What Acer Trust does

Acer Trust is a charitable company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales, operating as a multi-academy trust since 2015. It runs nine state-funded schools in Oxfordshire (five primary and four secondary) educating approximately 6,000 pupils and students, with a staff base of over 800 colleagues. The trust is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Acting Chair Paul Gravett, with Nathan Thomas serving as Chief Executive Officer; governance combines trust-wide strategic oversight with local school autonomy and catchment-based enrollment.

The core product is publicly funded primary and secondary education, supplemented by Enhanced SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) pathways operating in five schools, an apprenticeship and professional development programme covering librarians, teaching assistants, HR, finance, ICT, and estates roles, and a governance volunteer pathway for trustees and school governors. Operational technology is non-proprietary: a standard PHP-based content management system for the website, Google Analytics for traffic measurement, ParentPay and WisePay for parental payments, and a partnership with The Supply Register to operate a flexible supply bank across the nine schools. There is no disclosed AI, ML, or proprietary data platform; the principal technology investment is in shared back-office functions (regional HR teams for North, South, West, and Central) and trust-wide safeguarding via a DSL (Designated Safeguarding Lead) network.

The business model is government grant funding under Academy Trust Handbook rules, with each school holding a supplemental funding agreement with the trust. There are no tuition fees; revenue is per-pupil funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency, plus minor ancillary income from facilities hire and apprenticeship delivery. Growth is achieved through a combination of organic catchment-based admissions, inbound expression-of-interest from schools seeking to join the trust, and mergers with other small trusts (notably the completed Bernwode Schools Trust merger). The trust's competitive position is anchored in regulatory accreditation (OFSTED, DfE relationships), a locally embedded brand since 2015, and the cost efficiencies of shared central services across nine schools.

Name

Acer Trust

Legal name

Acer Trust

Website

https://acertrust.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Acer Trust is a charitable multi-academy trust operating nine schools (five primary, four secondary) in Oxfordshire, UK, educating approximately 6,000 pupils. It delivers government-funded primary and secondary education, SEND pathways, and apprenticeships under centralised governance and ESFA grant funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter Special Education & Inclusive Programs (EDAJACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Charter School Authorizers & Oversight Boards (EDADABAB), Individualized Learning Plans & Differentiated Instruction Materials (IEP/IFSP-Aligned) (EDACAJAE)

Keywords

• Multi-academy trust
• Primary education
• Secondary education
• Special educational needs
• Teacher training

Headquarters

HQ city

Oxford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Education Funding: Acer Trust schools receive funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) under academy trust funding agreements. Each school has supplemental funding agreements with the trust. Revenue is government-funded education delivery to approximately 6,000 pupils across 9 schools.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Acer Trust operates a multi-academy trust of nine Oxfordshire schools (five primary and four secondary) delivering government-funded primary and secondary education to approximately 6,000 pupils. Services include mainstream schooling, Enhanced Pathways SEND provision in five schools, a staffing supply bank with The Supply Register, apprenticeship and professional development programmes, and voluntary governor/trustee pathways.

Product overview

Acer Trust operates as a multi-academy trust consisting of 9 Oxfordshire schools (5 primary and 4 secondary), educating approximately 6,000 pupils. The core offering is educational services unified under shared governance, with schools maintaining individual identities while benefiting from centralized resources and strategic direction. The Trust provides primary and secondary education across its school network, supplemented by staffing solutions through The Supply Register, professional development programs including apprenticeships, voluntary governance opportunities, and specialized SEND provisions through Enhanced Pathways operating in five schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Primary School Education Primary education services for children ages 5 to 11 across five Oxfordshire schools: Botley School, Chalgrove Community Primary School, Glory Farm Primary School, Stadhampton Primary School, and Watlington Primary School, delivered as part of the multi-academy trust's shared governance and curriculum framework.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 6,000 pupils and students educated across the trust
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Supply RegisterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAcer Trust partners with The Supply Register to operate a supply bank offering flexible work opportunities across nine schools. The partnership provides access to roles for Teachers, Teaching Assistants, Cover Supervisors, and Support Staff. Workers joining through this register are employed by The Supply Register rather than directly by Acer Trust.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• United Learning: One of the largest UK multi-academy trusts operating both primary and secondary schools across multiple regions. Directly comparable to Acer Trust in operating model (multi-academy trust), funding source (ESFA), and K-12 service offering.
• Oasis Community Learning: Large UK multi-academy trust operating primary and secondary academies with emphasis on inclusive, community-embedded education. Directly comparable in scale, structure, and educational mission.
• Greenwood Academies Trust: Multi-academy trust running both primary and secondary schools across England. Comparable in operating scale, governance model, and government funding dependency.
• REAch2 Academy Trust: UK primary-focused multi-academy trust operating a national network of primary schools with a similar measured-growth acquisition strategy. Comparable in central-governance, ESFA-funded model.
• Ormiston Academies Trust: UK multi-academy trust running a portfolio of primary and secondary schools with a focus on inclusive education and community engagement. Closely comparable governance and funding model to Acer Trust.

Regional players

• Cathedral Schools Trust: South-west England multi-academy trust operating a network of primary and secondary schools with a faith/heritage ethos. Comparable in MAT structure and K-12 offering, though operating in a different region than Acer Trust.
• Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust: Multi-academy trust operating schools across Oxfordshire and surrounding counties. Directly comparable geographic overlap with Acer Trust and shared diocesan/regional educational community.

Broad incumbents

• Outwood Grange Academies Trust: Large UK multi-academy trust known for a school-improvement-led growth strategy. Comparable in operating MAT structure, though geographically broader and focused on secondary-turnaround schools.
• Harris Federation: Very large UK multi-academy trust operating primary and secondary academies nationally. Broader incumbent operating at greater scale than Acer Trust but sharing the same ESFA-funded MAT model and K-12 service offering.
• Academies Enterprise Trust (AET): One of the largest UK multi-academy trusts with a national footprint of primary and secondary schools. Comparable MAT model and educational focus, operating at materially larger scale than Acer Trust.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://www.acertrust.org.uk
• Xx.com/acer_trust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acer-trust

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries9 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 Acer Trust