The Matthew Arnold School

What The Matthew Arnold School does

The Matthew Arnold School is a state-funded secondary school located on Kingston Road in Staines-upon-Thames, Middlesex, England, serving students aged 11-16 across Years 7 through 11. The school is operated as an academy under the Bourne Education Trust, a multi-academy trust that provides governance, shared back-office services, and strategic direction across its portfolio of Surrey schools. The school's stated philosophy is centered on students, combining academic preparation for GCSE examinations with character development, under the motto "Dream Big, Work Hard, Achieve." It currently employs 78 staff and has moved into brand new facilities as part of an educational development program.

The core product is comprehensive secondary education delivered through a broad curriculum spanning multiple GCSE subjects, supplemented by a house system, careers guidance, SEND support, and an extensive extracurricular programme that includes the Duke of Edinburgh Award and international trips. The school also operates The Matthew Arnold Sports Centre, an on-campus facility that supports both the PE curriculum and extracurricular sport. Its technology stack is built on standard third-party EdTech platforms rather than any proprietary systems: Arbor for school management, ParentPay for parental payments, Satchel:One for homework, Sparx Maths and Sparx Science for subject-specific learning, Seneca Learning for online study, and E Praise for behavior and rewards management.

The school's business model is that of a UK state academy: it charges no tuition fees and is funded primarily through government per-pupil grants routed via the Bourne Education Trust and the Surrey local authority admissions process. Revenue is supplemented by ancillary income from catering, trip fees, and Sports Centre usage. Its go-to-market is the annual Open Evening (held in October), supported by Open Mornings, the Prospectus 2025, a website, Facebook, and email newsletters aimed at prospective families within its assigned catchment area. Assal Ruse serves as Headteacher.

Name

The Matthew Arnold School

Legal name

The Matthew Arnold School

Website

https://matthew-arnold.surrey.sch.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Matthew Arnold School is a UK state-funded secondary school in Staines-upon-Thames, England, serving students aged 11-16 under the Bourne Education Trust. It delivers GCSE-focused academic education alongside extracurricular programs, funded by government per-pupil grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education (K-12)

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

School-Based SEL Curriculum & Instructional Programs (EDAKAMAA), Charter Montessori/Waldorf/Classical/Expeditionary (Pedagogical Models) (EDAJACAL), Physical Education & Health Instruction (EDAJAFAL)

Keywords

• Secondary education
• GCSE preparation
• State-funded schooling
• Academy education
• Extracurricular programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Staines-upon-Thames

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Matthew Arnold School is a state-funded secondary school in Staines-upon-Thames, Middlesex, delivering full secondary education to students aged 11–16 (Years 7–11). It provides a broad academic curriculum leading to GCSE qualifications, complemented by SEND support, careers guidance, and a wide range of extracurricular activities such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award, sports, and educational trips. The school also operates The Matthew Arnold Sports Centre as part of its physical education and community offering.

Product overview

The Matthew Arnold School is a secondary school providing comprehensive educational services to students. The core offering is secondary school education with a broad curriculum, supplemented by The Matthew Arnold Sports Centre for physical education, and a range of extra-curricular activities including the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, trips and visits, and various clubs. The school operates as part of the Bourne Education Trust network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Secondary School Education Comprehensive secondary education for students aged 11–16 (Years 7–11), delivering a broad academic curriculum across multiple subjects with emphasis on GCSE preparation and overall student development. Targeted at state-funded learners in the Staines-upon-Thames catchment area.
• The Matthew Arnold Sports Centre School-operated sports facilities providing physical education and supporting extracurricular sporting activities for students and the wider school community.
• Extra-Curricular Activities After-school clubs and activities including the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme, educational trips (Iceland, Belgium, Sicily), and various sporting and cultural programs designed to enrich student development beyond the core curriculum.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bourne Education TrustcoreOthersThe Matthew Arnold School is a member of the Bourne Education Trust (BET), a multi-academy trust operating secondary and primary schools across Surrey. The trust provides governance, leadership support, shared resources, and strategic direction. The school website displays the BET logo and references BET policies including Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and ESG commitments.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• United Learning: Large UK multi-academy trust running a national portfolio of state-funded and independent schools. Comparable as a national-scale academy group operating state-funded secondary schools with shared governance and back-office functions.
• Harris Federation: One of the largest UK multi-academy trusts, operating dozens of secondary and primary academies across London and southern England. Directly comparable as a large-scale academy operator running secondary schools in high-density urban/suburban UK markets.
• Academies Enterprise Trust (AET): National UK multi-academy trust operating a significant portfolio of secondary and primary academies. Comparable as a fellow state-funded secondary school operator with shared governance and trust-level support structures.
• Ormiston Academies Trust: National UK multi-academy trust operating a portfolio of secondary and primary academies. Comparable as a fellow state-funded secondary school operator with similar funding, governance, and regulatory exposure.
• E-ACT: Large UK multi-academy trust operating academies across multiple regions. Comparable as a fellow academy operator of secondary schools under the same state-funding and Ofsted regulatory model.
• Ark Schools: UK multi-academy trust operating academies across England. Comparable as a fellow academy operator running secondary schools with central pedagogical and operational support, often in urban and suburban catchments.

Direct peers

• Salesian School: Secondary school located in Chertsey, Surrey — a neighbouring town to Staines. A directly comparable state-funded secondary serving the same broader Surrey catchment area and competing for similar families.
• The Howard Partnership Trust: Surrey-based multi-academy trust operating multiple secondary and primary schools in the same county as Matthew Arnold. Closely comparable as a fellow Surrey MAT-run secondary school serving a similar suburban catchment in the same regulatory and funding environment.
• Bishop Wand Church of England School: Secondary school located in Sunbury-on-Thames, immediately adjacent to Staines-upon-Thames. A directly comparable state-funded secondary in the same Surrey catchment, competing for the same Year 7 applicant pool.
• Reigate Grammar School: Established secondary school located in Reigate, Surrey. Comparable as a long-running Surrey secondary serving a similar demographic, including post-16 progression, extracurricular programmes, and a comparable governance footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-matthew-arnold-school

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Matthew Arnold School