What The Excelsior Academy does

The Excelsior Academy is a state-funded secondary school located in Hackney, East London, serving students aged 11–18 from Year 7 through Sixth Form. Founded in 2008 under the name The Petchey Academy, the school was rebranded in 2024 and now operates as a member academy within Community Schools Trust, a Multi Academy Trust (Company No: 10337377) governed under English and Welsh law. It delivers a Pathways-structured curriculum covering Key Stages 3–5, including GCSEs and A-Levels, alongside a National Quality in Careers Standard-aligned CEIAG programme and a structured Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) offering. The school's catchment is administered through Hackney Council's centralized admissions process, and its student body is supplemented by a specialist Deaf Support Base and a broad SEND provision across all four designated need categories. Headcount stands at approximately 50 employees.

The academy's core educational product is augmented by a defined technology stack. Dynamic Progress Reporting (DPR), supplied by DPR Education, is the central pedagogical-tracking platform: teachers log student progress against subject objectives across the school's Pathways, and parents access results through a dedicated mobile app. A biometric fingerprint identification system underpins cashless catering at point of purchase, with the system engineered so that Free School Meal recipients are not visually distinguishable from paying students. Other integrations include ParentPay for meal and trip payments, Accessit for library management, and Google Forms for registration workflows. Specialized product lines include the Deaf Support Base (auditory-oral methodology, specialist Teachers of Deaf Children, radio aids and sound field systems, and audiology coordination via Hackney Ark) and an in-house Teacher Training Programme delivered under the Community Schools Trust umbrella.

The Excelsior Academy operates as a non-commercial, publicly funded entity: there are no tuition fees, and revenue is supplied by the UK Department for Education on a per-pupil basis, layered with SEND top-ups, pupil premium allocations, and 16-19 funding for the Sixth Form. Its go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer within the Hackney catchment — the school does not advertise commercially and instead relies on Hackney Education's centralized admissions, supplemented by school tours, open events, Year 6–Year 7 transition days, and ongoing parent communications (newsletters, bulletins, and an active Twitter presence). Customers are local students and families, with secondary stakeholders including the Hackney Parent Partnership Service for SEND families and external uniform and meal-payment partners such as Crossbow School Wear.

Name

The Excelsior Academy

Legal name

The Excelsior Academy

Website

https://excelsiorcst.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Excelsior Academy is a state-funded secondary school in Hackney, London, serving students aged 11–18 through GCSEs, A-Levels, and a specialist Deaf Support Base, operating within the Community Schools Trust Multi Academy Trust under UK Department for Education funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Test Prep & Exam Readiness (K–12) (EDAJALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Literacy & Numeracy Intervention (Reading/Math Support) (EDAJALAD)

Keywords

• Secondary school education
• Special educational needs
• Deaf support services
• Academic curriculum programs
• Careers education guidance

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding (Education): As a state-funded academy, The Excelsior Academy receives funding from the UK Government through the Department for Education, managed by Community Schools Trust. Revenue is allocated based on student enrollment numbers and specific educational needs (e.g., SEND funding, pupil premium).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Excelsior Academy is a state-funded secondary school in the London Borough of Hackney delivering education for students aged 11-18 (Years 7 through Sixth Form), including GCSE and A-Level programmes. The school offers specialized provisions such as a dedicated Deaf Support Base for students with hearing impairments, comprehensive SEND support across four broad need areas, and pathways tailored to individual abilities. It operates within Community Schools Trust and is rated Good by Ofsted in all areas.

Product overview

The Excelsior Academy is a secondary school providing comprehensive educational services from Years 7 through Sixth Form (13). The core offering is secondary school education with GCSE and A-Level programmes. The school offers specialized provisions including a Deaf Support Base for students with hearing impairments, and supplementary academic programmes such as the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). A proprietary Dynamic Progress Reporting (DPR) system enables real-time tracking of student academic performance, accessible via both web and mobile parent apps. The school also runs a teacher training programme and provides extensive extra-curricular enrichment activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Secondary School Education Comprehensive secondary education for students in Years 7-13 (ages 11-18), including academic curriculum, GCSEs, A-Levels, and Sixth Form provision, delivered through a tailored Pathways system for students in the London Borough of Hackney.
• Admissions Services Student admission processes including Year 7 transition programme, admission appeals, and enrollment procedures for secondary and sixth form entry, coordinated through Hackney Council's centralized admissions system.
• Deaf Support Base (DSB) Specialist enhanced integrated provision for deaf students within a mainstream school setting, offering auditory-oral communication method, individualized support, radio aids, sound field systems, and specialized intervention services. Students are referred via Hackney Education's Sensory Team.
• SEND Provision Comprehensive SEND support across four broad areas of need: Communication and Interaction, Cognition and Learning, Social Mental Emotional Health, and Sensory and/or Physical. Includes specialist teaching, EHCP coordination, speech and language therapy, counselling, and educational psychology services.
• Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) Additional qualification for Sixth Form students allowing them to undertake an independent research project on a topic of their choice, developing critical thinking and research skills.
• Teacher Training Programme Initial teacher training programme offered by the academy through Community Schools Trust, allowing individuals to train to teach while learning from experienced educators at the school.
• Extra-Curricular and Enrichment Activities Diverse range of enrichment clubs and activities including sports, arts, academic support, leadership opportunities, and other developmental programmes available to students beyond the standard curriculum.
• Careers Education, Information and Guidance (CEIAG) Careers education programme aligned with the Gatsby Benchmarks and awarded the National Quality in Careers Standard through Investor in Careers, supporting students with career guidance and preparation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ofsted Good rating in all areas
• +1 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

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Community Schools TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Excelsior Academy is part of Community Schools Trust, a Multi Academy Trust. The trust manages multiple schools including Forest Gate Community School and provides governance, admissions autonomy while sharing best practices across the network.
• Hackney EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school adopts Hackney Council's Admission Arrangements and works closely with Hackney Education for SEND coordination, free school meals administration, and sensory team referrals (particularly for the Deaf Support Base).
• DPR EducationcoreTechnology or IntegrationDPR (Dynamic Progress Reporting) is an online student tracking system that enables teachers to monitor progress and report to parents. DPR also provides a parent app for real-time monitoring of student performance across Pathways.
• ParentPaycoreTechnology or IntegrationCashless payment system used for school meals. Students with Free School Meals have accounts automatically topped up. Also used for educational visit payments.
• Crossbow School WearminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial uniform supplier for The Excelsior Academy. Uniform can be purchased via their website or at their shop located at Unit 6D, Crystal Court, Sheep Lane, Hackney, E8 4QS.
• Hackney ArkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocated near the school, Hackney Ark provides audiologist services, sensory support, and coordinates with hospitals for equipment repairs and replacements for deaf students in the DSB.
• Hackney Parent Partnership ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree and confidential service offering support to parents and carers of children with special educational needs and disabilities. Located at Resource Centre, Hackney Ark, Downs Park Road, London E8 2HY.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• The Urswick School: A secondary school in Hackney with a Christian ethos serving Year 7-13. Comparable size and admission geography, providing a similar mainstream secondary offer within Hackney.
• Hackney New School: An 11-18 free school in Hackney providing secondary and sixth form education. Comparable in age range served and Hackney geography; competes for similar Year 7 and sixth form applicants.
• Bridge Academy: A secondary school and sixth form in Hackney with sponsorship from KPMG and UBS, focused on academic excellence and character development. Direct competitor for Hackney Year 7 applicants.
• Stoke Newington School: A secondary school and sixth form located in Stoke Newington, Hackney, with a similar broad secondary and post-16 academic offer and serving the same local authority.
• Stormont House School: A special school in Hackney serving students with complex needs including ASD and SEMH. Comparable in terms of SEND expertise and partner relationships with Hackney Education's specialist teams.
• Clapton Girls' Academy: A girls' secondary school and sixth form located in Lower Clapton, Hackney, operated as an academy within a local trust. Competes directly for secondary and sixth-form admissions in the borough.

Direct peers

• Forest Gate Community School: A fellow state-funded secondary school within Community Schools Trust, the same Multi Academy Trust as The Excelsior Academy. Shared governance, funding model, and operating model make it the most direct operational comparator.
• Mossbourne Community Academy: A high-performing, oversubscribed secondary academy in the London Borough of Hackney serving a broadly similar demographic, with a comparable size and focus on academic outcomes and character education. A leading competitor for Year 7 admissions in the borough.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/excelsiorcst
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-excelsior-academy-hackney-cst

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 The Excelsior Academy