University of Brighton Academies Trust

What University of Brighton Academies Trust does

University of Brighton Academies Trust (UoBAT) is the largest Multi-Academy Trust in Sussex, England, operating a network of 14 state-funded academies — three secondary schools (The Burgess Hill Academy, The Hastings Academy, The St Leonards Academy), ten infant and primary academies, and two nurseries — serving children from nursery age through GCSE across East and West Sussex. The Trust was established in 2014 as an extension of the University of Brighton's school-improvement work in Hastings (originally Hastings Academies Trust, founded 2010), and the two trusts merged in September 2017 into a unified Sussex-wide MAT. The organisation is structured as a charitable company limited by guarantee, with governance via a Board of Trustees, local governing bodies at each academy, and central executive functions covering operations, people, and school improvement.

The core "product" is the academy network itself: state-funded, no-fee education delivered through schools in Burgess Hill, Hastings, St Leonards, Holmbush, Lindfield, Pound Hill, Robsack Wood, Silverdale, Blackthorns, Churchwood, Desmond Anderson, Dudley, The Baird and West St Leonards. Supplementary programmes include LitUp Hastings (a Bloomsbury Publishing reading partnership reaching 1,000+ children), the Arts Award Bronze/Silver inclusion programme with Hastings Contemporary for SEND students, the be:mindful mental-health podcast series used for staff INSET, and structured Early Career Teacher and apprenticeship pathways with Teach First, Step Ahead Academy Trust and University of Brighton. Revenue is derived entirely from UK government per-pupil funding via the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA); no tuition or fee income is generated.

As of January 2025, the Board of Trustees has formally decided to transfer all 14 academies to other multi-academy trusts following discussions with the Department for Education, and the Trust is in active dissolution. Headcount has contracted from 1,173 staff (March 2023) to 1,093 (March 2024), and the University of Brighton — the historic sponsor — is no longer involved. The organisation is therefore best understood as a state-funded education provider in the late stages of an orderly wind-down rather than a going-concern operator.

Name

University of Brighton Academies Trust

Legal name

University of Brighton Academies Trust

Website

https://brightonacademiestrust.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Short description

University of Brighton Academies Trust is a non-profit Multi-Academy Trust operating 14 state-funded infant, primary and secondary academies across Sussex, serving 1,000+ pupils. Sponsored by the University of Brighton, the Trust is in active dissolution with all schools transferring to other MATs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Burgess Hill

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Education Funding: As a multi-academy trust operating state-funded schools, the Trust receives government funding based on pupil numbers through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). This is the primary revenue stream for running the academies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

University of Brighton Academies Trust operates a network of 14 state-funded academies across East and West Sussex, providing nursery, infant, primary, and secondary education to school-age pupils. The Trust is a charitable company limited by guarantee and is funded primarily through per-pupil grants from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). It is currently progressing through dissolution following the withdrawal of its University of Brighton sponsor.

Product overview

University of Brighton Academies Trust operates as a Multi-Academies Trust providing educational services through a network of 14 academies (4 secondary and 10 infant/primary schools) across Sussex. The core offering is the academy network, supplemented by educational programmes including the LitUp Hastings reading programme, the be:mindful mental health podcast series, Arts Award programmes, teacher training placements, and apprenticeship opportunities. The Trust also provides professional development through partnerships with Initial Teacher Training providers including the University of Brighton and Teach First.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Burgess Hill Academy
• The Hastings Academy
• The St Leonards Academy
• Blackthorns Community Primary Academy
• Churchwood Primary Academy
• Nursery provision across Trust academies

Quantifiable outcome

• 49% of students at The Burgess Hill Academy achieved Grade 5 or above in both English and Maths, representing a 10% improvement on 2024 results and exceeding national average
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and former sponsor.

• Siren Medical TrainingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Siren Medical Training provided first aid training to all Year 10 students at The St Leonard's Academy in April 2025. The training included wound management, CPR, defibrillator usage, and recovery position. Students received certificates of completion. The academy intends to continue this programme for future Year 10 cohorts.
• Royal Society of ChemistryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Organised the Top of the Bench Chemistry Competition. Students from The Burgess Hill Academy represented the Downlands region (Sussex, Surrey and London) and placed third in the regional final. The team demonstrated outstanding teamwork and scientific knowledge.
• BBC BitesizeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024BBC Bitesize Careers Roadshow visited The Hastings Academy in December 2024. Students from years 7-10 participated in a panel discussion with James Threlfall (TV presenter) and local businesses. The panel discussed career paths, soft skills employers look for, and various career routes including apprenticeships and degrees.
• Hastings ContemporarycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Inclusive arts project 'The Cove: Calm waters' between The St Leonard's Academy and Hastings Contemporary. The initiative offers the Arts Award Bronze Programme for students with ADHD, Autism and/or SEND needs in years 7-10. Now entering second year with 19 students progressing to Silver award and new cohort of 20 starting Bronze. Co-founded by academy SEND teacher and gallery learning coordinator.
• Bloomsbury PublishingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024LitUp Hastings - a ground-breaking local reading programme in partnership with Bloomsbury. More than 1,000 children across 7 Trust schools in Hastings are taking part in this reading initiative designed to empower pupils through the joy of reading.
• Local Governing BodiescoreOthersEach academy has a Local Governing Body that works closely with its senior leadership team and provides a vital link to the Trust's Board of Trustees. These volunteer bodies maintain close links with academies' communities.
• Step Ahead Academy TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver a full induction ECT (Early Career Teacher) programme. The programme equips new teachers to make real impact and successfully pass their induction period using a bite-sized, flexible curriculum with Steplab professional learning platform and in-school mentors.
• University of Brightonformer sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal sponsor of the Trust. The University of Brighton began supporting academies in 2008 and was lead sponsor of Hastings Academies Trust (established 2010). The University of Brighton Academies Trust was established in 2014. Following 2025 discussions with Department for Education, the University is no longer involved in the Trust as it progresses dissolution.
• Teach FirstminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitial Teacher Training provider that the Trust supports trainee teachers from. PGCE training options available for primary and secondary routes through Apply for teacher training website.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Dixons Academies Trust: Medium-sized MAT focused on academic outcomes and character education; comparable on outcomes-driven secondary model and results-improvement narrative.
• United Learning: One of the largest UK multi-academy trusts operating state-funded schools, historically backed by university/charity sponsorship; directly comparable governance and operating model to UoBAT.
• ARK Academies: Major UK MAT focused on education-disadvantaged pupils and curriculum-led school improvement; comparable in mission and operating structure to UoBAT's Sussex network.
• Step Ahead Academy Trust: Partner MAT cited in UoBAT data for ECT induction; directly comparable UK MAT structure with overlapping teacher-development programmes.
• Oasis Community Learning: National MAT running primary and secondary academies with strong community engagement ethos, parallel to UoBAT's inclusion and wellbeing programmes.
• Harris Federation: Large multi-academy trust operating primary and secondary academies with a strong track record of improving OFSTED outcomes; directly comparable K-12 state-academy model.
• Outwood Grange Academies Trust: Large UK MAT with a heavy secondary-academy footprint and a published school-improvement system; comparable to UoBAT on turnaround-focused secondary academy operations.

Emerging players

• Bright Horizons Family Solutions: Operator of nurseries and early-years settings; relevant peer for the 2 nursery facilities within the UoBAT network and overlapping early-years delivery.
• Reach Academy Trust: Smaller, outcomes-focused MAT with a strong secondary results profile; an emerging peer with similar mission and improvement-focused ethos.

Broad incumbents

• Academies Enterprise Trust (AET): England's largest MAT by pupil numbers; a broad incumbent running primary and secondary academies nationally and a candidate acquirer type for dissolving trusts.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC8t48lv6zpDMS5rGO-yrbog
• Facebookfacebook.com/UOBAcademiesTrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-of-brighton-academies-trust

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about University of Brighton Academies Trust