What Hartsdown Academy does

Hartsdown Academy is a state-funded secondary school located on George V Avenue in Margate, Kent, England. It serves pupils aged 11-18 across three stages: the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) at Key Stage 3, GCSE and Level 2 vocational subjects at Key Stage 4, and the IB Careers-Related Programme (IBCP) at Sixth Form, the latter delivered from a purpose-built centre on the same campus. The school operates under the Coastal Academies Trust (CAT), a multi-academy trust covering the Thanet area, and frames its culture around a 'STRIVE' values framework (Scholarship, Teamwork, Resilience, Integrity, Vision, Excellence). Its core educational technology stack is modest — a WordPress/Divi website, the Pupil Progress real-time academic tracking platform for parents, and the Future Ready careers portal hosted on Google Sites — with no disclosed AI capabilities.

Hartsdown is governed by a standard UK academy structure: a Headteacher (Mr Ian Wallace) supported by two Deputy Headteachers and a wider Senior Leadership Team covering Progress and Achievement, Teaching and Learning/Attendance, Staffing, Culture, KS3, Safeguarding/SEN, Teacher Development, Curriculum and Maths; a Chair of Governors (Vicky Pottinger) holds local governance oversight while the Trust retains strategic and financial accountability. The school's commercial footprint is limited to a catering relationship with Independent Catering and a higher-education partnership stack (University of Kent, Canterbury Christ Church University, University of Creative Arts, East Kent College) that feeds its careers and progression programmes.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed and is generated through government per-pupil funding via the Education and Skills Funding Agency; admissions are administered through Kent County Council for Year 7 entry, with in-year transfers handled directly. Headcount of 87 employees implies a secondary school of roughly 800-1,100 pupils. The school holds an Ofsted 'Good' rating and is positioned as a comprehensive, inclusive secondary provider serving the local Thanet community.

Name

Hartsdown Academy

Legal name

Hartsdown Academy

Website

https://hartsdown.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Hartsdown Academy is a state-funded secondary school in Margate, Kent, serving pupils aged 11-18 through the IB Middle Years Programme, GCSEs, and the IB Careers-Related Programme, operating under the Coastal Academies Trust.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

Keywords

• Secondary education
• IB Middle Years Programme
• GCSE qualifications
• Sixth Form education
• Academy school

Headquarters

HQ city

Margate

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hartsdown Academy is a state-funded secondary school in Margate, Kent delivering full-time education for students aged 11-18. It provides the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) at Key Stage 3, GCSE and Level 2 vocational qualifications at Key Stage 4, and the IB Careers-Related Programme (IBCP) at Sixth Form, alongside enrichment activities, careers guidance and pastoral support.

Product overview

Hartsdown Academy is a secondary school offering a comprehensive educational programme across three key stages. The core educational products include the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) for Key Stage 3, GCSEs with vocational options for Key Stage 4, and the International Baccalaureate Careers-Related Programme (IBCP) for Sixth Form. Supporting products include the Pupil Progress tracking system for academic monitoring, the Future Ready careers guidance platform, enrichment programmes with clubs and trips, and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Vocational courses in areas like Sports Science, Health and Social Care, and Criminology complement academic pathways. The school operates under the Coastal Academies Trust and follows STRIVE values (Scholarship, Teamwork, Resilience, Integrity, Vision, Excellence).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP)

Quantifiable outcome

• Students achieve better than average results in Business Studies and have opportunities to continue in Sixth Form
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Coastal Academies Trust (CAT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHartsdown Academy is a proud member of the Coastal Academies Trust, a family of schools committed to raising aspirations and transforming outcomes across Thanet. The trust provides shared expertise, professional development, collaborative curriculum innovation, and mutual support among member schools.
• University of KentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education provider with links to the school for university visits and pathway guidance for students considering higher education options.
• Canterbury Christ Church UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education provider partnered with the school to provide pathway options and university visit opportunities for students.
• University of Creative ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative arts university providing higher education pathway options for students interested in creative careers.
• East Kent CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFurther education provider offering alternative pathway options for students seeking vocational qualifications or further study beyond Year 13.
• Independent CateringminorOthersExternal catering company providing school meals including breakfast, morning break, and lunch services using fresh, local Kent produce.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys: Canterbury-based selective grammar with an established IB offering. Comparable as another Kent IB provider in the same state sector, competing for parental choice and university-bound students across East Kent.
• Dartford Grammar School: Kent-based selective grammar school offering the IB Diploma Programme at Sixth Form. Directly comparable as a state secondary school in Kent delivering an IB pathway to university, competing for the same cohort of academically able students as Hartsdown.
• Northgate Grammar School for Girls: Kent-based selective grammar delivering IB programmes. Functions as a direct peer: state-funded secondary in Kent, IB pathway at Sixth Form, comparable curriculum differentiation and parental-choice dynamics.
• King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford: Selective grammar school in Essex offering the IB Diploma. Comparable as a state secondary using IB to differentiate against standard A-Level competitors and to broaden university destination data.
• The Royal Harbour Academy: Fellow secondary school within the Coastal Academies Trust network serving the Thanet area. Directly comparable as a sister academy under the same trust structure, sharing governance, support functions and the same local competitive catchment.

Broad incumbents

• United Learning: Large national MAT/state-independent hybrid group running both academies and independent schools. Comparable for its mixed-economy structure and curriculum breadth — a potential long-term structural analogue for Coastal Academies Trust.
• Harris Federation: Major London-based multi-academy trust running a large portfolio of primary and secondary academies. Comparable as an incumbent MAT demonstrating scaled group operating models that Hartsdown's parent trust may evolve toward.
• Oasis Community Learning: Large national multi-academy trust operating dozens of state primaries and secondaries. Comparable as a structural peer: multi-academy trust governance model, shared back-office, and group-level approach to school improvement that mirrors the Coastal Academies Trust arrangement.
• Greenwood Academies Trust: Mid-sized multi-academy trust operating schools across the East Midlands and East of England. Comparable as a regional MAT peer operating non-selective state secondaries in areas with similar demographic and funding pressures.
• Cognita Schools: International private schools group operating premium K-12 campuses globally, including in the UK. Comparable as a broader education-sector peer demonstrating how branded, curriculum-led school operations are structured and scaled — useful reference point for thinking about Coastal Academies Trust's longer-term positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hartsdownacademy
• Instagraminstagram.com/hartsdownacademy
• Xtwitter.com/hartsdownacad
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/hartsdown-academy

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Hartsdown Academy