Thrive Education Partnership

What Thrive Education Partnership does

Thrive Education Partnership is a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) operating nine specialist schools for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) across Birmingham, Coventry, and Walsall in the West Midlands of England. Founded in 2016 by Richard Chapman, the trust was previously known as Somerset Road Education Trust and is structured as a charitable company limited by guarantee (Company Number: 09064864). Its member academies include Calthorpe Academy, Kingsbury Academy, The Warwickshire Academy, Corley Academy, Mary Elliot Academy, Baginton Fields Academy, Kitts Green Academy, Belgravia School, and Oakland School. The trust is led by CEO Richard Chapman with two Deputy CEOs and an acting CFO, supported by a central team providing HR, finance, IT, estates, safeguarding, and therapeutic services such as dramatherapy and EMDR.

The trust's core product is specialist SEND education delivered through its federation of academies, unified by The Connected Classroom — a proprietary professional learning programme that trains staff in trauma-informed, relational, and compassionate practice grounded in neuroscience, attachment theory, co-regulation, and mental health approaches. The Connected Classroom functions as the trust's primary differentiator, standardising pedagogical quality across all academies. Mental health and wellbeing is a second strategic pillar, delivered through a network of Mental Health Champions and Leads, in-house therapeutic services, and designated safeguarding leadership. The trust also runs an annual conference, regular trust-wide newsletters, and academy-level communications to engage staff, families, and local communities.

As a state-funded MAT, Thrive earns revenue primarily through government education funding allocations tied to pupil numbers and SEND complexity. The trust grows by welcoming additional academies into the federation through a 'Join our Trust' pathway that provides central support, governance, and shared services. No public pricing exists because the trust is a non-profit; financial statements are published but not disclosed online. Growth has been steady rather than rapid, with 9 academies consolidated since 2016, and the organisation is actively positioning itself as a regional consolidator of SEND specialist provision in the West Midlands.

Name

Thrive Education Partnership

Legal name

Thrive Education Partnership

Website

https://thrive.ac

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Thrive Education Partnership is a Multi Academy Trust operating nine specialist SEND schools across Birmingham, Coventry, and Walsall, funded by UK government education grants and unified by its trauma-informed staff development programme, The Connected Classroom.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Programs & Classrooms (Autism, Emotional/Behavioral, Intellectual/Developmental, Multi-Disability) (EDAJAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Behavioral & Social-Emotional Support (ABA, PBIS, Counseling) (EDAJAKAE), K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

Keywords

• Special education services
• Multi academy trust
• SEND schooling
• Trauma-informed education
• Professional learning programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

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, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Education Funding: As a Multi Academy Trust, Thrive Education Partnership receives government education funding to operate its network of specialist schools serving students with Special Educational Needs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Thrive Education Partnership is a Multi Academy Trust operating nine specialist academies across Birmingham, Coventry, and Walsall that deliver educational provision to students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. It centralises governance, HR, finance, IT, estates, mental health and wellbeing, and therapeutic services for its member schools, and runs The Connected Classroom, a trust-wide professional learning programme that trains staff in trauma-informed, relational, and compassionate practice.

Product overview

Thrive Education Partnership is a Multi Academy Trust (MAT) operating specialist schools for students with Special Educational Needs (SEND) across the West Midlands. The organization consists of multiple academies including Calthorpe Academy, Kingsbury Academy, The Warwickshire Academy, Corley Academy, Mary Elliot Academy, Baginton Fields Academy, Kitts Green Academy, Belgravia School, and Oakland School. The core offering is specialist education services supported by The Connected Classroom, a trust-wide professional learning programme that trains staff in trauma-informed, relational practice. The MAT provides shared services including mental health support, therapeutic services, HR, finance, IT, estates management, and governance across its member schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Connected Classroom: Thrive's professional learning programme for developing compassionate, relational and trauma-informed practice across schools. It brings together key ideas from neuroscience, trauma, attachment, co-regulation, mental health and compassion-focused approaches.

Products and services

• Thrive Education Partnership Schools Network A Multi Academy Trust operating nine specialist academies (Calthorpe Academy, Kingsbury Academy, The Warwickshire Academy, Corley Academy, Mary Elliot Academy, Baginton Fields Academy, Kitts Green Academy, Belgravia School, Oakland School) that deliver specialist educational provision to students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities across Birmingham, Coventry, and Walsall.
• The Connected Classroom A sequenced professional learning programme delivered across all Thrive schools that trains staff in neuroscience, trauma, attachment, co-regulation, mental health and compassion-focused approaches, translating them into practical classroom and pastoral practice.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• nasen (National Association for Special Educational Needs): Membership organisation supporting SEND practice across schools; comparable as an ecosystem participant with a strong professional learning offer similar in concept to The Connected Classroom.
• National Autistic Society: Large charity providing specialist education services, training and resources for autistic people; thematically related as a SEND-focused organisation that competes for talent, training contracts and family mindshare.

Direct peers

• Outcomes First Group: One of the UK's largest providers of specialist education and care for children with SEND, autism and SEMH; directly comparable to Thrive in operating specialist schools serving similar cohorts.
• Ambitious about Autism: Charity running specialist schools and college services for autistic children and young people; directly comparable specialist SEND provider with similar trauma-informed and wellbeing ethos.
• Orchard Hill College Academy Trust: A Multi Academy Trust focused on specialist education for students with learning disabilities and SEND across London and the South East; comparable as a SEND-focused MAT model with multiple academies and central services.
• MacIntyre Academies Trust: A charity and academy trust providing specialist education for children and young people with learning disabilities and autism; directly comparable as a SEND-focused MAT.
• Brook Learning Village: Multi-academy trust operating specialist provision for students with complex needs including autism and SEMH in the West Midlands region; directly comparable as a regional SEND MAT.

Broad incumbents

• Priory Education Services: Large established provider of specialist education, residential and therapeutic services for children with SEND and mental health needs; broader portfolio incumbent serving overlapping cohorts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thrive-education-partnership

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries9 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 Thrive Education Partnership