VISION ACADEMY LEARNING TRUST

What VISION ACADEMY LEARNING TRUST does

Vision Academy Learning Trust (now trading as Spark Education Trust) is a multi-academy trust (MAT) operating 15 state-funded schools — 11 primaries and 4 secondaries with sixth-form provision — across Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland and North Yorkshire in North East England. The trust was formed in September 2024 from the merger of Vision Academy Learning Trust (VALT, founded 2016) and The 1590 Trust (founded 2013), and rebranded to Spark Education Trust in early 2025. It is structured as a company limited by guarantee (Company Number 10249712), governed by Members and a Board of Trustees chaired by Charlotte Irving, with Louise Spellman as Chief Executive.

The trust's core offering is free, government-funded primary and secondary education delivered through its constituent academies, organised around a "Learning for Life" ethos and a "Passport for Life" curriculum entitlement. Beyond teaching, it operates branded ancillary programmes: Spark Music (regional instrument hire, tuition and elite pathways into national performance), Spark Sport (community sports facility hire across four secondary school sites), SparkEd (classroom practitioner development) and Bright Sparks (leadership development pipeline). The trust is also the educational delivery partner for the "North East United" attendance-and-aspirations programme run jointly with the charitable foundations of Middlesbrough FC, Newcastle United and Sunderland AFC.

Revenue is almost entirely derived from UK Department for Education per-pupil funding, supplemented by targeted grants (pupil premium, sports premium, SEN, sixth-form) and minor commercial income from facility hire and music tuition. The trust has no disclosed external parent, no commercial shareholders, and operates as a non-profit entity. Geographic focus is exclusively North East England, with an active "Join the Trust" pipeline suggesting further organic expansion through additional school conversions.

Name

VISION ACADEMY LEARNING TRUST

Legal name

Spark Education Trust

Website

https://valt.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Spark Education Trust (formerly Vision Academy Learning Trust) is a multi-academy trust operating 15 state-funded primary and secondary schools across North East England, delivering free government-funded education under a "Learning for Life" ethos alongside Spark Music, Spark Sport, and educator development programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education (Multi-Academy Trust)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter STEM/STEAM-Focused Schools (EDAJACAG)

Keywords

• Primary education services
• Secondary education services
• Multi-academy trust
• Sixth form education
• Academy school governance

Headquarters

HQ city

Ingleby Barwick, Stockton-on-Tees

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Education Funding: Academy trust receives UK government funding for educating pupils. Funding is based on per-pupil allocations and additional grants for specific purposes (e.g., pupil premium, sports premium).

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Spark Education Trust (formerly Vision Academy Learning Trust) is a multi-academy trust that operates 15 schools across North East England, providing free primary education (5-11), secondary education (11-18), and sixth-form post-16 provision funded through the UK government academy funding agreement. Beyond statutory schooling, the trust runs community programmes (Spark Music tuition and Spark Sport facility hire), structured educator development pathways (SparkEd and Bright Sparks), and the Passport for Life enrichment curriculum.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Spark Music: Regional music provision offering free instrument hire, in-school tuition, expert staff, and elite pathways to national performance opportunities across Trust and non-Trust schools in the North East.
• Spark Sport
• SparkEd
• Bright Sparks

Products and services

• Primary Education across 11 Primary Schools Free, government-funded primary education for children aged 5-11 delivered across 11 primary academies within the trust, covering academic foundations, social development, early literacy and numeracy, and the Passport for Life enrichment curriculum.
• Secondary Education across 4 Secondary Schools Free, government-funded secondary education for students aged 11-18 across Conyers, Egglescliffe, Huntcliff, and Laurence Jackson schools, including GCSE preparation and a-level/vocational course pathways.
• Sixth Form Education Post-16 education for students aged 16-18 at Conyers Sixth Form and Egglescliffe Sixth Form, offering A-levels, vocational courses, and university and apprenticeship preparation pathways.
• Spark Music Programme Regional music tuition and instrument hire delivered to children in trust and non-trust primary schools across the North East, with elite pathways progressing to national performance opportunities.
• Spark Sport Facility Hire Community sports facility hire service allowing members of the public and grassroots clubs to book sports halls, all-weather pitches, grass pitches, and multi-purpose venues at Conyers, Egglescliffe, Huntcliff, and Laurence Jackson schools.
• SparkEd Professional Development Structured professional development programme for teachers and support staff within the trust to deepen classroom expertise and master their craft, raising learning quality across trust schools.
• Bright Sparks Leadership Training Progressive training pathway for aspiring school leaders within the trust that builds leadership confidence and expands impact across the MAT leadership pipeline.
• North East United Sport-Led Programme 12-week sport-led school intervention programme delivered with Middlesbrough, Newcastle United, and Sunderland AFC charitable foundations to raise aspirations and improve pupil attendance across trust schools.

Quantifiable outcome

• Junction Farm Primary School received Ofsted recognition for exemplary behaviour, strong leadership, and commitment to whole child development
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Middlesbrough Football Club Charitable FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with Middlesbrough FC's charitable foundation for the North East United programme, a 12-week sport-led initiative designed to raise aspirations and improve attendance. Programme delivered in schools across the trust.
• Newcastle United FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with Newcastle United Foundation for the North East United programme, delivering sport-led activities to raise student aspirations and improve attendance.
• Sunderland AFC FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with Sunderland AFC Foundation for the North East United programme, providing sport-led interventions to improve student engagement.
• Campus Tees Schools Alliance (CTSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Strategic partnership providing initial teacher training programmes and Early Career Teacher (ECT) support. Trust works closely with CTSA to offer the best start to teaching careers. Maria Carlton is a founder member of CTSA strategic board.
• North East UnitedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 202512-week sport-led programme delivered in partnership with Middlesbrough, Newcastle and Sunderland football clubs' charitable foundations. Designed to raise aspirations and improve attendance, with 91% of pupils reporting more positive attitude to school.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Northern Schools Trust: Regional multi-academy trust operating schools across the North East and North West. Direct peer in geography and school mix.
• Greenwood Academies Trust: Mid-sized multi-academy trust running a portfolio of primary and secondary schools in the East Midlands and surrounding regions. Comparable in scale, structure, and reliance on government per-pupil funding.
• Ormiston Academies Trust: Multi-academy trust operating primary and secondary schools across England. Directly comparable in operating model (company limited by guarantee, central team supporting constituent academies) and in focus on regional school improvement, though Ormiston is significantly larger.
• Lift Schools: Multi-academy trust operating a network of schools across northern England. Comparable as a regional MAT with primary and secondary provision and similar central-team operating model.
• Consilium Academies: Multi-academy trust running schools in the North of England with a similar mix of primary and secondary academies. Comparable in regional footprint and school-improvement focus.

Broad incumbents

• Academies Enterprise Trust (AET): One of the largest multi-academy trusts in England, operating a broad portfolio of primary, secondary and special schools. Comparable as a large-scale MAT with a centralised operating model, though significantly larger and more geographically dispersed than Spark.
• Harris Federation: Large multi-academy trust operating primary and secondary academies, predominantly in London and the South East. Comparable as a high-performing MAT with strong school-improvement outcomes.
• United Learning: Large multi-academy trust and independent school group operating schools across England. Comparable as a national MAT with both state-funded academies and a broader educational portfolio.
• Outwood Grange Academies Trust: Large multi-academy trust operating secondary and primary schools across northern England. Comparable as a regional northern MAT with a focus on attainment improvement.

Others

• Campus Tees Schools Alliance: Strategic alliance providing initial teacher training and Early Career Teacher support, with which Spark Education Trust is a formal partner. Comparable as an enabling organisation supporting teacher pipeline development in the same North East ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sparkedutrust
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vision-academy-learning-trust
• Instagraminstagram.com/sparkeducationtrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries15 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 VISION ACADEMY LEARNING TRUST