Soundwell Academy

What Soundwell Academy does

Soundwell Academy is a specialist secondary academy located in Soundwell, Bristol, United Kingdom, operating under the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership multi-academy trust. It serves pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs and Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) from a purpose-built facility on St Stephen's Road. The school delivers a tailored academic curriculum integrated with therapeutic interventions, a 5-year finance and careers programme mapped to the Gatsby Benchmarks, work experience placements (including on-site vocational farm options and off-site employer placements), and a Remote Learning Platform aggregating third-party content from Oak National Academy, BBC Learning, Twinkl, Study Ladder, and White Rose Maths. The academy was inspected by Ofsted and rated "Good" across assessed categories.

The business model is a state-funded education model with no commercial pricing: revenue is derived from per-pupil funding from the UK Department for Education, supplemented by pupil premium and primary sports funding allocations, and routed through the MAT. Enrollment flows through local authority educational placement referrals and direct parental applications rather than commercial sales channels. The go-to-market is effectively commissioning-led within the regional SEND framework. The academy has assembled a partnership ecosystem for careers and progression support, including NewMango (independent careers guidance), Cre8tive Resources (PSHE curriculum), West of England Combined Authority (enterprise coordination), ASK (apprenticeship awareness), and Peopleton Broom Farm (vocational work experience). With 26 reported employees, the operation is a small, single-site specialist provider.

Name

Soundwell Academy

Legal name

Soundwell Academy

Website

https://soundwellacademy.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Soundwell Academy is a UK state-funded specialist academy in Bristol serving secondary pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) and Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN), operating under the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership multi-academy trust.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAJAFAB

Instructional Delivery & Pedagogy (School-Led)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment (School-Delivered)

SECONDARYEDAKAEAH

Voice and Resonance Services (School-Age)

Education/Special Education & Learning Support Services/Speech-Language Therapy Services (School-Age)

Keywords

• Specialist education
• SEMH education
• SLCN education
• Special educational needs
• Academy school

Headquarters

HQ city

Soundwell, Bristol

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

Revenue model

1. State Education Funding: Government-funded academy operating under the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership MAT. Revenue derived from per-pupil funding from the UK Department for Education, with additional streams from pupil premium and primary sports funding allocations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Soundwell Academy is a UK specialist academy school providing education for pupils aged 4-19 with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs and Speech, Language, and Communication Needs (SLCN). The school operates from a purpose-built facility in South Gloucestershire and is part of the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership multi-academy trust. It delivers a tailored curriculum with integrated therapeutic support to children and young people who require specialist provision beyond mainstream schooling.

Product overview

Soundwell Academy is a single-location specialist academy school providing educational services for pupils with Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) and Speech, Language, and Communication Needs (SLCN). The school operates from a purpose-built facility designed to support its core values and specialized curriculum. Key educational offerings include a comprehensive PSHE curriculum with Cre8tive Resources, a 5-year finance and careers programme, work experience placements, remote learning support via external platforms (Oak National Academy, BBC Bitesize, Twinkl, White Rose Maths), and careers guidance supported by external partners including NewMango.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Specialist SEMH and SLCN Education
• Careers Information and Guidance
• Remote Learning Provision
• Work Experience Placements

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Midsomer Norton Schools PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-Academy Trust (MAT) that Soundwell Academy is part of, providing governance, shared services, and strategic direction across member schools. The trust manages executive pay, governance documents, and risk assessments.
• Cre8tive ResourcescoreTechnology or IntegrationCurriculum provider delivering PSHE including careers and citizenship to all secondary pupils through their resources. Soundwell uses the Cre8tive Resources curriculum as the foundation of their careers programme.
• NewMangocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent Careers and Progression Adviser providing small group and one-to-one guidance to older learners. Jo Newman from NewMango organizes careers fairs, visits to FE providers and employers, and delivers independent careers interviews.
• West of England CAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnterprise coordinator supporting Soundwell Academy to evaluate and improve their careers programme three times per year.
• ASK (Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization assisting young people in understanding apprenticeships. Guest speakers from ASK deliver info-talks to students explaining apprenticeship benefits and opportunities.
• Peopleton Broom FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal farm providing work experience placement opportunities where Soundwell students groom and care for small animals as part of vocational education.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• NAS (National Autistic Society) Schools: Operates specialist schools across the UK for autistic pupils with overlapping communication and SEMH needs. Comparable to Soundwell in the broader SLCN/SEMH category, though primarily autism-focused.
• Acorn Care and Education: UK specialist education provider operating residential and day schools for children with SEMH, autism, and complex needs. Directly comparable to Soundwell's core SEMH/SLCN specialism, with a broader multi-site portfolio.
• Priory Education and Children's Services: Part of the Priory Group, providing specialist education and residential care for children with SEMH, autism, and learning difficulties. Comparable to Soundwell in specialist SEMH provision but at much larger scale and with broader service mix.
• Witherslack Group: One of the largest UK operators of specialist schools for SEMH, autism, and SLCN pupils. Compares to Soundwell as a much larger multi-site provider in the same specialist SEND category, offering a benchmark for what scaling a specialist SEMH/SLCN model looks like.
• Cambian Group: UK specialist education and behavioral health provider for children with complex needs including SEMH and autism. Comparable to Soundwell on specialist SEND delivery, with a national footprint.
• Outcomes First Group: Major UK provider of specialist education, children's residential services, and fostering for high-need pupils. Highly comparable to Soundwell on the SEMH/ SLCN specialism, but operating at significantly greater scale across multiple sites.
• Aspris (formerly Priory Education Services): UK specialist education provider for children with SEMH, autism, and learning difficulties. Comparable to Soundwell in specialist provision category, with national scale and a broader service portfolio.

Regional players

• Orchard Leigh Trust: Specialist SEMH and SLCN provision in the South West of England, similar regional context to Soundwell's Bristol base. Comparable on specialist SEND focus and catchment-based delivery model.

Direct peers

• Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership: The Multi-Academy Trust that Soundwell Academy belongs to. Directly comparable as sibling schools within the same trust, sharing governance, funding structure, and policy environment.

Others

• Hays Education: UK education recruitment and staffing provider serving specialist schools including SEMH/SLCN provisions. Comparable to Soundwell as an adjacent ecosystem participant in the same specialist SEND labor market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/soundwellacad
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/soundwell-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Soundwell Academy