Acorn Education Trust

Name

Acorn Education Trust

Legal name

Acorn Education Trust

Website

https://acorneducationtrust.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC), General Preschools (Play-Based) (EDACABAA), Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping (State/National) (EDAJAFAD)

Keywords

• Multi academy trust
• Primary education
• Secondary education
• Early years nursery
• State funded schooling

Headquarters

HQ city

Warminster

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Pupil-Led Government Funding: As an academy trust, Acorn Education Trust receives government funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) based on pupil numbers enrolled across its 21 schools. This is the primary revenue stream for the trust.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Acorn Education Trust is a Multi Academy Trust operating 21 schools across Wiltshire, providing free, state-funded education to students aged 3 months to 19 years. Its core offering spans early years childcare and nursery provision, primary and infant education, and secondary education including GCSE and A-Level courses, delivered across 2 nurseries, 17 primary/infant schools, and 4 secondary schools under a unified A.C.O.R.N values framework.

Product overview

Acorn Education Trust is a Multi Academy Trust operating twenty-one educational settings in Wiltshire, comprising two nurseries, seventeen primary and infant schools, and four secondary schools (Avon Valley Academy, Clarendon Academy, Kingdown School, and Pewsey Vale School). The trust serves students from 3 months to 19 years old. Founded in 2014, the trust provides a broad, balanced curriculum across academic and vocational subjects including English, Mathematics, Science, Geography, History, Modern Foreign Languages, ICT, Design and Technology, Drama, and Physical Education. The schools maintain their own unique identity and community ethos while benefiting from centralized governance and shared resources through the trust structure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Avon Valley Academy A co-educational secondary school educating young people between the ages of 11 and 16 years, located in Durrington, Salisbury, Wiltshire. Part of the Acorn Education Trust network.
• Clarendon Academy A secondary academy located in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, part of the Acorn Education Trust network.
• Kingdown School A co-educational, non-denominational secondary school educating young people between the ages of 11 and 18 years, located in Warminster, Wiltshire. A founding member of Acorn Education Trust and home of the trust's headquarters. Ofsted rated 'Good' in 2022.
• Pewsey Vale School A secondary school located in Pewsey, Wiltshire, providing education for students in the local community.
• Heytesbury Hedgehogs A nursery setting located in Heytesbury, Wiltshire, providing early years education for children from 3 months old.
• The Avenue Children's Centre A children's centre and nursery providing childcare and early years education in Warminster, Wiltshire.
• Primary Schools (17 schools across Wiltshire) Seventeen primary and infant schools across Wiltshire providing education from Reception through Year 6 for children aged 4/5 to 11. Schools include Bulford St Leonard's CE Primary, Chapmanslade Primary, Dilton Marsh CE Primary, Dinton CE Primary, Durrington All Saints CE Infant, Great Wishford CE VA Primary, Heytesbury CE Primary, Keevil CE Primary Academy, Netheravon All Saints CE Primary, New Close Primary, Rowde CE Primary Academy, St John's CE Primary, St Michael's CE Primary, The Avenue Primary, Wansdyke School (with 28-place Complex Needs Resource Base), West Ashton CE Primary, and Willowbrook Primary. Multiple schools are Church of England schools providing faith-based education.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple schools have achieved or retained 'Good' Ofsted ratings, including Kingdown School (2022), The Avenue Primary School (January 2023), Wansdyke School (2021), and New Close Primary School (March 2022)

Named customers23 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Swindon & Wiltshire Teaching School HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Teaching School Hub is housed at Glenmoor and Winton Academies, which operates under United Learning (one of the largest academy trusts in the country). Acorn Education Trust works with the Teaching School Hub to provide Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and ITT Apprenticeship programmes, offering structured pathways for aspiring teachers to join the profession and potentially work within Acorn schools.
• United LearningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Learning hosts the Swindon & Wiltshire Teaching School Hub at Glenmoor and Winton Academies. Through this partnership with Acorn Education Trust, aspiring teachers can access Initial Teacher Training programmes and apprenticeships, with pathways into teaching roles within Acorn schools.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• White Horse Federation: A Wiltshire-region Multi Academy Trust operating a comparable portfolio of primary and secondary schools. Directly comparable in geography, scale, and mix of faith and non-faith academies within the same county.
• Greenshaw Learning Trust: A South West England-focused Multi Academy Trust with a similar mix of primary and secondary academies. Comparable in geographic scope and growth trajectory as a regional MAT in the same part of England.
• Wellspring Academy Trust: A Yorkshire-based Multi Academy Trust operating a portfolio of primary, secondary, and alternative-provision schools. Comparable in MAT structure and breadth of provision including specialist SEND units.
• Salisbury Plain Academies: A Wiltshire-based Multi Academy Trust serving schools across Salisbury Plain. Directly comparable as a regional MAT operating primary and secondary schools within the same county catchment.
• ASPIRE Academy Trust: A South West Multi Academy Trust operating schools across multiple local authorities. Comparable as a regional MAT of similar size and pupil-age range.
• Diocese of Salisbury Academies Trust: A diocesan Multi Academy Trust overseeing Church of England schools in Wiltshire and Dorset. Highly comparable as a faith-affiliated MAT operating within the same geographic region as Acorn.
• The Education Alliance: A Multi Academy Trust operating a similar portfolio of primary, secondary, and sixth-form schools. Comparable in MAT governance structure and cross-phase educational provision.

Broad incumbents

• United Learning: One of the largest Multi Academy Trusts in England, operating schools nationwide and hosting the Swindon & Wiltshire Teaching School Hub that Acorn partners with. Comparable as a national MAT partner, though far larger in scale.
• Outwood Grange Academies Trust: A large national Multi Academy Trust operating dozens of primary and secondary academies across England. Comparable as a scaled MAT peer, though significantly larger and more geographically dispersed than Acorn.
• Oasis Academy Trust: A national Multi Academy Trust operating primary, secondary, and all-through academies across England. Comparable in MAT model and integrated values-based framework, though at substantially greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/acornedtrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries23 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 Acorn Education Trust