placements and academic collaboration.
• Browne JacobsoncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFull access to HR and Legal Service provided by Browne Jacobson with unlimited advice and support on HR matters. Also provides safeguarding legal advice through their education safeguarding advisors.
• LMP (Learning Made Possible)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWork closely with LMP who helped compile the Apprenticeship Guide. Partnership for delivering apprenticeship opportunities for administrative roles, teaching assistants, and teachers.
• Swindon and Wiltshire Teaching School HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrust works in partnership with Swindon and Wiltshire Teaching School Hub to deliver ECF, NPQ, and other collaborative professional learning events.
• South Central Teaching School HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with South Central Teaching School Hub for delivery of teacher training and professional development programmes including ECF and NPQ qualifications.
• Confederation of School Trusts (CST)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrust Board member of CST (Confederation of School Trusts), utilizing their governance guidance and resources for best practice.
• Salisbury Diocesan Board of Education (SDBE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSDBE offers courses in spiritual development for schools and trusts. Trust was first in Diocese to be fully accredited to lead Church Schools Flourishing programme.

Scale indicators4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• United Learning: Large national Multi-Academy Trust operating both secular and faith-based schools across England. Comparable on centralized services model and scale, but operates across a far broader portfolio without the Diocesan anchor that defines DSAT.
• Ark Schools: National Multi-Academy Trust operating a network of non-selective schools with strong central curriculum and operations support. Comparable on centralized services backbone, though secular and operating in urban geographies rather than rural Diocesan communities.
• Oasis Community Learning: Large Multi-Academy Trust running primary and secondary schools with a values-driven, community-focused ethos. Comparable on holistic mission and central services but operates nationally without a diocesan anchor.
• Harris Federation: One of the largest Multi-Academy Trusts in the UK with a strong centralized services and school improvement focus. Comparable in operational scale and ambition but operates as a secular, non-diocesan group with primary and secondary schools.

Direct peers

• Reach Academy Trust: Multi-Academy Trust operating a small network of schools with strong central services and a focus on collaboration and professional development across member schools. Comparable in MAT operating model and emphasis on shared learning.
• Plymouth CAST: Church of England Schools Trust operating schools under the Diocese of Exeter/Exeter Diocese structure. Closely comparable Diocesan-MAT operating model with shared HR, legal, finance, and safeguarding central services for member schools.
• Bath and Wells Academy Trust: Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust serving Church of England schools across Somerset. Directly comparable in diocesan governance, CofE primary school focus, and centralized services delivery model.
• Exeter Diocesan Academy Trust: Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust in the South West of England serving Church of England schools with shared services. Directly comparable in scale, regional geography, and Anglican educational philosophy.
• Tenax Schools Trust: Regional Multi-Academy Trust in the South of England operating primary schools with shared services and school improvement support. Comparable on scale, primary focus, and hub-style organization of member schools.
• Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust: Church of England Multi-Academy Trust operating a comparable network of schools under a diocesan governance structure in the Oxford Diocese. Direct comparable on faith-based MAT model, centralized services, and Church Schools Flourishing-style programmes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/dioceseofsalisburyacademytrust
• Facebookfacebook.com/DioceseofSalisburyAcademyTrust
• Instagraminstagram.com/dioceseofsalisburyacademytrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/diocese-of-salisbury-academy-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries28 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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