Learn Academies Trust (Learn-AT)

What Learn Academies Trust (Learn-AT) does

Learn Academies Trust (Learn-AT) is a UK Multi-Academy Trust (charitable company limited by guarantee, company number 08095439) established in 2016 in Wigston, Leicestershire. It operates 19 primary schools - a mix of Church of England and Community Primary Schools across Leicestershire and Leicester City - with the Church Schools also affiliated to the Diocese of Leicester's wider family of 97 schools and academies. The Trust delivers primary education to children aged 5-11, framed around its stated mission of "Equity, Well-being, Excellence," and is governed by a Board of Trustees (chaired by Jeremy Benson) under CEO Jane Jones. The central Trust team of approximately 26 staff provides school improvement, finance, operations, safeguarding and governance support to all member academies.

The Trust's service portfolio is anchored by the Learn Academies Trust Institute of Education, which delivers Initial Teacher Training (School Direct/NIoT), Early Career Teacher (ECT) programmes, eight National Professional Qualification (NPQ) specialisms priced from £890 to £4,085 per participant, and continuing professional development. These programmes are delivered in partnership with the National Institute of Teaching and the Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership (CEFEL), with national reach for NPQs and regional reach across Leicestershire, Leicester City, Rutland and Northamptonshire for teacher training. The proprietary RIPPLE framework (Research Informed Practice, Professional Learning and use of Evidence) and Lesson Study methodology underpin cross-Trust research-informed practice, supported by Trust-branded curriculum, assessment, and pupil premium frameworks.

Revenue is generated primarily through UK Government ESFA funding for the 19 academies (the principal recurring revenue stream), supplemented by fee income from Institute of Education NPQ, ECT, and School Direct courses, plus any school improvement services offered externally. Distribution is direct to member schools and to external teachers and school leaders nationwide through open events, the annual conference (500+ attendees in 2023), Microsoft Sway newsletters, the learnat.uk website, and partnerships with NIoT and CEFEL. Key technology stack includes Microsoft 365/Teams for staff and governance communication, My Concern for safeguarding case management, Governor Hub for governance documents, and Juniper Education/e4education for the website platform. As of May 2026, the Trust is in formal consultation to merge with Inspiring Primaries Academy Trust.

Name

Learn Academies Trust (Learn-AT)

Legal name

Learn Academies Trust

Website

https://learnat.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Learn Academies Trust (Learn-AT) is a Leicestershire-based Multi-Academy Trust operating 19 Church of England and Community Primary Schools, delivering primary education alongside an Institute of Education providing teacher training, NPQs, and professional development services across the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wigston

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Academy Funding (UK Government): As a Multi-Academy Trust, Learn Academies Trust receives government funding through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) for its 19 academies. Funding covers educational operations, staff salaries, and school improvement activities.
2. Institute of Education Professional Development: Revenue generated from teacher training programmes (School Direct), National Professional Qualifications (NPQs), Early Career Teacher (ECT) programmes, and CPD courses delivered to teachers across the UK. Course fees range from £890 to £4,085 per participant.
3. School Improvement Services: Central team provides school improvement support, professional learning, curriculum development and pedagogy services to member schools and potentially external schools.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Learn Academies Trust is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) operating 19 Church of England and Community Primary Schools across Leicestershire, including Leicester City. The Trust delivers primary education to children ages 5-11 and, through its Institute of Education, offers initial teacher training (School Direct), National Professional Qualifications (NPQs), Early Career Teacher (ECT) programmes, and continuing professional development (CPD) to teachers and school leaders nationwide.

Product overview

Learn Academies Trust operates as a unified Multi-Academy Trust providing primary education across 19 Church of England and Community Primary Schools in Leicestershire. The Trust offers an integrated portfolio of educational services that includes school improvement support, professional development programmes (NPQs, ECT training, Initial Teacher Training, RIPPLE networks), governance support services (via Governor Hub and Syzygy), and annual conferences. These offerings work together as a cohesive ecosystem supporting the Trust's mission of 'Equity, Well-being, Excellence' - with fellowship and collaborative professional learning as the central themes connecting all services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Learn Academies Trust Institute of Education: Provides teacher training, National Professional Qualifications (NPQs), Early Career Teacher (ECT) programmes, and continuing professional development (CPD) for educators.

Products and services

• National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) A suite of nationally recognised qualifications for teachers and school leaders, offered in partnership with the Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership (CEFEL) and the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT). Includes NPQEL, NPQH, NPQSL, NPQLT, NPQLBC, NPQLPM, NPQLTD, and NPQ SENCO programmes delivered to educators across the UK with course fees ranging from £890 to £4,085 per participant.

Quantifiable outcome

• 19 schools across Leicestershire and Leicester City operating as a unified Multi-Academy Trust since 2016
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Diocese of LeicestercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Church Schools within Learn Academies Trust benefit from being part of the larger family of 97 schools and academies within the Diocese of Leicester. Foundation governors on Local Governing Bodies represent the Diocese and promote Church School ethos, collective worship and Religious Education.
• Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership (CEFEL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLearn Academies Trust partners with CEFEL (in partnership with Catholic Education Service) to offer a full suite of National Professional Qualifications to teachers and school leaders nationwide. Programmes developed in collaboration with the sector and informed by best available research.
• National Institute of Teaching (NIoT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLearn Academies Trust partners with NIoT to deliver NPQs (including NPQLPM and NPQEYL in North East Region) and Early Career Teacher programmes. NIoT provider code: 5J5 - NIoT@Learn AT.
• SyzygyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSyzygy provides professional clerking service for the Trust Board and Local Governing Bodies alongside a number of independent clerks.
• Inspiring Primaries Academy Trust (IPAT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProposed merger consultation launched May 2026 between Learn Academies Trust and Inspiring Primaries Academy Trust. The proposed merger aims to create a stronger, more resilient organisation better placed to support schools, staff and pupils. Deadline for responses: 11 September 2026.
• LOROS HospiceminorOthersLOROS Hospice selected as Learn Academies Trust Charity of the Year 2025-2026. Trust schools raised over £650 through busking event and staff completed Rutland Half Marathon in support of LOROS.
• Rainbows Hospice for Babies, Children and Young PeopleminorOthersRainbows Hospice selected as Trust Charity of the Year. School council members across Trust selected the hospice. Campaign raised £5,945 including a 140km bike ride visiting all Trust schools.
• Cancer Research UKminorOthersCancer Research UK was a previous Trust Charity of the Year. Fundraising included a staff member running 100 miles from London to Leicester, raising over £10,000.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Oasis Community Learning: Oasis Community Learning is a large national MAT running primary, secondary and all-through academies with integrated community-hub and educational-improvement services. Broad incumbent with overlapping multi-academy-trust operating model and central improvement teams.
• Outwood Grange Academies Trust: Outwood Grange is one of the largest MATs in England with a strong school-improvement brand and central professional-development infrastructure. Broad incumbent — same Multi-Academy Trust archetype as Learn-AT but at materially greater scale and including secondary provision.
• E-ACT: E-ACT is a national Multi-Academy Trust operating primary and secondary academies with a centralised school-improvement and director-of-education structure (relevant given Learn-AT's incoming Director of Primary Education hire from E-ACT). Broader incumbent — larger footprint but overlapping operating cadence.
• United Learning: United Learning is a large national Multi-Academy Trust operating primary, secondary and all-through schools with a strong school-improvement and professional-development offering. Broad incumbent — overlapping in MAT operating model and CPD programmes but operating across multiple phases and a much larger footprint.
• The Kemnal Academies Trust (TKAT): TKAT is a large national Multi-Academy Trust running primary and secondary academies with a centralised school-improvement team. Broad incumbent — directly comparable operating model to Learn-AT (central team, school improvement, governance support), though at greater scale.

Direct peers

• Reach2 Academy Trust: Reach2 is one of the UK's largest primary-focused Multi-Academy Trusts with a comparable school-improvement, professional development and centralised operating model. Most directly comparable to Learn-AT in mission, primary-only focus, and central-team structure.
• Schoolsworks Academy Trust: Schoolsworks is a primary-focused Multi-Academy Trust with a centralised school-improvement and professional-development offering. Direct peer — most directly comparable to Learn-AT in primary-only focus and trust-improvement operating model.
• Inspiring Primaries Academy Trust: Inspiring Primaries Academy Trust is the proposed Learn-AT merger partner — a Midlands-based primary-focused Multi-Academy Trust of comparable scale and remit. Direct peer — closely overlapping operating model, region, and primary-school focus, and the Trust from which Learn-AT's incoming Area Director Lee Evans was recruited.
• Castle Phoenix Trust: Castle Phoenix Trust is a Midlands-based Multi-Academy Trust of comparable scale, also focused on primary education with a central school-improvement team. Direct peer — similar size, similar region, similar primary-focused remit.

Others

• Church of England Foundation for Educational Leadership (CEFEL): CEFEL is the Learn-AT strategic partner that co-delivers National Professional Qualifications nationwide. Included as an ecosystem peer — comparable in NPQ delivery and sector reach, and a key channel through which Learn-AT's Institute of Education scales beyond Leicestershire.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/learn-academies-trust

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries19 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 Learn Academies Trust (Learn-AT)