The Great Schools Trust

What The Great Schools Trust does

The Great Schools Trust is a UK Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) and registered charity (No. 07641004) operating a network of 8+ non-selective state schools across the Northwest of England, including primary and secondary academies under the 'King's Leadership Academy' and 'King's Northway / King's Lander Primary' brands. The Trust's core proposition is educational excellence combined with a specialism in Character & Leadership Development, evidenced by 100% student engagement in character activities, 70% EBacc entry, 90% Duke of Edinburgh participation, and an Ofsted 'Outstanding' rating for personal development at King's Leadership Phoenix Academy. The Trust operates a centralised Faculty for Education, an Institute of Character & Leadership for staff development, a National Behaviour Hub (Lead MAT Status, 2022), and the King's Adventure outdoor education programme. It is funded through UK Government per-pupil grants via the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), with no tuition fees charged to families.

The Trust's technology stack centres on CredimusAI, an internally developed AI platform framed as a flagship differentiator designed to reduce teacher workload and improve work-life balance, alongside a School to School Training & Support programme that already extends its EdTech services to 140 external schools. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer for students and families through the academy network, supplemented by teacher recruitment and Initial Teacher Training across 16 subjects. A secondary go-to-market motion targets external schools and system-level education sector clients through school-to-school support, the National Behaviour Hub, and partnerships with organisations such as Liz Folan's RISE Resilience programme and Liverpool John Moores University. The Trust is governed by a Board of Trustees, an Executive Team (CEO Shane Ierston, COSO Andrew Reay, CFO Heather Hickman, Director of Education Katie Sharp), and per-academy principals, with headquarters in Woolston, Warrington.

Name

The Great Schools Trust

Legal name

Great Schools Trust

Website

https://www.greatschoolstrust.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Great Schools Trust is a UK Multi-Academy Trust operating 8+ non-selective state schools across the Northwest of England, funded by Government per-pupil grants, with a Character & Leadership specialism and the CredimusAI platform for teacher workload reduction.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education (Multi-Academy Trust)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public K–12 Combined Schools (EDAJAAAE)

Keywords

• Multi-academy trust
• State school education
• Character leadership development
• Teacher training programmes
• School improvement support

Headquarters

HQ city

Warrington

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 MAT, the Trust receives per-pupil funding from the UK Government based on student enrollment across its academies. Additional funding streams include pupil premium, special educational needs funding, and capital grants.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Great Schools Trust operates a Multi-Academy Trust delivering free, non-selective state primary and secondary education across the Northwest of England through a network of 8+ King's Leadership Academies and primary schools. The Trust provides K-12 schooling, character and leadership development, teacher training, and supporting programmes including the CredimusAI AI platform, National Behaviour Hub, RISE Resilience wellbeing programme, and the Institute of Character & Leadership.

Product overview

The Great Schools Trust operates a multi-academy trust model serving children primarily across the Northwest of England. The Trust's core product offerings include CredimusAI, an AI platform designed to reduce teacher workload, supported by the Faculty for Education which provides centralised expert services across all academies. The Trust delivers character and leadership development through its King's Adventure outdoor education programme and the Institute of Character & Leadership. Wellbeing support is provided through the RISE Resilience Programme. Additional services include a National Behaviour Hub for system leadership, Initial Teacher Training programmes, and school-to-school training and support. The Trust is structured as a family of non-selective state schools with a central support infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• King's Leadership Academy: Secondary school brand within the trust operating multiple academies across the Northwest of England
• King's Adventure
• Faculty for Education
• CredimusAI
• National Behaviour Hub
• Institute of Character & Leadership (IoCL)

Products and services

• King's Leadership Academies (Multi-Academy Trust Schools) Network of non-selective state primary and secondary schools delivering free K-12 education, character development, and GCSE preparation to children across the Northwest of England. Each academy operates as a local school serving its immediate community, with centralized administration from the Trust.
• CredimusAI Platform AI-powered platform developed by the Trust to reduce teacher workload and enhance creativity and collaboration in schools. Designed to support educational transformation through innovative AI tools for staff.
• Faculty for Education Central function providing expert education, strategic and support services to all academies within the Trust, designed to support school principals and leaders in achieving high-quality teaching.
• RISE Resilience Programme Four-stage wellbeing programme supporting individuals through self-discovery, emotional regulation, habit formation and growth, including workshops, one-to-one coaching and bespoke wellbeing programmes.
• King's Adventure Outdoor education programme combining outdoor activities with character and leadership development, including Duke of Edinburgh's Award, Combined Cadet Force, character residentials and dedicated leadership lessons.
• National Behaviour Hub System leadership initiative supporting the education sector with behaviour management expertise and resources, operated under the Trust's Lead MAT Status.
• Teacher Training Programme Initial Teacher Training (ITT) programme offering pathways to qualified teacher status across multiple schools and subjects including Arabic, Art, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Drama, English, Geography, History, Maths, Music, PE, Physics, Religious Education and Spanish.
• Institute of Character & Leadership Institute supporting teachers' career development and professional growth through research-informed training and leadership programmes.
• School to School Training & Support External support service offered to other schools, with the Trust's EdTech team supporting 140 schools externally. Includes training programmes and educational resources for the broader education sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% EBacc Entry rate across academies
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UK Government - Free Breakfast Club InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2025King's Lander Primary Academy was selected as an 'early adopter' school for the government's free breakfast club scheme. The primary school on Pennington Road in Litherland is the only school in the borough of Sefton included in the initial rollout. The government scheme provides 30 minutes of free childcare, with King's Lander extending this to a full hour from 7.45am. The scheme is estimated to save parents up to £450 per year and provide 190 additional hours annually.
• Liverpool John Moores UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Liverpool John Moores University launched its MSc in Positive Psychology and Wellbeing in 2018, with Liz Folan as part of the first cohort. This connection provides academic credibility and research-backed methodologies to the Trust's wellbeing programs.
• Liz Folan / RISE ResiliencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Positive Psychology Specialist Liz Folan and her RISE Resilience programme to embed well-being across the Trust. Liz delivers tailored workshops, one-to-one coaching, and bespoke wellbeing programmes. She works with Year 11 students at King's Leadership Academy Liverpool on emotional regulation, study skills, and focused routines through 'Power Hour' sessions. Results include students reporting increased academic performance, some by two to three grades, as well as improvements in attendance, mindset, friendships, and self-confidence.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ark Schools: Multi-Academy Trust running non-selective state schools across England with a strong brand-led approach to character and leadership. Closely comparable to Great Schools Trust on multi-academy operating model, regional clustering, and external training/support services.
• Harris Federation: Large UK Multi-Academy Trust operating primary and secondary academies with central support infrastructure, teacher training, and a brand emphasis on academic outcomes. Directly comparable as a MAT with similar central-versus-academy governance and sector-wide training exports.
• Star Academies: Multi-Academy Trust operating schools across England with a defined specialism and strong brand identity. Comparable to Great Schools Trust on character/specialism positioning and central operating model.
• Outwood Grange Academies Trust: Major UK Multi-Academy Trust operating a network of state secondary and primary schools with a strong school-to-school improvement model. Comparable to Great Schools Trust on academy-conversion growth strategy and central service support.
• Oasis Community Learning: One of the largest UK Multi-Academy Trusts, operating a similar network of state-funded academies across multiple regions with a defined specialism (Oasis – inclusion). Directly comparable to Great Schools Trust in scale, governance model, and reliance on per-pupil funding.
• Reach2 Academy Trust: Primary-focused Multi-Academy Trust running a large network of state primary schools across England. Comparable to Great Schools Trust on primary academy operations and central support infrastructure, particularly relevant for King's Lander and King's Northway.
• Kemnal Academies Trust (TKAT): UK Multi-Academy Trust operating primary and secondary schools with a regional-cluster model. Comparable to Great Schools Trust on multi-academy structure and tiered geographic expansion.

Others

• EdTech provider — B Squared: UK education software and assessment provider serving schools and MATs. Comparable to Great Schools Trust's EdTech external-support offering (140 schools) and CredimusAI ambitions as a sector infrastructure enabler.

Broad incumbents

• United Learning: National MAT and independent school group running a broad portfolio of state and independent schools across England. Comparable to Great Schools Trust on multi-academy model and teacher training, but a much larger and more diversified operator.

Regional players

• Diocese of Liverpool (Lumen Christi Catholic Multi-Academy Trust): Regional Multi-Academy Trust operating state schools in the Liverpool/Northwest area. Comparable to Great Schools Trust on geography and primary/secondary operating model, though faith-based.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GSTSchools

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries8 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 The Great Schools Trust