Morecambe Bay Academy

What Morecambe Bay Academy does

Morecambe Bay Academy is a state-funded secondary school and sixth form academy located in Morecambe, Lancashire, England, serving students aged 11-18 across Years 7-13. The school opened on 1 May 2019 as part of The Bay Learning Trust, a local Multi Academy Trust comprising Ripley St Thomas CE Academy, Carnforth High School, Central Lancaster High School, and Morecambe Bay Academy. It delivers a broad and balanced curriculum in which students are taught in sets based on prior attainment during Years 7-9, transitioning to GCSE courses in Year 10 and A-Level/BTEC qualifications in the Sixth Form. Subjects offered span traditional academic disciplines (English, Mathematics, Sciences, Humanities) alongside vocational and creative options (BTEC, Performing Arts, Photography, Criminology).

The academy's operational technology stack is built entirely on standard third-party education platforms: SchoolSynergy for school management, ParentPay for payment processing, GCSEPod for online study and revision, SchoolCloud for parents' evening scheduling, foldr for file management, and Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Sway, and Microsoft Forms for productivity and communications. YouTube is used for student engagement content (e.g., The Masked Reader competition). There is no proprietary technology, no AI/ML integration, and no mobile application. The school maintains a comprehensive website with 170+ news articles and 71+ newsletters extending through 2026.

The business model is entirely government-funded: the academy receives revenue from the UK Department for Education via the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), with no tuition fees charged to families. Distribution occurs through a formal local-authority-coordinated admissions process for Year 7 entry, a dedicated Sixth Form application track, and In-Year admissions for transfers. Marketing and community engagement are conducted through the school website, weekly and termly newsletters, Open Evenings/Mornings, Year 6 transition programs with local feeder primary schools, and social media. The school is not a commercial entity and is not investable in the conventional PE/VC sense; it is a publicly funded educational institution governed by The Bay Learning Trust (Company No. 07588464).

Name

Morecambe Bay Academy

Legal name

The Bay Learning Trust

Website

https://morecambebayacademy.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Morecambe Bay Academy is a state-funded UK secondary school and sixth form in Morecambe, Lancashire, serving students aged 11-18 within The Bay Learning Trust, funded entirely by the Department for Education via the ESFA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Morecambe

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, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Education Funding: As a publicly funded academy within The Bay Learning Trust, Morecambe Bay Academy receives government funding for education services. Revenue comes from the Department for Education via the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Morecambe Bay Academy is a state-funded secondary school and sixth form providing GCSE, A-Level, and BTEC education to students aged 11-18 in the Morecambe Bay area. The academy operates under The Bay Learning Trust, delivering a broad and balanced curriculum with set-based teaching in Years 7-9 and GCSE courses beginning in Year 10. Sixth Form provision offers A-Levels and BTECs across a wide range of subjects, with extra-curricular activities, remote learning support, and dedicated revision resources through third-party platforms such as GCSEPod.

Product overview

Morecambe Bay Academy operates as a secondary school and sixth form offering a single unified educational service. The academy provides secondary education for Years 7-11 with a broad and balanced curriculum, where students are taught in sets based on prior attainment in Years 7-9 before beginning GCSE courses in Year 10. The Sixth Form offers a wide range of A-Level and BTEC subjects. Additional services include Remote Learning capabilities, Extra-Curricular Activities, GCSEPod online study platform subscription, and dedicated Year 11 revision resources. The academy is part of The Bay Learning Trust and was rated 'GOOD' by Ofsted in all areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Secondary Education Services (Years 7-11) Comprehensive secondary school education for students in Years 7-11 following a broad and balanced curriculum, with students taught in sets based on prior attainment in Years 7-9 before commencing GCSE courses in Year 10. Targeted at students aged 11-16 in the Morecambe Bay area.
• Sixth Form Education (Years 12-13) Post-16 education offering A-Level and BTEC qualifications including Art, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Computer Science, Criminology, Dance, Drama, Early Childhood Development, English Language, English Literature, Health and Social Care, Maths, Performing Arts, Photography, Psychology, Sociology, and Sport. Targeted at students aged 16-18 completing GCSEs and preparing for university or employment.
• Extra-Curricular Activities Programme After-school clubs and enrichment activities spanning athletics, cricket, rounders, and other sporting competitions. The school has produced multiple county champions in athletics and sports. Targeted at enrolled students seeking development beyond the academic curriculum.

Quantifiable outcome

• 64% of students achieved grade 9-4 in English and Mathematics (2020 GCSE results)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and supporting.

• The Bay Learning TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2019Morecambe Bay Academy is part of The Bay Learning Trust, a local Multi Academy Trust established to improve the life chances of children across the Morecambe Bay community. The Trust comprises multiple local academies and provides substantial capital investment for school improvements.
• Ripley St Thomas CE AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2019Part of The Bay Learning Trust family of schools. The Chair of the Board of Directors of The Bay Learning Trust is Professor Crewdson. Serves as the trust's main academy alongside Carnforth High School.
• Carnforth High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2019Part of The Bay Learning Trust family of schools, working together with Morecambe Bay Academy and other trust schools to improve outcomes for young people in the local area.
• Central Lancaster High SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2019Announced as joining The Bay Learning Trust in the coming months at the time of Morecambe Bay Academy's opening, expanding the trust's family of schools.
• Ripley ITTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMorecambe Bay Academy works in partnership with Ripley ITT for teacher training. Ripley ITT believes every child deserves a teacher who can make a difference in their lives.
• GCSEPodsupportingTechnology or IntegrationMorecambe Bay Academy has subscribed to GCSEPod, an online study platform used by the school to support student revision and exam preparation.
• SchoolCloudsupportingTechnology or IntegrationThe school uses SchoolCloud as an online platform for parents' evenings, enabling video appointments between parents and teachers through a virtual booking system.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Oasis Community Learning: National multi-academy trust running academies across England, including secondary schools in underserved areas similar to Morecambe Bay. Comparable as an incumbent operating at a different scale in the same UK state-secondary market.
• United Learning: Large multi-academy trust operating state-funded and independent schools across England. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the UK state-secondary space, illustrating an alternative scaling path relative to The Bay Learning Trust.
• Greenwood Academies Trust: Mid-sized multi-academy trust running a portfolio of secondary academies primarily in the Midlands and East of England. Comparable as a broad incumbent operating under the same DfE/ESFA funding regime as Morecambe Bay Academy.
• Harris Federation: One of the largest UK multi-academy trusts, operating a portfolio of primary and secondary academies. Relevant as a scaled incumbent demonstrating the upper bound of trust-led secondary school operations available to Morecambe Bay Academy's growth model.
• E-ACT: Large national multi-academy trust operating dozens of secondary academies across England. Comparable as a broader industry incumbent running non-selective state secondaries under the same ESFA funding model that Morecambe Bay Academy operates within.

Regional players

• Lancaster Royal Grammar School: Selective grammar school in Lancaster competing for higher-attaining students in the same geographic catchment. Relevant peer because families in the Morecambe Bay area frequently choose between Morecambe Bay Academy and LRGS for secondary education.
• Lancaster Girls' Grammar School: Selective girls' grammar school in Lancaster drawing from the same regional catchment. Comparable as a competing secondary option for academically ambitious families who might otherwise consider Morecambe Bay Academy.

Direct peers

• Carnforth High School: Co-located within The Bay Learning Trust and serving a similar rural/semi-rural North Lancashire catchment. Comparable as a non-selective state secondary academy sharing central trust services and curriculum oversight with Morecambe Bay Academy.
• Central Lancaster High School: Announced as joining The Bay Learning Trust, becoming a third direct peer academy under the same governance. Operates in the same Lancaster district and serves a similar non-selective secondary cohort as Morecambe Bay Academy.
• Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy: Sister academy within The Bay Learning Trust serving the Lancaster/Morecambe area as a mixed Church of England secondary. Directly comparable in funding model, trust governance, curriculum structure, and geographic catchment to Morecambe Bay Academy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/morecambe-bay-academy

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Morecambe Bay Academy