What Minerva Learning Trust does

Minerva Learning Trust is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) headquartered in Sheffield, UK, operating 10 schools across Sheffield and Derbyshire following its December 2024 merger with Cavendish Learning Trust. Founded in 2014 at Handsworth Grange Community Sports College as a single-academy trust, it has grown into a network of primary, secondary, sixth form, and post-16 provision serving students aged 5-19. The trust provides two core service lines: School Improvement Services (covering assessment, attendance, inclusion, teaching and learning, behaviour and engagement) and centralised Business Support Services (estates management, finance, HR, ICT, procurement, and marketing). It also operates an Employee Assistance Programme through a partnership with Schools Advisory Service. The Minerva Collaborative Learning Alliance (MCLA) framework, including the ROUTES training programme, subject network meetings, and the Minerva Open Door classroom observation initiative, supports staff development across the network.

The trust is a not-for-profit educational charity funded primarily through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) on a recurring per-pupil basis. It has no commercial pricing model, offers no tuition fees, and operates under a DfE-mediated growth model in which schools seeking to join the trust submit preferences to the Department for Education, which makes the final assignment decision. Outcomes are credentialled by Ofsted ratings (Good across inspected schools) and externally validated metrics, including High Storrs School being named the top non-selective secondary in England by The Daily Telegraph in 2025. The trust has no proprietary technology platform, patents, or AI/ML capabilities disclosed; its technology footprint consists of standard WordPress-based web infrastructure and third-party partnerships (Edurio for surveys, Schools Advisory Service for staff wellbeing). Regional commercial partnerships across nutrition, arts, and heritage (e.g., Chatsworth House Trust, AHDB, British Nutrition Foundation) extend its educational programmes but are not material revenue sources.

Name

Minerva Learning Trust

Legal name

Minerva Learning Trust

Website

https://minervalearningtrust.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Minerva Learning Trust is a UK Multi-Academy Trust operating 10 primary, secondary, and post-16 schools across Sheffield and Derbyshire, funded by the ESFA and focused on school improvement and centralised business support for member schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sheffield

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding (Education Funding): As a Multi-Academy Trust, Minerva Learning Trust receives government funding through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to operate its schools. Funding covers educational operations, staff, and facilities for the schools under its governance.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Minerva Learning Trust operates a network of 10 schools (primary, secondary, sixth form and post-16) across Sheffield and Derbyshire as a Multi-Academy Trust. It delivers free, government-funded education to students and provides centralised school improvement support (assessment, attendance, inclusion, teaching and learning) and business support services (estates, finance, HR, ICT, procurement) to its member schools.

Product overview

Minerva Learning Trust operates as a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) managing a network of 10 schools across Sheffield and Derbyshire, UK. The Trust provides a unified educational platform comprising primary, secondary, sixth form, and post-16 provisions. Core services include School Improvement Services (tailored support in assessment, attendance, inclusion, teaching and learning) and Business Support Services (estates management, finance, HR, ICT). The Trust also offers an Employee Assistance Programme through partnership with Schools Advisory Service. Member schools include Barrow Hill Primary Academy, Chapeltown Academy, Dunston Primary and Nursery Academy, Ecclesfield School, Handsworth Grange Community Sports College, High Storrs School, Netherthorpe School, Stocksbridge High School, Whittington Moor Nursery and Infant Academy, and Woodthorpe Primary School.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• School Improvement Services
• Business Support Services
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
• Breakfast Club Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• 2026 primary combined RWM outcomes increased by 9% year-on-year across the trust.
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and notable.

• Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2024AHDB collaborated with the British Nutrition Foundation on the Ingredients into Schools programme, providing free ingredients to Stocksbridge High School to support practical cookery lessons for Year 8 and 9 pupils.
• British Nutrition FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2024Partnered with AHDB on the Ingredients into Schools programme at Stocksbridge High School, supporting classroom cooking skills education.
• Lidl UKminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2024Lidl supported the Ingredients into Schools programme at Stocksbridge High School as part of the initiative to remove cost barriers to practical food education.
• UK Flour MillersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2024UK Flour Millers supported the Ingredients into Schools programme at Stocksbridge High School.
• Schools Advisory Service (SAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinerva Learning Trust partners with Schools Advisory Service (SAS) as the provider of its Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). SAS provides tailored wellbeing and support services for school staff across the UK, including free confidential access to mental, physical, and financial wellbeing services. The partnership includes the SAS Wellbeing App available through Apple App Store and Google Play. This is a key part of Minerva's commitment to becoming an employer of choice.
• Chatsworth House TrustnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerDunston Primary & Nursery Academy partnered with the Chatsworth House Trust for the Cascade Chronicles Oral History Project. Seventeen pupils were selected as Young Journalists to help record 50 oral history interviews with Chatsworth's current and former employees, volunteers, residents, and visitors. The project is part of the Celebrating the Cascade restoration project, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Training is delivered by Paradigm Arts.
• Paradigm ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParadigm Arts delivers the Young Journalist Academy training programme for Dunston pupils selected as young journalists for the Chatsworth Cascade Chronicles project.
• Sheffield Hallam UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSheffield Hallam University researchers partnered with Ecclesfield School on the Smartphone-Free Challenge initiative, a three-week project in which 32 students voluntarily gave up smartphones and were issued 'brick phones'. The project studied the impact on wellbeing, sleep, and social relationships.
• MitieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMitie partnered with Ecclesfield School and Sheffield Hallam University on the Smartphone-Free Challenge initiative.
• Career TeachersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCareer Teachers partnered with Ecclesfield School on the Smartphone-Free Challenge initiative.
• Revealing RealityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRevealing Reality produced the short documentary film documenting Ecclesfield School's Smartphone-Free Challenge project, capturing pupil reflections in their own words.
• EduriocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinerva Learning Trust partnered with Edurio to conduct pupil and parent surveys (65% pupil response rate with 3,700+ students; 890 parent responses). Results informed trust improvement strategies. Edurio's 2025 Pupil Happiness Guide featured Chapeltown Academy.
• Handsworth Grange Community Sports College (Founding School)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerHandsworth Grange Community Sports College is the founding school of Minerva Learning Trust, established in 2014. It remains the primary site for trust-wide events including the 10-year time capsule ceremony and Collaboration Days.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Outwood Grange Academies Trust: Major UK Multi-Academy Trust with a strong reputation for school improvement and turnaround of underperforming secondary schools. Closely comparable to Minerva on operating model (DfE-funded, central improvement team, multi-school network) and on growth via conversion of weaker schools.
• Greenwood Academies Trust: UK Multi-Academy Trust running primary and secondary academies with a focus on school improvement and central support services. Comparable to Minerva in structure (MAT, central team, school improvement mandate) and regional mid-sized scale.
• Ormiston Academies Trust: One of the largest UK Multi-Academy Trusts operating primary and secondary academies across multiple regions. Directly comparable as a non-profit MAT running government-funded schools with central school improvement and business support functions, though at considerably larger scale than Minerva.
• Academy Transformation Trust: Mid-sized UK MAT focused specifically on school improvement and turning around underperforming academies. Highly comparable to Minerva on mission (turning RI/Inadequate schools to Good), central improvement services, and reliance on DfE assignment pipeline.
• Delta Academies Trust: Northern England-based Multi-Academy Trust operating a network of primary and secondary schools with centralised support and a track record of taking on underperforming schools. Closely comparable to Minerva's Yorkshire-focused footprint and improvement-led growth model.
• Reach Academy Trust: Multi-Academy Trust operating a network of schools with central school improvement services. Comparable to Minerva as a regional UK MAT focused on turnaround and operational consolidation across member schools.

Others

• Edurio: Education-sector insight and survey provider that partners with MATs (including Minerva) to run pupil, parent and staff surveys and produce benchmarking reports such as the Pupil Happiness Guide. Adjacent ecosystem participant that supports Minerva's improvement strategy rather than competing with it.

Broad incumbents

• Academies Enterprise Trust (AET): Large national Multi-Academy Trust operating a broad portfolio of primary and secondary academies across England. Comparable as a sector incumbent with overlapping school improvement and central business support functions, though significantly larger than Minerva.
• Star Academies: Large UK Multi-Academy Trust running a portfolio of primary and secondary schools with strong emphasis on outcomes and central improvement services. Comparable in operating model and DfE-funded structure, but at significantly larger scale than Minerva.
• United Learning: One of the largest UK MATs, operating primary, secondary and independent schools nationally with a broad portfolio including teacher training and central support services. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the same MAT space, but materially larger and more diversified than Minerva.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MinervaTrust
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/minerva-learning-trust

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries10 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 Minerva Learning Trust