Scholars' Education Trust

What Scholars' Education Trust does

Scholars' Education Trust (SET) is a UK-based multi-academy trust founded in 2012, operating 13 wholly-owned state-funded schools across Essex, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. The trust delivers cross-phase education to over 10,000 children aged 3 to 18, spanning nurseries, first schools, primary schools, an all-through school and secondary schools (including an extended secondary). As a state-funded nonprofit organisation, SET receives its operating revenue from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) on a per-pupil basis and charges no tuition fees; pupils enrol through the standard UK local authority admissions process.

The trust operates a centralised support platform that supplies school improvement and operational services to its member academies, including SET Peer Review, Safeguarding Audit, Bespoke Support, an Education Improvement Team, Quality Assurance, Headteacher Performance Management, Central Operational Services (HR, finance, administration), Teacher Training and the Transform InSET in-service training programme. It also partners with the Alban TSH Teaching School Hub for regional teacher professional development and with Ecologi for environmental sustainability initiatives. Subsidiary schools include Buntingford First School, Harpenden Academy, Longdean School, Samuel Ryder Academy, Sir John Lawes School, The Highfield School, The Hemel Hempstead School, Priory Academy, Robert Barclay Academy, Nazeing Primary School, Oakleaf Primary School, Dunstable Icknield Lower School and Watling Lower School.

SET is a private, nonprofit entity led by a dual-CEO structure (Claire Robins OBE and Matthew Gauthier) with a Trust Board and central team based at Drakes Drive, St Albans. A leadership transition is underway: CEO Claire Robins is stepping down at the end of the 2025/26 academic year, and Lucy Miles has been appointed Chief Education Officer effective 1 September 2026, internalised from her Headteacher role at The Highfield School, with Zoe Armitage backfilling the headship. The trust markets itself through organic social media (Instagram, Facebook) and has no disclosed technology products, APIs, AI capabilities, or commercial revenue streams outside of government education funding.

Name

Scholars' Education Trust

Legal name

Scholars' Education Trust

Website

https://scholarseducationtrust.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Scholars' Education Trust is a UK multi-academy trust operating 13 state-funded schools across Essex, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, providing cross-phase education to over 10,000 children aged 3-18, funded by the ESFA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Multi-Academy Trust Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping (State/National) (EDAJAFAD)

Keywords

• Multi-academy trust
• State-funded education
• School improvement services
• Primary education
• Secondary education

Headquarters

HQ city

St Albans

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Education Funding: As a UK multi-academy trust, SET receives government funding through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) for the operation of its schools. Funding is based on pupil numbers and educational needs.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Scholars' Education Trust (SET) is a UK multi-academy trust founded in 2012 that operates more than 10 schools across Essex, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire, providing cross-phase education for over 10,000 children aged 3-18. The trust delivers school improvement and centralised support services to its member schools, including school improvement, safeguarding audits, quality assurance, headteacher performance management, central operational services, teacher training and in-service training (Transform InSET).

Product overview

Scholars' Education Trust is a cross-phase multi-academy trust consisting of over 10 schools across Essex, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. The trust operates as a platform of schools offering educational services to over ten thousand children aged 3-18, from nurseries through secondary education. The organization provides school improvement services including Core Provision for School Improvement, SET Peer Review, Safeguarding Audit, Bespoke Support, an Education Improvement Team, Quality Assurance, Headteacher Performance Management, Central Operational Services, Teacher Training, and Transform InSET. The trust also partners with Alban TSH Teaching School Hub for regional teacher professional development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SET Peer Review A peer review service allowing schools within the trust to receive feedback and evaluation from fellow trust schools.
• Safeguarding Audit Audit service to evaluate and improve safeguarding practices across schools within the trust.
• Bespoke Support Tailored support services customized to meet specific school improvement needs across the trust.
• Education Improvement Team A central team providing educational expertise and guidance to member schools of the trust.
• Quality Assurance A quality assurance framework to monitor and maintain educational standards across the trust.
• Headteacher Performance Management Performance management services for headteachers within the trust.
• Central Operational Services Centralized operational support services including HR, finance, and administration for member schools of the trust.
• Teacher Training Professional development and training programs for teachers within the trust.
• Transform InSET In-service training and professional development program for school staff within the trust.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alban TSH Teaching School HubcoreOthersAlban TSH (Teaching School Hub) operates as a partner organization providing teaching school hub services. The trust hosts information about Alban TSH on its website and footer, indicating a collaborative relationship for teacher training and professional development services.
• Treginnis Farm (Michael Morpurgo's)minorOthersHarpenden Academy students visit Treginnis Farm in Pembrokeshire, the most westerly farm in Wales owned by author Michael Morpurgo. The farm provides outdoor learning experiences including farming tasks, coastal walks, bird watching, and environmental education activities.
• EcologiminorOthersThe trust has a dedicated Ecologi page indicating environmental sustainability initiatives. Ecologi is a platform for climate action and tree planting projects.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Greenwood Academies Trust: Mid-size UK multi-academy trust operating a mix of primary and secondary academies. Comparable in scale and central-service structure to SET.
• Academies Enterprise Trust (AET): One of the largest UK multi-academy trusts, operating primary and secondary academies with centralized school-improvement functions. Comparable on funding model and shared-services approach.
• United Learning: Large UK multi-academy trust operating a cross-phase portfolio of primary and secondary schools with shared central services. Closest peer in structure, phase mix and self-operated school-improvement model.
• Harris Federation: Major UK multi-academy trust operating numerous primary and secondary academies with centralized support services. Comparable in scale, geographic concentration and reliance on ESFA funding.
• Ark Schools: Values-driven UK multi-academy trust operating non-selective academies with central programmes and CPD. Comparable as a national MAT peer operating under the same ESFA funding model.
• The Kemnal Academies Trust (TKAT): Large UK multi-academy trust running primary and secondary academies with shared central services. Comparable in cross-phase model and reliance on ESFA per-pupil funding.
• Outwood Grange Academies Trust: Multi-academy trust operating a network of primary and secondary schools with a strong school-improvement brand. Comparable in central-service orientation and state-funded model.
• REAch2 Academy Trust: UK primary-focused multi-academy trust with centralized support and school-improvement services. Comparable as a peer MAT even though skewed to primary phase.
• Oasis Community Learning: UK multi-academy trust running a network of academies across multiple regions with a strong central hub of school-improvement services. Directly comparable as a peer MAT.
• Northern Education Trust: UK multi-academy trust operating a portfolio of primary and secondary academies outside London. Comparable as a regional peer MAT with shared central services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ScholarsEdTrust
• Instagraminstagram.com/scholarsedtrust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries13 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 Scholars' Education Trust