King Edward VI Academy

What King Edward VI Academy does

King Edward VI Academy (KEVI) is a non-selective state-funded secondary academy located in rural Spilsby, Lincolnshire, serving students aged 11-16 (Years 7-11). Opened in September 2012 under the sponsorship of The David Ross Education Trust (DRET), one of 11 system leaders nationwide operating 36 primary and secondary schools, the academy draws students from a wide catchment area covering Skegness, Boston, Alford, and Louth. It is Ofsted-rated 'Good' and operates as a smaller-than-average secondary school providing tailored support across a broad curriculum including English, Mathematics, Science, Languages, Humanities, Arts, Business, and Vocational subjects.

The academy's technology stack comprises DRET.Cloud (parent/student portal), My Child at School (MCAS) for attendance, timetable, homework and behaviour tracking, Microsoft Teams/Bromcom for curriculum delivery, and Sparx Maths for mathematics homework. It operates a Knowledge Organiser self-quizzing homework system across Years 7-11 and offers music tuition, SEND support services, and a comprehensive careers guidance programme aligned with the Gatsby Benchmark. Recent product and programme expansion includes a sustainability initiative featuring beekeeping, a school orchard, swift nesting boxes with live wildlife cameras, and a nature pond, which has earned RHS Level 4 Gardening Award (2026), Young Environmentalist Award (2026), and Gold Green Tree Schools Award.

Revenue derives almost entirely from UK government per-pupil funding channelled through DRET, supplemented by Pupil Premium allocations for disadvantaged students (£955 per free-school-meal eligible, £2,345 per looked-after child). A secondary revenue stream is generated through community facility hire (5v5 3G pitch, floodlit astro courts, school hall, classrooms) booked via the DRET Hire portal. Education is provided tuition-free, with no commercial pricing model. The academy is governed by an Academy Scrutiny Committee chaired by Alastair Dixon, with Mark Wilkinson serving as Principal since June 2025 and Mr J Hunton as Executive Headteacher.

Name

King Edward VI Academy

Legal name

King Edward VI Academy

Website

https://kingedwardacademy.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

King Edward VI Academy is a non-selective state-funded secondary academy in rural Spilsby, Lincolnshire, serving Year 7-11 students across a wide catchment area under David Ross Education Trust sponsorship.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Instructional Delivery & Pedagogy (School-Led) (EDAJAFAB)

Keywords

• Secondary education services
• Academic curriculum programs
• Student support services
• Careers guidance programmes
• Community facility hire

Headquarters

HQ city

Spilsby

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. State Education Funding: As a state-funded academy sponsored by the David Ross Education Trust, the school receives government funding for providing education to students in Years 7-11. This is supplemented by the DRET Inspiration Fund which creates life-changing experiences for students.
2. Facility Hire: The academy offers facilities for hire to the local community outside school hours, including 5v5 3G Pitch, Floodlit Outdoor Astro Courts, School Hall, and Classrooms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

King Edward VI Academy is a state-funded, non-selective secondary academy in rural Spilsby, Lincolnshire, delivering full-time education for students aged 11–16 (Years 7–11). It offers a knowledge-rich curriculum across core subjects, languages, humanities, arts, and vocational areas, supplemented by SEND support, careers guidance, music tuition, sports and enrichment, and sustainability education. It is sponsored by the David Ross Education Trust (DRET) and also provides paid facility hire (3G pitch, astro courts, hall, classrooms) to the local community outside school hours.

Product overview

King Edward VI Academy offers a comprehensive secondary education programme as part of the David Ross Education Trust network. The core offering is secondary education (Years 7-11) with an extensive curriculum spanning core subjects (English, Maths, Science), Languages (French), Humanities, Arts, Business, and Vocational subjects. The academy supplements its core curriculum with enrichment modules including SEND support services, a dedicated careers guidance programme, sports facilities and enrichment, music education, and sustainability initiatives (nature pond, beekeeping, gardening). The school operates DRET.Cloud platforms for student/parent access and uses Microsoft Teams/Bromcom for curriculum delivery and homework management. Facilities are available for community hire outside school hours.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Secondary Education Programme
• SEND Support Services
• Careers Guidance Programme
• Community Facility Hire
• Music Tuition

Quantifiable outcome

• 13% carbon footprint reduction in one year - equivalent to cancelling 434 return flights to Paris
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Lincolnshire Wildlife TrustminorOthers · 1 January 2025Vivian from Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust donated four swift nesting boxes to support declining swift populations. One box fitted with live bird camera accessible via school website for educational observation. Partnership supports biodiversity and conservation education.
• National Trust at Gunby Hall & SandilandsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Katie Scott (Area Ranger) partnered with pupils to create a school orchard. Pupils learned to plant and care for apple and plum trees. National Trust donated trees for the project. Supports sustainability education and environmental stewardship.
• Friends of the Honey BeeminorOthers · 1 January 2025Partnership supporting school beekeeping project. KEVI featured in Summer 2026 Newsletter highlighting success of bee colony established in 2025, which has produced first batch of honey.
• Walnut Care (David Weatherley)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Enterprise Advisor supporting careers program. David Weatherley is Director at Walnut Care and works with academy to review and update career provision, providing industry insights and connections.
• Micronclean (Ashleigh Herbert)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Enterprise Advisor supporting careers program. Ashleigh Herbert is Export Customer Services Co-ordinator at Micronclean and works with academy to provide career guidance and industry connections.
• Bowens of BostonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Local design company and KEVI parent partnered to create a bespoke school pergola using responsibly sourced timber. Part of RHS Grey to Green grant project. Transformed area with no biodiversity into vibrant green space.
• Vicky Booth (Careers and Enterprise Company)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Supported by Careers and Enterprise Company. Vicky Booth works with academy to support and enhance careers provision, ensuring students have experiences to make right choices.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Ark Schools: Well-established UK multi-academy trust running a network of state secondary and primary academies. Comparable in operating model and emphasis on enrichment and character education, and serves as a useful scale benchmark for a trust pursuing pupil-recruitment brand differentiation.
• United Learning: Large UK multi-academy trust combining state and independent schools. Comparable in curriculum structure and pastoral model, but materially larger and more diversified — useful as an aspirational benchmark for what a scaled-up DRET-style trust could become.
• Harris Federation: Large UK multi-academy trust running a significant portfolio of secondary academies, many rated Outstanding by Ofsted. Comparable in funding model and core product (state secondary education), and a useful comparator for what 'Outstanding' governance and outcomes look like at scale.
• Oasis Community Learning: Large UK multi-academy trust operating a national network of academies with a strong community- and values-led ethos analogous to KEVI's house system and community facility hire. Comparable in operating philosophy and in using community engagement as a pupil-recruitment lever.
• Ormiston Academies Trust: One of the larger UK multi-academy trusts operating dozens of state secondary and primary academies. Operates a comparable state-funded academy model but at materially greater scale, making it a useful benchmark for shared-services efficiency and trust-level growth options.

Direct peers

• Skegness Academy: State-funded secondary academy located within KEVI's own admissions catchment area (Skegness). Directly comparable in pupil demographic, geographic setting (coastal Lincolnshire) and school size category, and competes with KEVI for the same Year 7 intake.
• Greenwood Academies Trust: Mid-sized UK multi-academy trust running a portfolio of state primary and secondary academies with a similar operating model to DRET. Comparable in structure, funding model and pupil-focused value proposition, and competing in the same talent and admissions markets for school-leader talent.

Regional players

• Boston High School: State secondary school in Boston, Lincolnshire — another town within KEVI's wide catchment area. Similar cohort profile and rural/coastal East Midlands context, providing a close regional benchmark on attainment, Progress 8 and SEND outcomes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/king-edward-vi-academy

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 King Edward VI Academy