NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST
Northern Lights Learning Trust is a UK multi-academy trust operating 12 community and Church of England primary and secondary schools across Teesside and Wearside, serving over 4,600 pupils, plus DfE-designated Teaching School Hub and Early Years Stronger Practice Hub services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersSunderland, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST does
Northern Lights Learning Trust is a multi-academy trust (MAT) registered as an exempt charity in England and Wales (company number 07909140), operating 12 primary and secondary academies — a mix of community and Church of England schools — across Teesside and Wearside in the North East of England. Founded in 2016 and headquartered at Benedict Biscop CE Academy in Sunderland, the trust serves over 4,600 pupils and is governed by a Members and Board of Trustees structure with Jo Heaton OBE as Chief Executive Officer.
The trust's core product is direct academy operation, supplemented by three DfE-designated hub services: the Northern Lights Teaching School Hub (one of 87 nationally, providing Initial Teacher Training, Early Career Framework, NPQs, and CPD to over 300 regional schools), the Early Years Stronger Practice Hub (covering eight North East local authorities from birth to reception), and an associate-school membership programme that on-ramps prospective converting schools. Underlying delivery is human-led school improvement and central professional services rather than a technology platform.
The trust's revenue model is predominantly government-funded per-pupil grants (ESFA) distributed across its academies, supplemented by DfE grant funding for the Teaching School Hub and Early Years Hub, and modest associate-school membership fees. It recruits new schools through direct outreach by the CEO and central team, leveraging its DfE-approved sponsor status, associate-membership pathway, and brand of school-improvement expertise. Its twelve wholly-owned operating subsidiaries are the academies themselves, plus the two service hubs.
NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST
- Legal name
- Northern Lights Learning Trust
- Website
- https://northernlights.education
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Northern Lights Learning Trust is a UK multi-academy trust operating 12 community and Church of England primary and secondary schools across Teesside and Wearside, serving over 4,600 pupils, plus DfE-designated Teaching School Hub and Early Years Stronger Practice Hub services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sunderland
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- School Funding: As a multi-academy trust, Northern Lights receives government funding through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) based on pupil numbers across its academies. Funding agreements govern each academy's financial arrangements.
- Associate School Membership Fees: Schools pay membership fees to join as Associate Schools, with costs kept to a minimum and packages bespoke to each school's needs. The exercise is described as not financially motivated.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Associate School Membership - Standard Model |
| Subscription | Annual | Associate School Membership - Support Model |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Northern Lights Learning Trust is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) operating 12 primary and secondary schools across Teesside and Wearside, serving over 4,600 pupils in community and Church of England settings. Beyond direct academy operations, the trust runs a DfE-designated Teaching School Hub (one of 87 nationally) providing Initial Teacher Training, Early Career Framework support, National Professional Qualifications, and CPD to over 300 regional schools, and an Early Years Stronger Practice Hub delivering evidence-based professional development to early years practitioners across the North East.
Product overview
Northern Lights Learning Trust operates as a unified educational platform comprising 12 primary and secondary schools serving over 4,600 pupils across Teesside and Wearside. The Trust functions as both an education provider and a system leader, offering three interconnected hub services: the Teaching School Hub (one of 87 DfE-designated centres for teacher training and development), the Early Years Stronger Practice Hub (covering the North East region), and Initial Teacher Training programmes. The Trust provides progressive staff development pathways through seven levels of leadership programmes from Enhanced ECT support through to Head's Core Support, with access to fully funded NPQ programmes. The portfolio works together under the mission 'Shining Stronger Together' to ensure children and young people flourish at the heart of all the Trust does.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Northern Lights Learning Trust Schools Network A network of 12 directly-operated primary and secondary academies across Teesside and Wearside delivering education to over 4,600 pupils in community and Church of England schools, with shared central services, governance, and school improvement expertise.
- Northern Lights Teaching School Hub One of 87 DfE-designated Teaching School Hubs in England providing Initial Teacher Training, Early Career Framework support, NPQs, CPD programmes, and Appropriate Body status for teachers, support staff and leaders across over 300 schools in the region.
- Northern Lights Early Years Stronger Practice Hub DfE-designated Early Years Stronger Practice Hub covering North and South Tyneside, Gateshead, Sunderland, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Stockton, Darlington, and Redcar and Cleveland, providing evidence-based professional development for early years practitioners from birth to reception, including childminders, PVI sector, maintained nursery schools, and early years settings within primary schools.
- Initial Teacher Training (ITT)
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 4,600 pupils served across 12 schools
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, support and flagship.
- AmazoncoreAmazon has partnered with St Aidan's CE Academy through a twinning project, donating £10,000 for careers resources and providing site tours, engineering workshops, and apprenticeships presentations. Amazon also provided LEGO Education SPIKE Prime Robots and microscopic equipment for the school.
- My Big Career CharitysupportMy Big Career charity facilitated the partnership between Amazon and St Aidan's CE Academy, supporting careers projects and opportunities for pupils.
- Durham Diocesan Board of EducationcoreDurham Diocese works with Northern Lights on church school support, SIAMS inspections, and governance for the trust's Church of England schools including St Peter's Elwick, Benedict Biscop, Venerable Bede, Ian Ramsey, and St Aidan's.
- North East Local AuthoritiessupportTeaching School Hub and Early Years Stronger Practice Hub work with Local Authorities and the expert and mentors programme to identify settings for bespoke support.
- Schools North EastcoreJo Heaton OBE serves as Trustee and Vice Chair of Schools North East, contributing to system leadership and school improvement across the region.
- Department for EducationflagshipDfE designated Northern Lights Teaching School Hub as one of 87 centres of excellence nationally, and later designated the Early Years Stronger Practice Hub for the North East region.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Schools North East: The regional schools' representative body for the North East, of which Northern Lights CEO Jo Heaton OBE is a Trustee and Vice Chair. An enabling sector partner rather than a competitor, but tightly connected to the trust's system-leadership positioning and policy influence.
- Durham Diocesan Board of Education: The Church of England's education body for the Durham Diocese, a strategic partner of Northern Lights on church-school governance, SIAMS inspections and ethos. Not a competitor but a key enabling stakeholder for the trust's CofE academies (Benedict Biscop, St Peter's Elwick, Venerable Bede, Ian Ramsey, St Aidan's).
Broad incumbents
- Ormiston Academies Trust: One of the largest not-for-profit MATs in England, operating academies across multiple regions. Competes with Northern Lights in the broader academy conversion market and offers a similar community-focused value proposition, but at national scale.
- United Learning: A large national MAT operating both state academies and independent schools across England. Competes with Northern Lights for school conversions and shares a broad curriculum-plus-character ethos, but at materially greater scale and geographic spread.
- Greenwood Academies Trust: A multi-academy trust operating a portfolio of primary and secondary academies, with a footprint overlapping parts of the Midlands and North. Comparable operating model (MAT governance, school improvement focus) and a direct competitor for school conversions.
- Outwood Grange Academies Trust: One of the largest MATs in the North of England with a primary and secondary academy network spanning multiple regions. A scaled incumbent competitor for school conversions in Northern Lights' catchment area, with substantially larger central capacity.
- Star Academies: A large national multi-academy trust running a network of primary and secondary schools, including faith-based schools, across multiple regions. Comparable in operating a faith-inclusive model but at substantially larger scale than Northern Lights.
Direct peers
- Hope Learning Trust: A regional MAT in the North of England operating a mixed portfolio of primary and secondary schools. Similar in structure and stage of maturity to Northern Lights, competing for the same pool of converting schools in northern communities.
- Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust: Faith-based North East MAT operating a network of Catholic primary and secondary schools across the region. Comparable to Northern Lights on regional footprint, faith-school element, and trust scale; its former CEO Anita Bath OBE now sits on Northern Lights' board.
- River Tees Multi-Academy Trust: A North East-based MAT operating multiple primary and secondary schools across Teesside. Directly comparable to Northern Lights on geography, size band, and operating model — notably, its CEO Christina Jones OBE also serves as a trustee of Northern Lights.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST social profiles
Digital presenceNORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries14 records
NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST
What does NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST do?
Northern Lights Learning Trust is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) operating 12 primary and secondary schools across Teesside and Wearside, serving over 4,600 pupils in community and Church of England settings. Beyond direct academy operations, the trust runs a DfE-designated Teaching School Hub (one of 87 nationally) providing Initial Teacher Training, Early Career Framework support, National Professional Qualifications, and CPD to over 300 regional schools, and an Early Years Stronger Practice Hub delivering evidence-based professional development to early years practitioners across the North East.
Is NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST a public or private company?
NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST founded?
NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST based?
NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST is headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. School Funding is the primary driver. The others are associate School Membership Fees.
Who are NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST's main competitors?
Others on record are Schools North East and Durham Diocesan Board of Education. Broad incumbents are Ormiston Academies Trust, United Learning, Greenwood Academies Trust, Outwood Grange Academies Trust and Star Academies. Direct peers are Hope Learning Trust, Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust and River Tees Multi-Academy Trust.
Does NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST have an API?
No public API is recorded for NORTHERN LIGHTS LEARNING TRUST.