What The Bishop Fraser Trust does

The Bishop Fraser Trust is a Church of England Multi Academy Trust (MAT) headquartered in Bolton, England, that operates a growing portfolio of primary and secondary schools across the Bolton and Bury boroughs of Greater Manchester. As of 2026 it comprises nine member schools (Canon Slade, St James's CE, Bolton St Catherine's, Bury CE High, St Catherine's Horwich, Walmsley CE, St Margaret's CE, and Turton & Edgworth CE/Methodist), with member schools retaining their own branding, uniform, and admissions policies while ceding governance, finance, and curriculum oversight to the trust.

The trust runs two complementary operating arms. The first is direct school operation: managing teaching, premises, and pupil outcomes across its member academies, funded primarily by ESFA per-pupil grants. The second is the Train Teach Lead Partnership (TTLP, formerly St James's Teaching School Partnership), which delivers Initial Teacher Training (QTS and PGCE) in partnership with accredited provider Liverpool Hope University, National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) including the reformed Leading Teacher Development qualification, Continuing Professional Development programmes, and School-to-School support through SLEs, LLEs, and NLEs across a network of 26 placement and partner schools in Bolton and Bury. There is no proprietary technology platform; delivery relies on traditional educational frameworks and on partnerships with Liverpool Hope University, the GM Collaborative, the Church of England, and the Catholic Education Service.

The revenue model is fundamentally publicly funded: ESFA grants for academy operations form the dominant income stream, supplemented by ITT and CPD fees. The trust operates as a registered charity (Company Number 11005401) with no parent company, no venture or private equity backing, and no disclosed headcount growth beyond its small central office of around 35 staff supporting the wider school workforce.

Name

The Bishop Fraser Trust

Legal name

The Bishop Fraser Trust

Website

https://thebishopfrasertrust.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Bishop Fraser Trust is a Church of England Multi Academy Trust operating nine primary and secondary schools across Bolton and Bury, and runs the Train Teach Lead Partnership delivering teacher training, NPQs, and school-to-school support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Multi Academy Trust (K-12 Education Services)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

Keywords

• Multi academy trust
• Teacher training
• Professional development
• School governance
• School improvement

Headquarters

HQ city

Bolton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Academy Funding: Government funding for maintained academies and free schools, distributed through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). Funding covers educational operations, staff salaries, and school improvement activities.
2. Initial Teacher Training Fees: QTS and PGCE programs through partnership with Liverpool Hope University. Trainees may receive bursaries or scholarships from government Get Into Teaching scheme. Alternative provision through Inspiring Future Teachers for secondary English and Maths.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Bishop Fraser Trust is a Church of England Multi Academy Trust that governs and operates a network of primary and secondary schools in Bolton and Bury. Through its Train Teach Lead Partnership, the trust delivers Initial Teacher Training (QTS/PGCE), National Professional Qualifications, Continuing Professional Development, and School-to-School improvement support for educators across the North West of England.

Product overview

The Bishop Fraser Trust operates as a Church of England Multi Academy Trust managing a network of schools in Bolton and surrounding areas. The organization offers educational services through two primary channels: direct school operations (managing schools such as Bolton St Catherine's Academy, Bury Church of England High School, Canon Slade High School, St James's CE High School, and primary schools) and the Train Teach Lead Partnership, which provides teacher training (ITT programmes at Primary and Secondary levels), professional development (NPQs, CPD courses), and School to School support services (SLEs, LLEs, NLEs). The Train Teach Lead Partnership operates in collaboration with Liverpool Hope University as the accredited provider and works with 26 partner schools across Bolton and Bury.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Train Teach Lead Partnership: A partnership committed to offering mutual support to schools in Bolton, neighbouring authorities and beyond. Formerly known as the St James's Teaching School Partnership, it provides teacher training, CPD, and School to School support.

Products and services

• Train Teach Lead Partnership
• Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Programme
• National Professional Qualifications (NPQs)
• School to School Support
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% conversion rate of ITT trainees to full-time employment within local area
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

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 core, major and minor.

• Liverpool Hope UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccredited provider for Initial Teacher Training programmes (QTS and PGCE). Provides academic and theoretical underpinning for trainee teachers. Delivers block training weeks, conferences, and subject-specific training. Partnership code: 18J.
• Bolton Learning PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for the Bolton Schools Developing Excellence in Middle Leadership Programme. Heavily subsidised programme for secondary schools in Bolton focused on developing effective leadership of high-quality teaching and learning.
• Church of England (in partnership with Catholic Education Service)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivery partner for the new reformed NPQ Leading Teacher Development qualification. Offers nationally recognised qualifications for teachers and school leaders at all levels.
• Star Teaching School Hub (School-Led Network)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNPQ delivery partner for current cohorts. Part of school-led network for professional qualifications.
• GM Collaborative (Greater Manchester)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrain Teach Lead Partnership is a member of the GM Collaborative working with 9 other partners across Greater Manchester to train, develop and support aspirant and existing Local Leaders of Education (LLEs).
• Inspiring Future TeachersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlternative ITT provider for secondary English and Maths. The trust delivers some courses solely through MAT schools using this provider.
• Placement Schools NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner26 placement schools across Bolton and Bury including secondary, primary, and specialist provision schools for ITT trainee placements.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Oasis Community Learning: Large UK Multi Academy Trust running primary and secondary academies with an explicit ethos and community focus. Comparable in faith/values-driven MAT positioning, multi-region school portfolio, and central services model.
• Star Academies: Faith-rooted UK Multi Academy Trust operating a portfolio of primary and secondary schools with a strong teaching school and CPD arm. Directly comparable on faith identity, MAT structure, school improvement focus, and ITT/teacher training delivery.
• REAch2 Academy Trust: UK primary-focused Multi Academy Trust operating a large number of primary academies nationally. Comparable on MAT governance structure, primary school conversion pipeline, and central support services for member schools.
• Greenwood Academies Trust: Regional UK Multi Academy Trust operating primary and secondary academies across the Midlands. Comparable as a multi-region MAT with central services, school improvement teams, and teacher training involvement.
• Academy Transformation Trust: UK Multi Academy Trust with a portfolio of primary and secondary schools and school improvement services. Comparable on MAT governance, school-to-school support offering, and member school conversion model.

Broad incumbents

• Harris Federation: Large UK Multi Academy Trust running a significant portfolio of primary and secondary academies with extensive teacher training and CPD programmes. Comparable as a broader incumbent MAT with overlapping teacher development services.
• United Learning: One of the largest UK Multi Academy Trusts, operating schools across primary, secondary, and independent phases nationally with a comprehensive CPD and teacher training function. Comparable as a much larger, broadly scoped MAT offering overlapping central services.

Others

• Liverpool Hope University: Higher education institution serving as the accredited academic provider for the trust's QTS and PGCE programmes. Comparable as the academic underpinning partner in ITT delivery and as a stakeholder in the trust's training outcomes.

Regional players

• GM Collaborative: Greater Manchester-wide collaborative of 10 partners training and supporting Local Leaders of Education (LLEs). The trust's Train Teach Lead Partnership is itself a member; comparable as a regional leadership development and school improvement network in the same geography.
• Bolton Learning Partnership: Local Bolton-based collaborative of schools focused on school improvement and CPD, including the Developing Excellence in Middle Leadership programme. Already an active partner of the trust; comparable as a regional Bolton school improvement network with overlapping CPD offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TrainingTTLP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-bishop-fraser-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries8 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 Bishop Fraser Trust