What Victoria Academies Trust does

Victoria Academies Trust is a state-funded Multi Academy Trust (MAT) operating 11 schools across five West Midlands local authorities (Sandwell, Birmingham, Walsall, Stafford, Worcestershire). Founded in 2014 by Victoria Park Academy in Smethwick, the Trust is structured as a company limited by guarantee and exempt charity, governed by a board of trustees and supported by a central executive team led by CEO Sharron Philpot and COO Ian Kirby. Its school portfolio comprises primary academies, infant and junior schools, a nursery, and Elm Tree Primary Academy — the Trust's first special school for autistic children, opened in September 2022. Historically, roughly half of the Trust's schools have joined from special measures, framing turnaround expertise as a core capability.

The Trust's core products are its educational services portfolio, anchored by a challenge-based curriculum framework (Key Curriculum Drivers) and a five-element professional development model known as The Hive. It delivers National Professional Qualifications (NPQs), the Early Career Framework (ECF), the Early Career Teacher Entitlement (ECTE) via Ambition Institute, and Apprenticeship Pathways via Best Practice Network and LMP Education — services offered externally to schools across the West Midlands, not only within Trust membership. A SEND Outreach and CPD offer productises expertise from Elm Tree, and a Community Partners scheme with Gold/Silver/Bronze tiers monetises corporate engagement.

Revenue is primarily per-pupil ESFA grant funding across the 11 academies, supplemented by income from external training delivery (DfE scholarship-funded NPQs/ECF/ECTE and Apprenticeship Levy-funded programmes) and corporate community partner memberships. The Trust operates a Trust Partnership Offer — a time-limited 12-18 month pre-conversion arrangement for prospective member schools — alongside a structured seven-step joining process that funnels sponsor, partner, free, and converter schools into the Trust. Distribution is regional and direct, with channel delivery via Best Practice Network and Haybridge Teaching School Hub extending reach to non-Trust schools.

Name

Victoria Academies Trust

Legal name

Victoria Academies Trust

Website

https://victoriaacademiestrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Victoria Academies Trust is a state-funded Multi Academy Trust operating 11 primary, infant/junior, nursery and SEND schools across five West Midlands local authorities, delivering core education alongside professional development, NPQ/ECTE training and SEND outreach services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Smethwick

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding (Academies): Victoria Academies Trust operates as a state-funded Multi Academy Trust receiving government funding for each academy. Revenue comes from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) based on pupil numbers and characteristics.
2. Community Partners Membership: Corporate partners pay membership fees at Gold, Silver, or Bronze levels to support the Trust's mission. Revenue supports providing experiences for children and life-changing school trips.
3. Teacher Training and NPQ Delivery: As a delivery partner with Best Practice Network, the Trust delivers National Professional Qualifications, Early Career Framework, and Early Career Teacher Entitlement training to schools across the West Midlands, generating revenue from scholarship funding and potentially participant fees.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Victoria Academies Trust is a Multi Academy Trust operating eleven primary schools, infant/junior schools, a special school for autistic children, and a nursery across five local authorities in the West Midlands. It delivers state-funded primary education alongside teacher training programs (NPQs, ECF, ECTE, Apprenticeships), a SEND Outreach service, a CPD framework (The Hive), and a Trust Partnership Offer for schools considering academy conversion.

Product overview

Victoria Academies Trust is a Multi Academy Trust operating eleven schools across the West Midlands. The Trust's offering consists of its core school portfolio (primary academies, infant/junior schools, a special school for autistic children, and a nursery), supplemented by professional development services (The Hive CPD Model, NPQs, ECTE, Apprenticeships, ECF), SEND Outreach services, a Trust Partnership Offer for schools considering academy conversion, and a Community Partners initiative. The Trust positions itself as 'schools leading schools' with a challenge-based curriculum framework centered on making people 'the best they can be.'

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Victoria Academies Trust Schools Portfolio A family of eleven state-funded schools across five local authorities in the West Midlands (Sandwell, Birmingham, Walsall, Stafford, Worcestershire), including primary academies, infant and junior schools, a nursery and infant school, and a special school for autistic children (Elm Tree Primary Academy). Each school serves its local community while sharing the Trust's vision, values, and educational approach.
• SEND Outreach Service Special Educational Needs and Disabilities outreach support offered to schools outside the Trust, led by the Head Teacher of the Trust's SEND school (Elm Tree Primary Academy) and the Trust Associate Leader for SEND. Includes strategic assistance through bespoke support packages.
• The Hive CPD Model The Trust's proprietary professional development model with five elements, each offering its own menu of training and development. Managed by the VAT CPD team with high quality assurance standards. Provides internal, external, and nationally accredited training with personalised and role-specific options.
• National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) Specialist professional qualifications delivered in partnership with Best Practice Network, including NPQLT, NPQLBC, NPQLTD, NPQSL, and NPQ for SENCOs. Open to colleagues across the West Midlands and all schools, not just Trust schools.
• Early Career Framework (ECF) DfE-funded two-year professional development programme for Early Career Teachers in their first two years of the profession, consisting of 122 learning hours plus 36 hours for in-school mentors.
• Early Career Teacher Entitlement (ECTE) Training programme for Early Career Teachers delivered via Ambition Institute's entitlement and hosted by Haybridge Teaching School Hub. Includes termly in-person conferences, virtual clinics, and instructional coaching via Steplab. From September 2025, all Early Career Teachers starting at Victoria Academies Trust will be supported by this programme.
• Apprenticeship Pathways Offer Apprenticeship Levy-funded professional development programmes delivered in partnership with Best Practice Network and LMP Education. Includes Teaching Assistant Level 3, Accounts/Finance Assistant, School Administrator, and various leadership apprenticeships, with face-to-face local delivery in Smethwick.
• Trust Partnership Offer A time-limited partnership arrangement (typically 12-18 months) allowing schools to partner with Victoria Academies Trust before any permanent conversion. Includes headteacher mentoring, leadership support, curriculum development, and operational leadership support, governed by a service level agreement.
• Community Partners Initiative A scheme bringing together organisations and individuals to support Victoria Academies Trust schools in providing high-quality, life-changing experiences for children. Includes VAT Community Members at Gold, Silver, and Bronze tiers, plus Learning Experience Partners and Supporters. Launch event held in June 2025.
• SEND CPD Offer A range of courses and training in the area of SEND offered to other schools, including strategic assistance through bespoke support packages.

Quantifiable outcome

• 11 schools across 5 local authorities in West Midlands
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered silver member, bronze member, gold member - core, core and minor.

• Artissilver memberStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025As a Silver Member, Artis shares the Trust's mission to make every young person the best they can be. They believe in the power of the performing arts to unlock potential, strengthen wellbeing and nurture confidence, closely aligning with the Trust's vision of joyful, high-quality education.
• LMP Educationbronze memberChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 July 2025As a Bronze Member, LMP Education is the leading provider of apprenticeship training and strategy for multi-academy trusts in the UK. They specialise in staff development and training, offering a strategic approach to investing in existing staff for bespoke career pathways with funded apprenticeships.
• Armstrong Bellgold member - coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 13 June 2025As a Gold Member of Victoria Academies Trust, Armstrong Bell supports the Trust's mission to give every child access to high-quality learning experiences. With over 20 years of experience in IT and communications for schools, they help schools across the Trust save time, stay connected, and plan confidently for the future.
• Best Practice NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Trust works in partnership with Best Practice Network to deliver NPQs (NPQLT, NPQSL, NPQLBC, NPQLTD, NPQ for SENCOs), Early Career Framework, and Teaching Assistant Level 3 Apprenticeship via local face-to-face sessions in Smethwick.
• Ambition InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrom September 2025, all Early Career Teachers starting their teaching careers at Victoria Academies Trust will be supported by Ambition Institute's Early Career Teaching Entitlement (ECTE) programme. Ambition Institute's programme builds on the ITTECF to help early career teachers develop required skills and knowledge.
• Haybridge Teaching School HubcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHaybridge Teaching School Hub is the designated Teaching School hub for Dudley and Sandwell and Delivery Partner for Ambition Institute, hosting all ECTE training events for both Early Career Teachers and Mentors.
• The Bluston Charitable TrustminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Bluston Charitable Trust donated a Variety Sunshine Coach to Elm Tree Primary Academy, supporting transport for autistic children to access experiences and activities.
• HSBC and EvershedsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVolunteers from HSBC and Eversheds joined forces with Victoria Park Academy colleagues to build a sandpit during October half term, demonstrating in-kind community support from corporate partners.
• Gateway AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Trust links with Gateway Alliance for senior leaders network and professional development opportunities.
• SWALLSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Trust works with SWALLS (Special Schools West ALS?) for professional development training for special school colleagues.
• Whole EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetworking and collaboration opportunities through Whole Education organisation.
• Education ExchangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetworking and collaboration opportunities through Education Exchange.
• Confederation of School TrustsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetworking and collaboration opportunities through the Confederation of School Trusts.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Reach2 Academy Trust: Reach2 is a large primary-focused Multi Academy Trust operating across multiple regions in England. It is directly comparable to Victoria Academies Trust as a state-funded primary MAT with a similar school-improvement and conversion-driven growth model.
• White Horse Federation: White Horse Federation is a primary-focused Multi Academy Trust with schools across the South/Midlands. It is comparable to Victoria Academies Trust in scale, primary orientation, and use of federation structures to drive school improvement.
• Greenwood Academies Trust: Greenwood Academies Trust operates a portfolio of primary and secondary academies across the East Midlands and surrounding regions. It is comparable to Victoria Academies Trust in operating model (regional MAT with sponsor/partner/converter schools) and growth trajectory.

Broad incumbents

• Harris Federation: Harris Federation is one of the largest primary and secondary MATs in England, headquartered in London. It is comparable to Victoria Academies Trust as a state-funded MAT serving communities of disadvantage, but with significantly larger central infrastructure.
• Oasis Community Learning: Oasis Community Learning is a large national Multi Academy Trust running primary, secondary and all-through academies. It is comparable to Victoria Academies Trust in mission and academy-conversion growth model but operates at materially greater scale.
• United Learning: United Learning is one of the largest Multi Academy Trusts in the UK, running a broad portfolio of primary, secondary and independent schools. It is comparable in operating model but materially larger in scale and geographic reach than Victoria Academies Trust.
• Star Academies: Star Academies is a national Multi Academy Trust operating primary and secondary schools with a focus on underserved communities. It overlaps with Victoria Academies Trust in operating model and community-focused mission, but at much larger scale.
• Academies Enterprise Trust: Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) is a national sponsor and operator of primary and secondary academies. It is comparable to Victoria Academies Trust in operating as a sponsor for schools in challenging circumstances, but at substantially greater national scale.

Regional players

• Diocese of Lichfield Multi Academy Trust: The Diocese of Lichfield MAT operates primary schools across the Midlands, including areas overlapping with Victoria Academies Trust's footprint. It is comparable in primary-school orientation and regional concentration, providing direct local competition for converting schools.
• Alpha Academies Trust: Alpha Academies Trust is a regional Multi Academy Trust operating schools in the West Midlands. It is comparable to Victoria Academies Trust in primary/secondary orientation and West Midlands geography, competing for similar converting schools and CPD contracts in the same local authorities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/victoria-academies-trust-uk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries11 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 Victoria Academies Trust