The Letta Trust

What The Letta Trust does

The LETTA Trust is a UK Multi-Academy Trust (company number 10726202) operating five state-funded primary schools in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, East London: Bygrove, Stebon, Columbia, Hermitage, and Virginia Primary Schools. Founded in 2017 from a partnership that traces back to the 2001 Poplar Partnership, the trust grew to five schools after adding Columbia and Hermitage in September 2024 and Virginia in July 2025. Each school admits pupils through the Tower Hamlets local authority admissions process and serves multicultural communities, many of whom have English as an additional language. The trust operates without any proprietary technology platform, delivering traditional primary education for children aged 3-11 alongside school improvement and teacher training services.

The trust runs the LETTA SCITT (London East Teacher Training Alliance), an Ofsted Outstanding initial teacher training programme offering a PGCE with 60 Masters credits and Qualified Teacher Status, training approximately 50 new teachers annually through Sheffield Hallam University as its academic partner. Its LETTA Teaching School Alliance provides professional development and school improvement support to approximately 20 East London partner schools, and the Connecting Communities partnership project delivers digital inclusion (devices, connectivity, and IT training) to eligible families in partnership with Poplar HARCA, Morgan Stanley, Citi, and other donors. The trust is recognised by Investors in People Platinum, the Inclusion Quality Mark Flagship (Bygrove), and National Teaching School status (held since 2013).

LETTA's revenue model is predominantly government-funded: each school receives per-pupil funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) under Supplemental Funding Agreements, supplemented by fee income from SCITT trainees and partner-school improvement services. Governance is provided by Trust Members, Trustees, and per-school Local Governing Boards, with a central executive team led by CEO Jo Franklin, CFO Razna Begum, COO Hasib Hikmat, and Director of School Improvement Ben Sperring. The trust is not affiliated with any parent company or external investor group and operates as an independent charitable educational trust.

Name

The Letta Trust

Legal name

The LETTA Trust company

Website

https://letta.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The LETTA Trust is an independent UK Multi-Academy Trust operating five state-funded primary schools in Tower Hamlets, East London, alongside an Ofsted Outstanding teacher training programme and a Teaching School Alliance serving approximately 20 partner schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Primary Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Family & Parent Support Services (Parent Coaching, Advocacy) (EDAJALAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Specialized Learning Support (Dyslexia/LD Coaching, Assistive Strategies) (EDAJALAJ)

Keywords

• Primary education services
• Multi-academy trust
• Teacher training
• School improvement
• Initial teacher training

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government School Funding: As a Multi-Academy Trust, LETTA receives government funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) based on pupil numbers. Each school has Supplemental Funding Agreements with the ESFA.
2. Teacher Training Programme Fees: The LETTA SCITT (London East Teacher Training Alliance) provides initial teacher training leading to PGCE with 60 Masters credits and Qualified Teacher Status. The programme generates fee revenue from trainees.
3. School Improvement Services: The LETTA Teaching School Alliance provides professional learning and school improvement support to approximately 20 partner schools in East London.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Letta Trust is a Multi-Academy Trust operating five primary schools (Bygrove, Stebon, Columbia, Hermitage, and Virginia) in Tower Hamlets, East London. Beyond school operation, it delivers initial teacher training through LETTA SCITT, professional development via the LETTA Teaching School Alliance, school-to-school improvement services, and the Connecting Communities Partnership Project that engages local families and community groups.

Product overview

The LETTA Trust operates as an educational trust managing five primary schools (Bygrove, Columbia, Hermitage, Stebon, and Virginia) in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The Trust offers a unified portfolio consisting of its core educational services: the LETTA SCITT (School Centred Initial Teacher Training) providing Ofsted outstanding teacher training with PGCE and QTS qualifications; the LETTA Teaching School Alliance for teacher and leader development; and LETTA School Improvement and Training for professional development. Additionally, the Trust runs the Connecting Communities digital inclusion project. The schools maintain individual identities while benefiting from centralised governance, leadership, and operational support services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bygrove Primary School

Quantifiable outcome

• Stebon improved from below national floor targets for 10 years to Outstanding Ofsted rating
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sheffield Hallam UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner providing academic rigour and Masters credits for the teacher training programme. Trainees can earn 60 Masters credits towards a PGCE.
• Dr Bill RogersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational expert partner contributing to teacher training and professional development programmes.
• The PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation partnership organisation collaborating on school improvement initiatives.
• Poplar PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup of schools founded by headteachers in 2001. Bygrove is a founder member. This collaboration led to the establishment of the LETTA Trust.
• Poplar HARCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal housing association partner. Jointly initiated the Connecting Communities digital inclusion project during COVID-19 lockdown.
• Shakespeare Schools FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partner providing creative learning opportunities for pupils through theatrical programmes.
• Primary Education AdvisorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation advisory consultancy providing school improvement expertise.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Harris Federation: One of the largest Multi-Academy Trusts in London operating primary and secondary academies across multiple boroughs. Directly comparable MAT operating model with school improvement, teacher training, and central governance services for member schools.
• Ark Schools: UK Multi-Academy Trust running a network of primary and secondary schools with a focus on educational equity in disadvantaged areas. Comparable MAT model with London-focused operations and central school improvement infrastructure.
• Oasis Community Learning: Large UK Multi-Academy Trust running primary and secondary academies with a strong community and social equity mission, similar to LETTA's Ubuntu philosophy. Operates teacher training and school improvement services across its network.
• Outwood Grange Academies Trust: Large Multi-Academy Trust operating primary and secondary academies across northern and central England with strong school improvement infrastructure. Comparable MAT operating model and school turnaround capability, though geographically distinct.
• Reach Academy Feltham: Small London-based Multi-Academy Trust with a primary-through-secondary model and a strong teacher training pathway. Highly comparable in scale, mission-driven ethos, and teacher development focus to LETTA.
• School 21: East London-based Multi-Academy Trust operating primary and secondary schools in Newham and surrounding boroughs with a focus on innovative pedagogy and teacher development. Closely comparable in London geographic focus and MAT operating model.

Broad incumbents

• United Learning: Large national Multi-Academy Trust operating primary, secondary, and independent schools across England. While much larger than LETTA, it competes for the same London partner schools, teacher trainees, and school improvement contracts.

Others

• Teach First: UK teacher training and leadership development charity partnering with schools in disadvantaged areas. Comparable teacher development mission to LETTA's SCITT, though operates as a charity rather than a school-running MAT.

Regional players

• Tower Hamlets Education Partnership: Local Tower Hamlets education partnership organisation collaborating with schools on improvement initiatives. Already listed as a LETTA partner, and operates within the same borough providing overlapping school improvement services.

Emerging players

• Big Education: Multi-Academy Trust operating schools in London with a mission-driven approach to education and social equality. Comparable in ethos and scale, with overlapping focus on community engagement and teacher professional development.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LETTA_Training
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-letta-trust

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries6 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 The Letta Trust