English Martyrs Catholic School

What English Martyrs Catholic School does

English Martyrs' Catholic School is a Catholic secondary school and academy located on Anstey Lane in Leicester, England, serving approximately 1,200 students aged 11-19 across Years 7-13. Founded in 1964 and operating as an academy within the St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi-Academy Trust (CMAT), the school draws its student body from the west side of Leicester and serves nine parishes, with 85% of students identifying as Roman Catholic. The school is governed by a Local Governing Body comprising six Foundation Governors appointed by the Diocese of Nottingham and two Parent Governors, with Dr P. Lazarus as Chair of Governors and M. Calen as Principal (in post since 2022). It is dually inspected by Ofsted and the Catholic Schools Inspectorate, most recently in 2023 and 2026 respectively.

Name

English Martyrs Catholic School

Legal name

English Martyrs' Catholic School

Website

https://englishmartyrs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

English Martyrs' Catholic School is a state-funded Catholic secondary school and academy in Leicester, England, serving approximately 1,200 students aged 11-19 across nine parishes, operating within the St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi-Academy Trust.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education (Catholic)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Catholic secondary education
• Sixth Form education
• Performing arts education
• Religious education program
• Academy school tuition

Headquarters

HQ city

Leicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. State Education Funding: Government-funded secondary education through the St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi-Academy Trust
2. Educational Trips and Residentials: Curriculum trips including Year 7 Briars Retreat (£305), Year 8 Alton Castle (£240), Year 9 Paris Residential (£914), Year 10 Berlin (£800), Duke of Edinburgh expeditions (~£30 per expedition)
3. Music Tuition: Individual music lessons for 12% of student body. Fully funded for GCSE/A level students and Pupil Premium recipients. Per instrument/voice lesson fees
4. School Bus Service: EM2 bus service operated by Orbit Bus Company. Deposit required with commitment to full academic year payment
5. Donations and Fundraising: Alumni and Friends (EMAF) donations, English Martyrs Leicester Development Trust contributions, general donations via SumUp QR codes

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

English Martyrs' Catholic School delivers state-funded Catholic secondary education to approximately 1,200 students aged 11-19 (Years 7-13), covering KS3 and KS4 curricula, GCSEs and A Levels, with Religious Education as the foundational subject. Beyond core academic provision, it offers an extensive Music and Performing Arts programme (including individual instrumental/vocal lessons), a Personal Development and Careers curriculum aligned to the Gatsby Benchmarks, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, and ancillary services such as a school bus route, curriculum trips and residentials.

Product overview

English Martyrs Catholic School is a secondary school providing education for students aged 11-19, organized as a unified educational institution offering a comprehensive curriculum program rather than a modular product architecture. The school delivers its educational mission through integrated programs including the core KS3 and KS4 curricula, with Religious Education as the foundational subject, supplemented by specialist Music and Performing Arts programs, a dedicated Sixth Form provision, and comprehensive Personal Development and Careers programs. Physical facilities including the St Cecilia Performing Arts Centre, school library, and sports facilities support the delivery of both curricular and co-curricular activities. The school operates within the St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi-Academy Trust structure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KS3 Curriculum (Years 7-8) Key Stage 3 curriculum for Years 7-8 covering core subjects (English, Mathematics, Science, Religious Education, PE) and foundation subjects (Art, Dance, Drama, Food Preparation & Nutrition, French, Geography, History, ICT, Music, Textiles), with 10% of curriculum time devoted to Religious Education. Delivered to students aged 11-13 enrolled at the school.
• KS4 Curriculum (Years 9-11) Key Stage 4 curriculum for Years 9-11 including mandatory subjects (Religious Education, English, Mathematics, Science, Physical Education) plus an extensive range of GCSE option subjects. Delivered to students aged 13-16.
• Sixth Form (Years 12-13) Post-16 education provision offering A Level courses, with the school entering students for both AS and A Level examinations. Includes Year 12 Summer Transition Projects, Bursary support, and dedicated Sixth Form facilities in the St Thomas Aquinas building. Delivered to students aged 16-19.
• Religious Education Programme Religious Education programme positioned as the first subject at the school, underpinning all school values and forming the beating heart of the whole school curriculum. Includes dedicated curriculum for Years 7-11 with resources, photo galleries, and student blogs.
• Music and Performing Arts Programme Comprehensive music and performing arts education including mandatory study at KS3, GCSE and A level courses, individual instrumental/vocal lessons (taken by 12% of the student body), and extensive co-curricular activities. Facilities include the St Cecilia Performing Arts Centre with auditorium, Drama and Dance, Schola Cantorum, orchestra, and a 100+ member choir.
• Duke of Edinburgh's Award Programme Award programme offering Bronze, Silver, and Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards with expeditions, typically costing around £30 per expedition for Year 10 students.
• Careers and Enterprise Programme Comprehensive careers education programme aligned with the Gatsby Foundation's eight Benchmarks, providing access to a trained careers advisor, work experience opportunities, employer engagement events, and alumni mentoring, supported by Start Profile and PS16 platforms.
• Personal Development Curriculum Whole-school programme covering Relationships and Sex Education, Citizenship, PSHE, SMSC, CEIAG careers education, British Values, and Personal Finance. Built around themes of character development, respect, health, safety, global citizenship, and success.
• Individual Music Lessons Individual instrumental and vocal music lessons delivered in partnership with the Leicester Schools' Music Service, fully funded for GCSE/A Level music students and Pupil Premium recipients, with per-instrument/voice subscription fees for other students.
• EM2 School Bus Service School bus service operated in partnership with the Orbit Bus Company, requiring a non-refundable deposit and commitment to full academic year payment, with instalment options and financial support available for eligible families at the Principal's discretion.
• Curriculum Trips and Residentials Year-group curriculum trips and residentials including Year 7 Briars Retreat (£305), Year 8 Alton Castle (£240), Year 9 Paris Residential (£914), Year 10 Berlin (£800), various day trips (£6-£30), and the Year 11 Prom (£60).

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• NeighbourlyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Neighbourly organization dedicated to reducing local food waste and supporting community projects. Organizes volunteer days through local companies who donate time to improve school grounds and local environment.
• NHS Vaccination TeamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnglish Martyrs works in partnership with NHS vaccination team for student health initiatives.
• Leicester Schools' Music ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose partnership with Leicester Schools' Music Service. School has become Lead School in the Education Improvement Partnership Music Hub of all secondary and special schools in the region.
• Royal Birmingham Conservatoire of MusicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResonations project featuring young musicians from the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire of Music performed at school.
• Orbit Bus CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWorking with Orbit Bus Company (based in Desford) to provide EM2 school bus service for students. Contact: 01455 823171 or [email protected]
• St Thomas Aquinas Catholic Multi-Academy Trust (CMAT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of St Thomas Aquinas CMAT, a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company number: 08090890). Registered address: Unit 5, Charnwood Edge Business Park, Cossington, LE7 4UZ.
• Diocese of NottinghamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Diocese of Nottingham covering Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Lincolnshire and most of Nottinghamshire. Bishop Patrick McKinney leads the diocese with themes of Encounter, Discipleship, and Missionary Discipleship.
• Leicester Music FestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool facilities (St Cecilia Auditorium) used each February for Leicester Music Fest.
• Trinity College of MusicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool serves as an examination centre for Trinity College of Music.
• Nottingham Diocese Catholic Youth Service (NDCYS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBased at the Briars in Derbyshire, provides opportunities for young people to discover community, come to a friendship with Christ, and offers residential opportunities and professional development for staff.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ormiston Academies Trust: A national multi-academy trust operating secondary academies across England. Comparable in operating structure (academy, state-funded, KS3-KS5 delivery) but non-faith and operates at national scale.
• Greenwood Academies Trust: A multi-academy trust operating across the East Midlands with both primary and secondary academies. Broader incumbent in the regional academy trust space sharing funding model and OFSTED/Diocesan regulatory environment but not specializing in Catholic faith education.
• E-Act: A large national multi-academy trust running multiple secondary and primary academies. Comparable in academy governance, state funding model, and curriculum delivery but at greater scale and without Catholic faith specialization.

Regional players

• Fullhurst Community College: A state-funded secondary school in Leicester serving ages 11-16. Local competitor for students in the Leicester catchment, comparable in curriculum and KS3/KS4 delivery but non-faith and competes for the same local authority admissions pool.

Direct peers

• Holy Cross College: A Catholic secondary school in Bury serving ages 11-18 with faith-based admissions, similar GCSE/A Level provision, and diocesan governance. Comparable scale, ethos, and product/customer model.
• Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School: A Catholic secondary school (multiple sites in the UK including Coventry) operating as an academy serving ages 11-18 with comparable faith-based admissions, GCSE/A Level provision, and Diocese governance. Directly comparable product/customer model.
• Mount St Mary's Catholic High School: A Catholic secondary school in Leeds serving ages 11-18 with similar diocesan governance structure, comprehensive curriculum, and strong performing arts and faith-based ethos. Comparable scale and operating model.
• De Lisle College: A Catholic voluntary academy secondary school in Loughborough, Leicestershire serving ages 11-16 within the same region and Diocese of Nottingham. Direct peer given shared Catholic ethos, faith-based admissions, similar curriculum breadth, and identical state-academy funding model.
• St Bede's & St Joseph's Catholic College: A Catholic voluntary aided secondary school in Bradford serving ages 11-18. Direct peer in faith-based admissions, diocesan governance, comprehensive KS3/KS4/Sixth Form offer, and academy-style operations.
• St Edmund's Catholic School: A Catholic secondary school (e.g., Portsmouth) operating within a diocesan academy framework serving ages 11-16/18. Comparable faith-based admissions, GCSE/A Level delivery, and pastoral model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/emsmusicdpt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/english-martyrs-catholic-school

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 English Martyrs Catholic School