Royal Wootton Bassett Academy

What Royal Wootton Bassett Academy does

Royal Wootton Bassett Academy is a UK state-funded secondary school and constituent academy of the Ascend Learning Trust multi-academy trust, educating 1,700-1,800 girls and boys aged 11-19 across Years 7-13 plus a sixth form with a national reputation for academic success. Originally founded on 8 January 1958 as Wootton Bassett County Secondary School with 279 pupils and 13 staff under Headmaster Mr F W King, the school moved into £15M purpose-built accommodation in February 2002 under a Private Finance Initiative with the White Horse Education Partnership, converted to academy status on 1 July 2011, and was renamed Royal Wootton Bassett Academy on 14 March 2012. It has served over 1,700+ students since, achieving Ofsted Outstanding in all 27 categories in November 2010 and retaining Outstanding in November 2013, before being judged Good in every area in November 2024. Catchment covers Royal Wootton Bassett, surrounding Wiltshire villages, and choice students from west and north Swindon, with the school regularly over-subscribed.

The academy's core technology stack is a Microsoft-based environment (Microsoft Authenticator multi-factor authentication for student and staff accounts, Microsoft Office Forms for academic enquiries) supplemented by third-party SaaS including the Arbor parent app for absence reporting and the G4S-operated Oasis Restaurant catering management system. Its primary product is secondary and post-16 academic delivery aligned with the UK National Curriculum, GCSEs, and A-Levels, supported by SEND support, dyslexia-friendly practices, Pupil Premium programmes, a House System for pastoral care, and School of Sanctuary award status. Ancillary revenue products include a private bus service (£1,148 per year for 2026-2027) and the Oasis Restaurant. The school's Ofsted Outstanding-to-Good trajectory and Microsoft 365 / Arbor / G4S technology choices indicate a stable, standards-driven educational institution with limited proprietary technology differentiation.

The academy is government-funded through the Department for Education via the Education and Skills Funding Agency, with revenue indexed to student enrollment numbers. Pricing for core educational services is set at zero at point of use; ancillary revenue streams include the bus service subscription and Pupil Premium top-up funding. Distribution is direct to consumer — families — via Wiltshire County Council mainstream admissions (Year 7 deadline 31 October), direct Sixth Form applications via Microsoft Forms, open evenings, parent tours, and primary school transition activities. The customer base of 1,700-1,800 students represents substantial scale (one of the largest secondary schools in Wiltshire) but is entirely dependent on a single funding source: UK government per-pupil allocations.

Name

Royal Wootton Bassett Academy

Legal name

Royal Wootton Bassett Academy

Website

https://rwba.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Royal Wootton Bassett Academy is a UK state-funded secondary school and constituent academy of Ascend Learning Trust, educating 1,700-1,800 students aged 11-19 in Wiltshire. Revenue is government-funded per-pupil with ancillary income from a private bus service.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Magnet & Specialty Schools (STEM/Arts/IB/CTE) (EDAJAAAF)

Keywords

• Secondary school education
• Sixth form provision
• School catering services
• Home-to-school transport
• GCSE A-Level programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Royal Wootton Bassett

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, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Education Funding: As a state-funded academy, Royal Wootton Bassett Academy receives its primary revenue from the UK Government through the Department for Education, via the Education and Skills Funding Agency. Funding is based on student enrollment numbers.
2. School Bus Service Fees: The academy operates a private bus service with fees charged to parents. For 2026-2027, the annual cost is £1,148, payable via ParentPay or standing order with a non-refundable £100 deposit and optional 8-month installment plan.
3. Pupil Premium Funding: Additional government funding allocated based on eligibility criteria including free school meals eligibility, looked-after children, and children of armed forces personnel, to help close attainment gaps.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Royal Wootton Bassett Academy is a state-funded secondary school and sixth form delivering full-time education for students aged 11-19 (Years 7-13), including GCSE and A-Level qualifications aligned with the UK National Curriculum. Beyond academic curriculum delivery, the school offers ancillary paid services including the Oasis Restaurant school catering (operated by G4S) and the private RWBA Bus Service for home-to-school transport, alongside pastoral care, safeguarding, SEND inclusion, and a wide extracurricular programme in music, drama and sport.

Product overview

Royal Wootton Bassett Academy is a secondary school providing educational services for students aged 11–19 (Years 7–13). The school operates as a single, unified educational institution under the Ascend Learning Trust. Key service offerings span academic curriculum delivery, sixth-form provision, pastoral care, attendance management, catering (Oasis Restaurant), home-to-school transport, and admissions/transition support. The school uses the Arbor parent portal/app for attendance reporting and real-time record-keeping, and Microsoft Authenticator for multi-factor authentication on student school accounts when accessing services from outside the school network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sixth Form Provision (Years 12-13)

Quantifiable outcome

• Previously achieved Outstanding in all 27 Ofsted categories (November 2010)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ascend Learning TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoyal Wootton Bassett Academy is a proud member of the Ascend Learning Trust, a multi-academy trust. The trust provides strategic oversight, shared services including HR, finance, and governance. The academy operates under the trust's mission to create a culture of kindness and inclusivity with high expectations, develop and retain high calibre professionals, deliver unmissable education, and ensure robust, resilient education provision.
• G4SminorOthersG4S provides catering services for the academy's Oasis Restaurant, operating under the G4S Dietician framework. Services include compliance with UK School Food Standards (2014), EU FIC Regulation allergen management, and Natasha's Law (PPDS labelling from October 2021).
• White Horse Education PartnershipminorOthersPrivate Finance Initiative partner that funded and developed the school's purpose-built accommodation completed in 2002 at a cost of £15M as part of a broader £140m initiative to build three new schools in North Wiltshire.
• Wiltshire County CouncilcoreOthersThe academy works with Wiltshire County Council for mainstream school admissions, attendance monitoring and welfare support, home-to-school transport provision, and penalty notices for unauthorized holidays. The council handles the main admissions notification process for Year 7 students.
• Swindon Borough CouncilminorOthersFamilies living in Swindon and paying council tax to Swindon Borough Council apply for school places through the school's separate process for the private bus service.
• Price & BucklandminorOthersOfficial school uniform supplier for Royal Wootton Bassett Academy. Parents order uniform through the Price & Buckland online portal at price-buckland.co.uk/royal-wootton-bassett-swindon.
• AQA, Pearson, OCR, WJEC/EduqascoreTechnology or IntegrationExamination boards used by the academy for GCSE, AS, and A-Level qualifications. Links provided to exam timetables and candidate information through the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) framework.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bishop Wordsworth's School: Selective grammar school in Salisbury, Wiltshire, with strong Sixth Form and Oxbridge progression. Comparable on academic outcomes, regional positioning, and Sixth Form reputation.
• The Commonweal School: Secondary school in Swindon serving a broadly similar 11-18 cohort. Comparable on customer base (Wiltshire/Swindon families) and curriculum (GCSE/A-Level delivery).
• Nova Hreod Academy: Secondary academy in Swindon serving a similar 11-16 cohort with significant Pupil Premium and SEND provision. Directly comparable on academy model and student demographic.
• Sheldon School: Co-educational secondary school in Chippenham, Wiltshire, serving a similar 11-18 cohort with a comparable catchment and Sixth Form. Comparable on geographic, demographic, and curriculum dimensions.
• Lydiard Park Academy: Swindon-based secondary academy that is part of the same Ascend Learning Trust and shares bus catchment/transit relationships with RWBA. Directly comparable trust-level peer with overlapping student draw.
• Highworth Warneford School: Secondary school in Highworth, north Wiltshire, serving the same regional demographic and operating at similar scale. Closely comparable secondary state school in the same county.

Others

• Ascend Learning Trust: Parent multi-academy trust housing RWBA and other Wiltshire/Swindon schools. Comparable as the organizational umbrella providing shared services, governance, and growth vehicle for constituent academies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RWBAcademy
• Instagraminstagram.com/rwbacademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/royal-wootton-bassett-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Royal Wootton Bassett Academy