The Skinners' Kent Academy

What The Skinners' Kent Academy does

The Skinners' Kent Academy (SKA) is a UK state-funded secondary school and sixth form located in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, established in 2009 as part of the Skinners' Academies Trust Multi-Academy Trust. The school delivers the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) for Years 7-9 and the IB Career-related Programme (IBCP) for the Sixth Form, in addition to standard GCSE and A-Level/BTEC pathways. The Skinners' Kent Academy serves approximately 800-1,100 students aged 11-18 with a headcount of 91 staff, operating from a single campus at Sandown Park, Tunbridge Wells, and reports an Ofsted Section 5 'Good' rating across all categories from its 2023 inspection.

The core curriculum stack is built on the IB World School framework supplemented by specialised programmes including Forest School (for SEND and ADHD/ASD students), the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy, Duke of Edinburgh Awards (Bronze and Silver), and an international trips programme. Technology infrastructure relies on standard third-party platforms: Microsoft Teams for remote education delivery, Class Charts and My Child at School (MCAS) for parent communication and student tracking, ParentPay for payments, and Cognitive Ability Testing (CAT4) for baseline assessment. The school operates with standard communication channels — open events, taster sessions, Facebook, email newsletters, and Challenge Partners peer reviews — and runs a student leadership council (SKA Learning Council) and AI literacy strand within its MYP curriculum.

The Skinners' Kent Academy's business model is government-funded through per-pupil grants administered via the Skinners' Academies Trust, with no tuition fees charged to students. Revenue is therefore a function of enrolment, per-pupil funding rates set by the Department for Education, and supplementary grant streams. The academy has no commercial product revenue, no private-pay customers, and no disclosed fundraising scale beyond an SKA Fundraising Team presence. Operational governance is provided by a Local Governing Body chaired by Neil Pegrum, with executive leadership under Principal Miss Hannah Knowles, Vice Principal Mrs Ribbans-Opara, and Assistant Principals Mr Rowe and Mr J Blake.

Name

The Skinners' Kent Academy

Legal name

The Skinners' Kent Academy

Website

https://skinnerskentacademy.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Skinners' Kent Academy is a state-funded UK secondary school and sixth form in Tunbridge Wells delivering the IB Middle Years Programme (Years 7-9) and IB Career-related Programme (Sixth Form) to approximately 800-1,100 students aged 11-18, operated under the Skinners' Academies Trust.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (61), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Teacher Professional Development & In-Service Training Institutes (EDAHAFAM)

Keywords

• Secondary education services
• International Baccalaureate programmes
• Sixth Form education
• GCSE preparation
• Academy school

Headquarters

HQ city

Tunbridge Wells

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: State-funded academy receiving government per-pupil funding for educational services. No direct tuition fees charged to students as per UK state education policy.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Skinners' Kent Academy is a UK state-funded secondary school and sixth form serving students aged 11-18 (Years 7-13) in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. It delivers International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme for Years 7-9 and IB Career-related Programme for Sixth Form, alongside GCSE, A-Level, BTEC, and LIBF Diploma pathways. The academy supplements its core academic curriculum with enrichment programmes including Forest School, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, international trips, and the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy.

Product overview

The Skinners' Kent Academy is a secondary school and sixth form offering a unified educational programme built on the International Baccalaureate framework. The core offering consists of the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) for Years 7-9 and the IB Career-related Programme (IBCP) for sixth form, supplemented by specialized programmes including Forest School, Duke of Edinburgh Awards, international Trips & Visits, and the Peter Jones Enterprise Academy. Remote education support is provided via Microsoft Teams, with parent communication facilitated through Class Charts, MCAS, and ParentPay integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) IB World School framework providing the academic curriculum structure for Years 7-9, encouraging students to embrace connections between traditional subjects and real-world applications through inquiry-based learning. Designed for secondary school students aged 11-14.
• International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP) Sixth form career-focused programme combining IB Diploma courses with career-related studies, including components for community engagement, personal/professional skills, language development, and reflective projects. Designed for Sixth Form students.
• Sixth Form Provision Post-16 education offering A-Level equivalent courses through IB Diploma, IBCP, BTEC, and LIBF Diploma programmes, with university recognition and career guidance support. Designed for students aged 16-18.
• Forest School Programme Outdoor learning initiative for students in the Aspire support programme, providing six two-hour weekly sessions in woodland environments to develop social, emotional, and physical skills through nature-based activities. Designed for SEND students including those with ADHD and ASD.
• Duke of Edinburgh's Award Voluntary activity programme for students aged 14-24 offering Bronze (Year 9) and Silver (Year 10) awards covering volunteering, skills, physical activities, and expedition components.
• Trips and Visits Programme International and domestic educational trips programme including visits to European countries, USA ski trips, China Great Wall expeditions, Madagascar rainforest experiences, and UK theatre/museum visits. Designed for enrolled students across all year groups.
• Peter Jones Enterprise Academy Entrepreneurship education programme in the sixth form focused on developing business skills and enterprise capabilities among students. Designed for Sixth Form students.
• Remote Education (Microsoft Teams) Online learning provision via Microsoft Teams for students unable to attend academy, including recorded/live teaching, independent tasks, and work submission capabilities. Designed for students requiring remote learning access.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% of Forest School participants showed improvement in attendance
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Skinners' Academies TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-Academy Trust governing structure providing shared governance, resources, and strategic direction. The academy is part of the MAT along with Skinners' Kent Primary School. Trust provides audited accounts, board membership, and committee structures.
• The Skinners' CompanycoreOthersHistorical sponsor organisation providing governance oversight, annual training sessions at Skinners' Hall in London, and community connections. The Skinners' Company is a livery company with educational heritage.
• International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicensed IB World School offering Middle Years Programme (MYP) for Years 7-9 and Career-related Programme (CP) for Sixth Form. Provides curriculum framework, assessment standards, and international recognition.
• Local Community (Neighbours)minorOthersAcademy maintains neighbour relations through email distribution list for updates about events impacting traffic and parking. Defibrillator available to public during academy hours.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys: State-funded selective grammar school for boys in the same Tunbridge Wells locality, competing for the same high-attaining secondary cohort. While it does not offer the IB programme, it is the most direct geographic competitor for parental choice and student recruitment.

Direct peers

• Bennett Memorial Diocesan School: State-funded secondary school in Tunbridge Wells offering the IB Diploma Programme as an IB World School, directly competing with SKA for the same Tunbridge Wells student catchment. Shares the same IB framework delivery model and local market positioning.
• Skinners' Kent Primary School: Sister school within the same Skinners' Academies Trust Multi-Academy Trust, sharing governance, Skinners' Company sponsorship, and the same MAT-level leadership structure. Operates the primary phase that feeds directly into SKA's secondary intake, making it the closest operational and demographic peer.
• Dartford Grammar School: State-funded boys' grammar school in Kent offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme alongside A-Levels, sharing the IB World School positioning and Kent regional catchment with SKA. Comparable size, state-funding model, and IB programme offering make it the most direct academic peer.
• Hills Road Sixth Form College: Large state-funded sixth form college in Cambridge offering the IB Diploma alongside A-Levels and BTECs. Comparable in offering the IB pathway within a state-funded post-16 setting, with a similar Cambridge-area academic positioning to SKA's Sixth Form provision in Kent.
• Northgate Grammar School for Girls: State-funded girls' grammar school in Gravesend, Kent offering the IB Diploma Programme. Like SKA, it is an IB World School within the selective grammar system in Kent, serving similar high-attaining cohorts with comparable international curriculum positioning.

Others

• Skinners' Academies Trust: The Multi-Academy Trust governance vehicle that owns and operates SKA. Provides shared services, governance oversight, and is the structural entity through which any future school expansion or partnership would occur; not a peer competitor but the parent operating model.

Broad incumbents

• Harris Federation: One of the largest Multi-Academy Trusts in England operating 50+ primary and secondary academies across London and the South East. Comparable as a MAT operator sharing governance, central services, and funding models with SKA's Skinners' Academies Trust, though at significantly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SkinnersKentAcademy
• Instagraminstagram.com/skatrips
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/skinners'-kent-academy

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 The Skinners' Kent Academy