Equinox Learning Trust

What Equinox Learning Trust does

Equinox Learning Trust is a UK Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) and registered charitable company (company number 7543874) that operates three publicly funded schools in Thatcham, Berkshire: Francis Baily Primary School (550 pupils, ages 4–11, joined 2019), Kennet School (1,800 pupils, ages 11–18, founding school from 2011), and Whitelands Park Primary School (400 pupils, joined 2014). Originally established as Kennet School Academies Trust (KSAT), it rebranded to Equinox Learning Trust in January 2024 around a mission of balancing academic excellence with personal growth. The Trust serves a combined roll of approximately 2,750 pupils spanning Reception through Year 13 and is funded primarily through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) under a Department for Education Funding Agreement, with no fees charged to pupils.

The Trust operates through a centralised service model that delivers Corporate Governance, Finance, HR, IT, Estates, Marketing, and School Improvement functions to member schools, enabling headteachers to focus on teaching quality while sharing back-office overhead. Its technology footprint is standard educational infrastructure — Microsoft Office 365 and Adobe Creative Cloud provided to all staff at no cost — with no proprietary platforms or AI products disclosed. Capital investment has been significant: £4m deployed in new buildings in 2024 alone, layered on £5m in condition improvements since 2020, supported by £8m of successful Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) bids over five years. Staff are developed through the in-house Equinox Champions programme (staff-led cross-Trust innovation communities in writing, safeguarding, inclusion, attendance, and AI) and through National Professional Qualifications and apprenticeship pathways delivered in partnership with the Downland Alliance.

Commercial revenue mechanics are entirely government-funded via ESFA per-pupil allocations, supplemented by capital grants (CIF) and community fundraising (e.g., a record £13,500 raised at a 2024 joint firework event attended by 3,400 people). The Trust's distribution model is direct and relationship-based: schools are recruited to join via informal conversations and due diligence, teachers are hired through a careers portal, and the Trust partners with the Oxford Diocesan Board of Education (ODBE, October 2024) to onboard Church of England schools. Strategic priorities are signalled through the ODBE partnership (vertical expansion), the Master Readers partnership (March 2025, curriculum enrichment), and active outreach to schools considering MAT conversion. Governance sits with a Board of Trustees led by Mr Graham Curren (Chair of Trustees) and Mr François Walker (Acting CEO since September 2024 following Mrs G Piper's departure).

Name

Equinox Learning Trust

Legal name

Equinox Learning Trust

Website

https://equinoxlearningtrust.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Equinox Learning Trust is a UK Multi-Academy Trust operating three publicly funded schools in Thatcham, Berkshire, serving approximately 2,750 pupils aged 4–18 across primary and secondary phases, funded by ESFA government grants and supported by centralised back-office services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Thatcham

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. State Funding (ESFA): As a Multi-Academy Trust, Equinox Learning Trust receives government funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), adhering to the Funding Agreement and Academies Trust Handbook.
2. Condition Improvement Fund (CIF) Bids: The Trust successfully secures CIF funding for capital improvements to school estates — receiving £8m over five years to enhance facilities across schools.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Equinox Learning Trust operates a Multi-Academy Trust running two primary schools (Francis Baily Primary School and Whitelands Park Primary School) and one secondary school (Kennet School) in Thatcham, Berkshire, providing state-funded primary and secondary education to approximately 2,750 pupils. The Trust also provides a Central Services Team delivering finance, HR, IT, estates, marketing, and data protection support to its member schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Francis Baily Primary School State-funded primary school for pupils aged 4–11, located in Thatcham, Berkshire, and operated by Equinox Learning Trust. The school joined the Trust in September 2019 and is one of three schools in the MAT.
• Kennet School State-funded secondary school for pupils aged 11–18, located in Thatcham, Berkshire, and the founding school of Equinox Learning Trust. Established in April 2011 when the Trust was known as Kennet School Academies Trust (KSAT).
• Whitelands Park Primary School State-funded primary school for pupils aged 4–11, located in Thatcham, Berkshire, and operated by Equinox Learning Trust. The school joined the Trust in January 2014, the second school to join after the founding school.
• Central Services Team Shared back-office service for member schools of Equinox Learning Trust, providing finance, HR, IT, estates, marketing, and data protection functions led by the CFO, Marketing Director, Director of Technology, and Director of Estates & Data Protection.

Quantifiable outcome

• £8m CIF funding secured over 5 years for school facility improvements
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Master ReaderscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Equinox Learning Trust partnered with Master Readers in March 2025 to enhance reading excellence beyond the early years. The initiative builds on early reading foundations, equipping primary pupils with advanced comprehension skills, critical thinking, and deeper engagement with literature. It is designed to ensure pupils not only learn to read but read to learn.
• LakeRidge SolutionsminorOthers · 1 November 2024LakeRidge Solutions sponsored the record-breaking joint firework display event across the three Trust schools in November 2024. The event attracted 3,400 attendees and raised £13,500 profit split between three PTAs for additional pupil resources.
• Oxford Diocesan Board of Education (ODBE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Equinox Learning Trust has partnered with ODBE to welcome Church of England schools into its MAT structure. The partnership was announced in October 2024 and already bore fruit with a showcase event for local Church of England schools in Berkshire. ODBE Governance and Admissions Adviser Katie Paxton commented on the collaboration opening new opportunities for schools to thrive within a supportive framework.
• Downland AlliancecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEquinox Learning Trust partners with the Downland Alliance to offer a complete teacher training programme with salaried and non-salaried placements. Through this partnership, the Trust funds NPQH, NPQSL, and NPQML programmes via its Teaching Apprenticeships Programme. Apprenticeship frameworks range from Level 2 to Masters level.
• Juniper EducationcoreTechnology or IntegrationJuniper Education is the website provider for Equinox Learning Trust. The Trust's website (www.equinoxlearningtrust.co.uk) was built and is maintained by Juniper Education, which also provides website accessibility and functionality support.
• Kennet Leisure CentreminorOthersKennet Leisure Centre is located next to Trust schools and offers employees a discounted full membership rate of £31.99 per month with no joining fee, covering unlimited gym, swimming, exercise classes, and racket sports.
• Education SupportminorOthersEducation Support provides financial grants service for teachers, teaching assistants, supply and support staff, as well as returned staff, as part of the Trust's staff financial wellbeing support package.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• United Learning: One of the largest UK multi-academy trusts, operating 100+ primary and secondary schools across England. Comparable to Equinox because it operates the same business model (state-funded academies under a central trust), shares the central-services structure, and serves a similar K-12 pupil population — though at materially larger scale.
• Oasis Community Learning: A UK MAT operating 50+ academies with faith-linked values and a strong community focus. Comparable to Equinox because it runs primary and secondary schools under central services governance, pursues church and community partnerships, and operates state-funded academies on a similar charter.
• Academies Enterprise Trust: One of the largest UK MATs, operating 80+ primary and secondary academies. Comparable to Equinox because it runs the same state-funded academy model, central back-office support, and serves similar K-12 cohorts under ESFA funding — though at significantly larger scale.
• Outwood Grange Academies Trust: A large UK MAT operating 30+ primary and secondary schools, primarily across the North of England. Comparable to Equinox because it operates the same academy structure, central services model, and state-funded K-12 education — though at materially larger geographic scale.
• Greenwood Academies Trust: A UK MAT operating primary and secondary schools across the Midlands. Comparable to Equinox because it operates the same academy trust structure, central back-office services, and serves K-12 pupils under ESFA funding.
• Ark Schools: A UK MAT operating 38+ primary and secondary schools with strong central services and curriculum innovation. Comparable to Equinox because it operates the same MAT structure, state-funded model, and emphasises central curriculum and back-office support for member schools.
• Delta Academies Trust: A UK MAT operating primary and secondary academies across northern England. Comparable to Equinox because it operates the same state-funded MAT structure with centralised services and similar K-12 cohorts.
• Harris Federation: A large London-anchored UK MAT operating 50+ primary and secondary academies. Comparable to Equinox because it operates the same academy trust structure with central services, shares the same ESFA funding model, and serves a similar K-12 pupil population — though concentrated in London.
• REAch2 Academy Trust: The largest primary-focused UK multi-academy trust, operating 60+ primary schools. Comparable to Equinox because it operates the same MAT structure with central services, shares the same state-funded model, and serves a similar pupil demographic — particularly aligned with Equinox's two primary schools (Whitelands Park and Francis Baily).
• Anthem Schools Trust: A smaller UK MAT operating primary and secondary schools. Comparable to Equinox because it operates the same MAT structure with central services, shares state-funded K-12 education, and is of similar operational scale — making it one of the closest direct comparables.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/equinox-learning-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Equinox Learning Trust