North West Academies Trust (NWAT)

What North West Academies Trust (NWAT) does

North West Academies Trust (NWAT) is a charitable multi-academy trust (MAT) headquartered in Chester, United Kingdom, that operates a network of 14 primary and secondary academies across Cheshire West & Chester, Cheshire East, and Shropshire. Founded in 2011 by Steve Docking OBE with a single academy (Delamere CE Academy) and 42 pupils, the trust has grown to serve approximately 2,500 pupils, maintaining a record in which all 14 schools are rated Good or Outstanding by Ofsted, including headline turnarounds such as Oak View Academy (formerly the second-worst performing school in the country).

The trust's core product is the operation and improvement of state-funded academies; its secondary product is the NWAT Futures Hub, an accredited School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) programme that trains graduate and career-change teachers. Revenue is generated primarily through per-pupil funding from the Department for Education via the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), supplemented by ancillary income from the SCITT programme and school-improvement services offered to other schools. There is no proprietary technology platform; the trust relies on standard central trust functions (governance, finance, HR, curriculum oversight) distributed across a 31-person central team.

NWAT acquires new schools through direct engagement with the DfE, local authorities (Cheshire East Council, Cheshire West & Chester Council), and Diocesan Boards of Education, responding to consultations and sponsoring new free schools. Distribution is regional and enterprise-style, with stakeholders including local authorities, diocesan partners, and parents; the trust maintains a professional website, an active Twitter/X feed (@NWATrust), and publishes news on community events and awards.

Name

North West Academies Trust (NWAT)

Legal name

North West Academies Trust

Website

https://northwestacademiestrust.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

North West Academies Trust is a charitable multi-academy trust operating 14 primary and secondary schools across Cheshire and Shropshire, serving approximately 2,500 pupils via government per-pupil funding and an in-house SCITT teacher training programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Education Funding: As an academy trust, NWAT receives government funding through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) based on pupil numbers. Additional revenue comes from school improvement services, SCITT (teacher training) programmes, and educational support services offered to other schools.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

North West Academies Trust operates a network of 14 primary and secondary schools across Cheshire West, Cheshire East and Shropshire, delivering mainstream education to approximately 2,500 pupils. The trust also runs the NWAT Futures Hub, a School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) programme that trains graduates and career changers as teachers. Together, these are the trust's core, standalone offerings, backed by government per-pupil funding and supplemented by school improvement services provided to other schools.

Product overview

North West Academies Trust (NWAT) is a multi-academy trust providing educational services through a network of 14 primary and secondary schools across Cheshire and Shropshire. The trust offers initial teacher training through its NWAT Futures Hub SCITT programme. The core offering consists of the school network delivering educational services to approximately 2,500 pupils, complemented by teacher training services for those seeking to enter the teaching profession. The trust was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Chester.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NWAT Futures Hub: Initial teacher training program (SCITT) offering Train to Teach places for graduates and career changers.

Products and services

• North West Academies Trust School Network Network of 14 primary and secondary academies across Cheshire West, Cheshire East and Shropshire, providing mainstream education to approximately 2,500 pupils aged 4–16. Member schools include Acresfield Academy, Acton CE Primary Academy, Calveley Primary Academy, Delamere C of E Academy, Ellesmere Primary School, Grosvenor Park CofE Academy, Kingsbourne Academy, Millfields Primary Academy, Oak View Academy, Rudheath Senior Academy, St John's CE Academy, St Martin's Academy, Tilston Parochial CE Primary Academy, and Weaverham Primary Academy.
• NWAT Futures Hub - Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) programme offering Train to Teach places for graduates, soon-to-graduate students, and career changers seeking to enter the teaching profession. The programme is accredited and provides training locations across the trust's school network.

Quantifiable outcome

• Transformed from 42 pupils to 2,500 across trust since 2011
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 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 minor and core.

• Cheshire Young CarersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026Charity partnership recognising schools' support for young carers; awards programme for schools demonstrating outstanding care.
• Diocesan Board of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Church of England diocese partnership for academy conversions; essential partner for maintaining Christian ethos in church schools joining the trust.
• Department for Education (DfE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025DfE is the primary government partner for all academy funding agreements, free school establishments, and regulatory oversight of academy trusts.
• Cheshire East CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Local education authority partner for schools in Cheshire East area; collaborated on St John's CE Primary joining the trust and new school provision.
• Nantwich Town Football ClubminorOthers · 1 June 2023Community venue hosting NWAT Football Festival and other trust-wide sporting events.
• Cheshire West & Chester CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 March 2023Local authority partner for schools in Cheshire West area; collaborated on appointments and school improvement initiatives.
• Alex Timpson Award / NWAT BursaryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023School bursary providing free uniforms for pupil premium children and additional learning experiences; part of trust's commitment to equal opportunities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Academies Enterprise Trust (AET): Large UK MAT operating a network of primary and secondary academies with a focus on school improvement in disadvantaged areas — directly comparable operating model to NWAT.
• Oasis Community Learning: One of the largest UK multi-academy trusts operating primary and secondary academies nationally with a focus on school improvement and community transformation; directly comparable as a MAT serving similar DfE-funded school improvement mandates.
• United Learning: Major UK multi-academy trust running both state-funded academies and independent schools, with similar DfE-funded school improvement activity and a comparable mix of primary and secondary provision.
• Delta Academies Trust: UK MAT operating a large network of primary and secondary academies, including a focus on school improvement; comparable in operating model and DfE engagement.
• REAch2 Academy Trust: UK primary-focused multi-academy trust with a similar portfolio composition to NWAT (heavily primary-weighted) and a comparable school improvement mandate in regional clusters.
• Outwood Grange Academies Trust: Large UK MAT with significant secondary turnaround expertise and regional clustering of academies; comparable in scale and operating model to NWAT.
• Harris Federation: Large UK multi-academy trust operating primary and secondary academies with a strong track record of turning around underperforming schools — the most directly comparable school-improvement-focused MAT to NWAT.
• Greenwood Academies Trust: Mid-sized UK MAT operating primary and secondary academies across the Midlands with a comparable school improvement and DfE-sponsored model.

Others

• Diocese of Chester Board of Education: NWAT's strategic partner for Church of England academy conversions; directly relevant as the institutional counterparty enabling NWAT's expansion into faith schools rather than a competing operator.

Regional players

• Northern Education Trust: Multi-academy trust operating schools predominantly in northern England; comparable DfE-funded MAT model though geographically concentrated further north than NWAT's Cheshire/Shropshire footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NWATrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/north-west-academies-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries14 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 North West Academies Trust (NWAT)