Heart of England School

What Heart of England School does

Heart of England School is a state-funded secondary academy located on Gipsy Lane in Balsall Common, West Midlands (near Coventry), founded in 1956 and approaching its 70th Platinum Jubilee in 2026. Operating under a UK Department for Education funding agreement and registered as Academy Company No. 07654164, the school delivers full secondary education from Year 7 through GCSEs in Year 11 and runs a Sixth Form offering A Levels for Years 12–13, serving students typically aged 11–18 drawn from Balsall Common, Coventry, Hampton in Arden, Meriden, Marston Green, Chadwick End, Cheswick Green and surrounding areas. Its core 'products' are GCSE and A Level educational programmes, supported by pastoral care, SEND provision, careers guidance, and an extensive extracurricular programme including the Duke of Edinburgh's Award, music tuition and sport. The school is led by Headteacher Gethyn Bennett with a senior team covering Teaching & Learning, Culture/Care/Conduct, Post-16, Interventions, Progress (KS3 and KS4), Engagement, SEND/Inclusion and Safeguarding.

The technology stack is a layered set of vendor-provided education platforms rather than proprietary systems: Arbor serves as the Management Information System for student/staff data and parent app; Doddle is the homework and revision platform; Microsoft Office 365 provides email and productivity; Doodle Learning (Maths/English/Tables), Flash Academy (MFL) and Lexia deliver literacy and numeracy intervention; and Accessit powers the library catalogue. On-site connectivity is delivered through HOE-Public and HOE-Byod Wi-Fi networks. The business model is fundamentally a state-funded subscription: per-pupil grants flow from central government via the local authority to cover tuition, with supplementary paid services (instrumental music tuition through Solihull Music Service, school meals via Alliance in Partnership, bus passes through Ridley's/Meadway/AFJ/Birmingham International Coaches, trips, and a lettings hire service) representing ancillary, non-tuition income. Go-to-market is admissions-driven rather than commercial: Year 7 applications and in-year transfers route through Solihull Council's Schools Admissions Team, with separate pathways for Coventry and Warwickshire residents.

Name

Heart of England School

Legal name

Heart of England School

Website

https://heart-england.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Heart of England School is a state-funded UK academy in Balsall Common, West Midlands, delivering secondary education (Years 7–11) and a Sixth Form (Years 12–13) to students aged 11–18, funded primarily by government per-pupil grants and supported by a multi-vendor EdTech and partner ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Balsall Common

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

Revenue model

1. Government Education Funding: State-funded academy receiving per-pupil funding from the government via local authority for providing secondary education services to students in Years 7-13.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Heart of England School is a state-funded academy providing secondary education for students aged 11-18 across Years 7-13, including GCSE preparation in Years 7-11 and A Level study in the Sixth Form. The school offers a full curriculum with extracurricular activities, careers guidance, Duke of Edinburgh's Award, pastoral and SEND support, and paid ancillary services including instrumental music tuition, catering, and bus transportation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Secondary Education (Years 7-11) Full secondary school provision for students aged 11-16 covering Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4, leading to GCSE qualifications, with pastoral care, SEND support, and extensive extracurricular activities.
• Sixth Form Education (Years 12-13) Post-16 education for students aged 16-18 offering A Level and equivalent qualifications, with UCAS support, careers guidance, work experience opportunities, and enrichment activities including the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.
• Instrumental Music Lessons Paid instrumental music tuition delivered in partnership with Solihull Music Service, offering 20-minute lessons (recommended for beginners) and 30-minute lessons across a wide range of instruments, with cost assistance available for Pupil Premium eligible students.
• School Bus Services Paid school transport covering routes from Hampton in Arden, Meriden, Coventry, Marston Green, Chadwick End, and Cheswick Green, operated by Ridley's Coaches, Meadway Coaches (182, 183, 825 services), AFJ Travel (826), and Birmingham International Coaches (827).
• School Catering Paid school meals provided by catering partner Alliance in Partnership, covering breakfast, morning break, and lunch service including baguettes, sandwiches, wraps, jacket potatoes, pasta dishes, and seasonal hot meals prepared from fresh ingredients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students are highly motivated, independent learners
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Solihull Council's Schools Admissions TeamcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProcesses all Year 7 applications and in-year transfer requests for Heart of England School. Solihull MBC residents apply through this team, with appeals heard by independent panels.
• ProspectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent careers advice service providing impartial information to students on future destinations. Mr Somerville is based in school every Thursday and all Year 11 and 13 students receive careers interviews.
• Alliance in PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatering partner providing breakfast, morning break, and lunch meals. Offers hot and cold food service areas including baguettes, sandwiches, wraps, jacket potatoes, pasta dishes, and seasonal hot meals prepared from fresh ingredients.
• Solihull Music ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides instrumental music lessons at the school with a wide range of instruments available. Offers 20-minute (recommended for beginners) or 30-minute lessons, with group lesson options. Pupil Premium students can receive cost assistance.
• ArborcoreTechnology or IntegrationManagement Information System (MIS) used to manage all student and staff data. Provides parent/carer app for attendance tracking and behaviour points monitoring.
• DoddlecoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline learning platform used for homework assignment and tracking. Students access Doddle from outside school using their school credentials to complete and submit homework assignments.
• Student SavvyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkshop provider helping prepare Sixth Form students and parents for life after school, covering the challenges and opportunities of transitioning to higher education or employment.
• Coventry Careers Hub: Future YouminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCareers hub partnership providing additional careers guidance resources and support to students.
• Ridley's CoachescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBus passes administered by Heart of England School for Ridley services covering routes to the school. Bus passes printed in school and distributed to students.
• Meadway CoachescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOperates 182, 183, and 825 bus services to the school from Meriden, Millisons Wood, Bickenhill, Hampton in Arden, and Barston areas.
• AFJ TravelminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOperates 826 service from Chadwick End to Heart of England on behalf of Solihull Council.
• Birmingham International CoachesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOperates 827 service from Cheswick Green to Heart of England School.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Solihull School: A long-established independent school in Solihull serving ages 3-18, including a large Sixth Form. Comparable secondary educational offering in the same geographic catchment; competes with Heart of England's Sixth Form for fee-paying post-16 students who might otherwise attend state provision.
• Bablake School: An independent co-educational school in central Coventry including a large Sixth Form. Comparable secondary/post-16 provider operating in the same Coventry part of Heart of England's broader catchment; competes for academically-inclined Sixth Form entrants who might otherwise choose A Levels at a state provider.
• Bishop Ullathorne School: A Catholic voluntary-aided secondary school in Coventry serving ages 11-18. Comparable state-funded secondary institution operating across the same West Midlands sub-region, competing for pupils from overlapping Coventry-area feeder communities.
• Finham Park School: A large secondary school in Coventry serving ages 11-18. Comparable state-funded co-educational secondary within the same West Midlands region, with overlapping admissions geography on the Coventry side of Heart of England's catchment.
• King Henry VIII School: A long-established independent school in Coventry. Comparable independent secondary and Sixth Form provider in the same regional market, offering an alternative fee-paying pathway to Heart of England's state A Level provision.
• Coundon Court School: A secondary school in northern Coventry serving ages 11-18. Comparable West Midlands secondary institution with a similar pupil demographic and operating model, competing for applicants from the same urban fringe as Heart of England's Coventry-side catchment.
• Arden Academy: A state-funded secondary academy located in Knowle, immediately adjacent to Balsall Common in the Solihull borough. Directly comparable co-educational secondary institution competing for the same Year 7 catchment and serving a similar demographic in the same West Midlands micro-market.

Others

• Ormiston Academies Trust: One of the largest non-profit Multi-Academy Trusts in England operating dozens of secondary academies. Relevant comparator for governance, scale-back-office, and funding model — Heart of England operates a stand-alone academy rather than joining a MAT, so understanding trust-level economics is useful for benchmarking.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@heartofenglandschool
• Facebookfacebook.com/1232061755601031
• Instagraminstagram.com/heartofenglandschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/heart-of-england-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Heart of England School