The Learning Skills Trust

What The Learning Skills Trust does

The Learning Skills Trust is a UK-registered charity (no. 1179282) that operates the Pre-Senior Baccalaureate (PSB) and the newer Skills Development Framework (SDF) — skills-based assessment programmes for pupils aged roughly 4 to 18. The PSB, founded in 2012 by leading UK prep schools, provides a structured framework for assessing six core skills (Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, Leadership, Independence, and Review) across every subject from Reception through Year 8, with formal exit points and certificates at 11+ and 13+. The SDF, launched between 2024 and 2026, extends the same philosophy into secondary education through Year 13. Both programmes are delivered to member schools via the PSB HUB, a digital platform hosted on the third-party toddleapp.com infrastructure, which supports resource sharing, shared planning and reporting.

The Trust operates a community-led, subscription-based membership model: schools pay recurring membership fees (pricing not publicly disclosed) in exchange for access to the frameworks, the PSB HUB, subject meetings, twilight sessions, three annual conferences (Heads', LST Leaders', Annual Conference), and ongoing support from LST consultants and the Director of Schools. Distribution is direct-to-school, with a small core team supported by a bench of consultants, ambassadors and auditors. The network spans 40+ member prep and junior schools across the UK, plus a further 50+ senior schools that accept the PSB certificate at 11+ and 13+ entry, anchored by name-brand institutions including Eton, Wellington, Bradfield, Malvern, Queen Anne's and St Edward's, Oxford. A formal research partnership with Eton College's Tony Little Centre for Innovation and Research in Learning (CIRL) supports ongoing framework refinement.

Name

The Learning Skills Trust

Legal name

The Learning Skills Trust

Website

https://learningskillstrust.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Learning Skills Trust is a UK charity that delivers the Pre-Senior Baccalaureate (PSB) and Skills Development Framework (SDF), skills-based assessment programmes for pupils aged 4–18, to ~40 member prep and junior schools via a membership model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Assessment Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAJAFAD

Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping (State/National)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment (School-Delivered)

SECONDARYEDACAJAN

Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping Resources (State/NAEYC/Head Start)

Education/Early Childhood Education/ECE Curriculum, Assessment & Learning Materials

Keywords

• Skills-based assessment frameworks
• Independent school membership
• Pre-senior baccalaureate programmes
• Secondary school skills development
• Educational assessment charity

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. School Membership Fees: Schools pay membership fees to access the PSB and SDF frameworks, including access to the meetings programme, conferences, PSB HUB resources, and support from LST consultants and the Director of Schools.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Learning Skills Trust delivers skills-based assessment frameworks to UK independent schools through a membership model. Its flagship Pre-Senior Baccalaureate (PSB) framework assesses pupils from Reception through Year 8 with exit points at 11+ and 13+, while the Skills Development Framework (SDF) extends the approach into secondary education through Year 13. Schools gain access to the PSB HUB online platform, annual conferences, subject meetings, twilight CPD sessions, and direct consultant support.

Product overview

The Learning Skills Trust operates as a unified platform offering two connected skills-based assessment frameworks: The Pre-Senior Baccalaureate (PSB) for Reception through Year 8 with 11+ and 13+ exit points, and the Skills Development Framework (SDF) extending the same philosophy through Year 9-13. Both frameworks share a common Core Skills Grid of six skills (Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, Leadership, Independence, Review) tracked across all subjects. The PSB HUB provides the digital infrastructure for member schools to access shared resources and reporting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Pre-Senior Baccalaureate (PSB): A flagship framework for prep and junior schools, with exit points at both Year 6 and Year 8, developing and celebrating the skills, attitudes and behaviours children need to thrive at their next school.
• The Skills Development Framework (SDF)

Products and services

• Pre-Senior Baccalaureate (PSB)
• Skills Development Framework (SDF)
• PSB HUB Online Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40 schools have adopted the PSB framework, and almost every senior school (except Harrow) now accepts PSB certificates for entry at 11+/13+.

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tony Little Centre for Innovation and Research in Learning (CIRL) at Eton CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership providing ongoing refinement of the PSB framework. LST works closely with CIRL to keep the skills-based approach fresh, relevant and forward-thinking. The centre's research informs the framework's development.
• Bradfield CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenior associate school that accepts PSB certificates for entry at 11+/13+. Provides staff for subject meetings, hosts meetings and conferences, and helps shape the PSB project.
• Queen Anne's SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenior associate school in Caversham. Former Headmistress Julia Harrington now serves as LST Trustee, bringing educational neuroscience expertise. Provides staff for subject meetings and helps shape the project.
• Malvern CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenior associate school that accepts PSB certificates for entry. Participates in the network of 50+ senior schools advising and accepting the PSB certificate at 11+ and 13+.
• St Edward's, OxfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenior associate school that accepts PSB certificates for entry. Part of the network of senior schools providing staff for subject meetings and helping shape the PSB project.
• Wellington CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenior associate school with Joel Worrall as International Director who has been closely involved with PSB for over a decade. Accepts PSB certificates and participates in network activities.
• CiMF (Cheltenham Mathematics Festival)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTraining partner offering discounted training to LST member schools. Part of the ongoing professional development offerings that keep teaching fresh and forward-looking.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RS Assessment from Hodder Education: RS Assessment (formerly Rising Stars) provides progress and standardised assessment products widely used in UK primary schools, including Progress Test Series. It competes for the same school assessment budgets and curriculum-aligned measurement needs that PSB addresses.
• GL Assessment: GL Assessment is a UK-based provider of cognitive ability tests (CATs), Progress Test Series, and other assessments widely used by independent and state schools for entrance, baseline, and progress tracking. It is the most direct commercial peer in the UK assessment space for prep and senior schools.
• Skills Builder Partnership: Skills Builder is a UK charity that promotes a universal framework of essential skills (similar in concept to LST's Core Skills Grid) across schools, colleges, and employers. It overlaps directly with LST's skills-based assessment philosophy and targets many of the same UK schools and educators.
• UKiset (UK Independent Schools' Entry Test): UKiset is a standardised assessment used by many UK independent senior schools to evaluate overseas and domestic applicants. It directly competes for the same 11+/13+ entry-point decisions that PSB certificates aim to inform, making it a close functional peer in the admissions assessment category.
• PiXL (Partners in Excellence): PiXL is a UK schools partnership that provides curriculum, assessment, and leadership resources to member schools (state and independent). It competes for the same membership model and teacher CPD mindshare as LST, with overlapping skills-and-progress frameworks.

Broad incumbents

• International Baccalaureate (IB): The IB offers a globally recognised framework for skills- and inquiry-based education across primary, middle, and diploma programmes. It is the closest broad incumbent to LST's PSB/SDF model in spirit (skills- over content-driven assessment), though it operates at far greater scale and as a credentialing authority rather than a UK-focused membership network.
• Cambridge Assessment International Education: Cambridge International provides internationally recognised curricula and qualifications (including IGCSE and A Levels) used widely by UK independent schools. It competes for the same assessment-and-progression decision points as the PSB at 11+ and 13+, though it is content- and exam-led rather than skills-led.
• Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM), Cambridge University Press & Assessment: CEM provides diagnostic and value-added assessments used by UK schools, including baseline measures for Year 7 entry. It is a broader incumbent in the school assessment market with overlapping institutional customers and is part of the University of Cambridge's assessment ecosystem.

Emerging players

• Optimus Education: Optimus Education provides CPD, leadership development, and resources to UK schools, focused on teaching quality and pupil outcomes. It is comparable as an adjacent membership-based education support service targeting school leaders and teachers, though it does not provide a competing skills assessment framework.
• Edurio: Edurio is a UK education-technology company offering stakeholder feedback and school improvement tools to schools and MATs. It overlaps thematically with LST's measurement-of-what-matters positioning, though it focuses on school climate and stakeholder voice rather than pupil skills assessment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/learningskillstrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Learning Skills Trust