Our Lady of the Magnificat

What Our Lady of the Magnificat does

Our Lady of the Magnificat is a Catholic Multi-Academy Trust (CMAT) registered as a UK company that oversees and supports 19 schools across Warwickshire and Worcestershire, all operating under the spiritual authority of the Archdiocese of Birmingham. The Trust's portfolio spans Catholic first schools (ages 5-9), primary schools, a middle school, secondary schools with sixth form provision, and a specialist SEND resource base called Peter's Place at Trinity Catholic School. It is led by Chief Executive Mrs Sinead Smith and Chief Finance Officer Ms L Armfield, with Central Services headquartered at Trinity Catholic School in Royal Leamington Spa.

The Trust runs no proprietary technology platform; instead it standardises on Microsoft 365 for staff and student portals and on established third-party EdTech tools including Lexia Core5 (literacy), Accelerated Reading, Spelling Shed, and Studybugs for attendance. Its unifying cultural framework is the RISE Values programme (Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence), reinforced by the RISE Awards, RISE Magazine, and shared cross-school events such as the Magnificat Football Tournament. Strategic partnerships include the University of Bolton (8 fully funded Master's places for staff), the British Council (UK-Ukraine School Partnerships Programme with St Marie's and English Martyrs Primary), and Catholic charities such as Father Hudson's Caritas and CAFOD.

The Trust's revenue model is government funding rather than commercial: it receives per-pupil allocations from the UK Department for Education via the National Funding Formula, supplemented by Diocesan support, grants, and charitable fundraising. As a not-for-profit, it charges no tuition fees and admits pupils through the standard UK admissions process, with priority for baptised Catholics. Growth is driven by the July 2024 Diocesan directive from Archbishop Bernard Longley to consolidate Catholic schools into stronger CMATs, evidenced by the 2024 additions of St Patrick's Catholic Primary School and St Mary's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Southam, and by operational involvement in forming the new St Raphael the Archangel CMAT.

Name

Our Lady of the Magnificat

Legal name

Our Lady of the Magnificat

Website

https://magnificat.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2026

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Our Lady of the Magnificat is a Catholic Multi-Academy Trust operating 19 schools across Warwickshire and Worcestershire under the Archdiocese of Birmingham, delivering state-funded primary, middle, secondary, sixth form, and SEND education under the RISE Values framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based K-12 Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAJACAA

Charter School Management Organizations (CMOs/EMOs)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/Charter K–12 Schools

SECONDARYEDAJAHAA

Student Information Systems (SIS) & Master Data Management

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 School Operations & Administration (Scheduling, SIS, Compliance)

Keywords

• Catholic multi-academy trust
• Primary school education
• Secondary school education
• SEND resource provision
• Faith-based schooling

Headquarters

HQ city

Royal Leamington Spa

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 an academy trust, Our Lady of the Magnificat receives per-pupil funding from the UK Government's Department for Education. Funding is allocated based on pupil numbers across all 19 member schools.
2. Diocesan Support: Schools are part of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, which provides religious affiliation, oversight, and support for Catholic education standards.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Our Lady of the Magnificat is a Catholic Multi-Academy Company (CMAT) operating 19 schools across Warwickshire and Worcestershire under the Archdiocese of Birmingham. It delivers faith-based primary, first, middle, secondary and sixth form education through a unified family of schools sharing central services, the RISE Values framework, safeguarding, curriculum resources, and professional development. The trust also runs specialized provision including Peter's Place (SEND resource base) and the Emmaus Foundation Programme for post-16 students.

Product overview

Our Lady of the Magnificat is a Catholic Multi-Academy Trust operating 19 schools across Warwickshire and Worcestershire as part of the Archdiocese of Birmingham. The organization's core offering is educational services spanning primary, middle, secondary, and sixth form education. The portfolio includes specialized programs such as Peter's Place (a resource provision for students with complex learning needs), the Emmaus Foundation Programme (Sixth Form), RISE Awards, and RISE Magazine. Central Services provides administrative support across the network. Schools include primary institutions (Our Lady's, St Marie's, St Augustine's, English Martyrs, St Gregory's, St Patrick's, various St Mary's locations), first schools (St Peter's, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, St Thomas More), middle schools (St Bede's), and high schools with sixth form (St Benedict's, St Augustine's, Trinity Catholic School).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Magnificat Sixth Form: A shared sixth form provision across multiple secondary schools within the MAC, including St Augustine's Catholic High School and St Benedict's Catholic High School.
• RISE Awards
• RISE Values

Products and services

• Catholic Primary and First School Education Faith-based primary education from Reception through Year 6 (ages 5-11) and first school education for ages 5-9, delivered across the trust's member primary and first schools. Families apply directly through the UK school admissions system, with Catholic faith-based admissions criteria for priority placement.
• Catholic Middle School Education Middle school education for pupils aged 9-13 covering transition years between primary and secondary, delivered through St Bede's Catholic Middle School for partnership primary schools in Redditch and Bromsgrove.
• Catholic Secondary and Sixth Form Education Secondary education for students aged 11-18 covering GCSE, A-Level, and sixth form provision, delivered across St Benedict's Catholic High School, St Augustine's Catholic High School and Sixth Form, and Trinity Catholic School, with the Magnificat Sixth Form consortium offering shared sixth form education.
• Peter's Place Resource Provision A specialist SEND resource provision at Trinity Catholic School offering bespoke curriculum, nurture activities, forest school, and enrichment for students with complex learning needs including ASC (Autism Spectrum Condition), PMLD (Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties), SLD (Severe Learning Difficulties), MLD (Moderate Learning Difficulties), and Dyslexia, delivered within an inclusive Catholic environment.
• Emmaus Foundation Programme Sixth Form post-16 programme at Trinity Catholic School offering A-Level education, 16-19 Bursary Fund support, and enrichment opportunities for students progressing from GCSEs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Outstanding GCSE and A-Level results achieved across secondary schools
• +3 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

Integration18 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Archdiocese of BirminghamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll 19 schools are part of the Archdiocese of Birmingham under Archbishop Bernard Longley. The Archbishop outlined a new plan on 11th July 2024 for Catholic schools to move from collaboration to shared responsibility within stronger Catholic Multi-Academy Trusts.
• University of BoltoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership offering 8 fully funded Master's degree places for staff members within the Multi-Academy Company, supporting professional growth and development of teaching staff.
• Father Hudson's CaritasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharitable partner for fundraising initiatives including the Row to Saint-Raphael rowing challenge and Reverse Advent Calendar appeal. Schools raise funds to support families in need through this Catholic charity.
• British CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through the UK-Ukraine School Partnerships Programme, connecting approximately 3,000 pupils and 100 teachers across 50 UK and 50 Ukrainian schools through shared love of reading. St Marie's and English Martyrs Primary schools are partnered with Vinnytsia Primary School 25 in Ukraine.
• St Raphael the Archangel CMATcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew Catholic Multi-Academy Trust being formed as part of the Diocesan plan for academisation. The trust is recruiting board members including Safeguarding Trustee and Property Trustee positions. Part of the broader restructuring of Catholic education in the Archdiocese.
• CAFODminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCatholic international development charity. Trinity Catholic School participates in CAFOD initiatives including the Jubilee Pledge Badge programme and sponsored walks, connecting students to global Catholic social justice mission.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• St John the Baptist Catholic Multi Academy Trust: A Catholic multi-academy trust in the West Midlands operating a portfolio of Catholic schools under Archdiocese oversight, directly comparable in mission, funding model, and Diocesan reporting lines to Our Lady of the Magnificat.
• Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Multi Academy Trust: A Catholic multi-academy trust combining primary and secondary schools under Diocesan oversight, operating with the same funding model, governance structure, and faith-based admissions criteria.
• Christ the King Catholic Collegiate: A multi-academy Catholic trust operating a family of primary and secondary schools with shared central services, directly comparable in structure and educational brief to a CMAT like Our Lady of the Magnificat.
• Romero Catholic Academy Trust: A Catholic CMAT formed under the Archdiocese of Birmingham's academisation programme, sharing the same Diocesan commissioner, governance framework, and academisation growth pipeline as Our Lady of the Magnificat.
• Pax Christi Catholic Multi Academy Trust: A Catholic multi-academy trust managing a portfolio of Catholic schools, providing a near-analogue peer in operating model, scale, and mission alignment.
• Holy Family of Nazareth Catholic Multi Academy Trust: A Catholic CMAT operating multiple Catholic schools, comparable in scale, faith-based mission, and central-services approach to Our Lady of the Magnificat.
• Emmaus Catholic Multi Academy Company: A Catholic MAC operating schools within the same Archdiocese network, providing a directly comparable model of multi-school Catholic governance and Diocesan-aligned mission delivery.
• St Thomas More Catholic Academy Trust: A Catholic multi-academy trust offering primary and secondary Catholic education, with a similar faith-led admissions approach and Diocesan reporting structure.

Others

• Department for Education (UK): The UK Government department funding all academies and CMATs, including Our Lady of the Magnificat, through the National Funding Formula and high-needs grants — the primary counterparty for every pound the trust receives.
• Birmingham Diocesan Education Service: The Archdiocese of Birmingham's central education authority, which sits upstream of Our Lady of the Magnificat and other Catholic CMATs, providing Diocesan policy oversight, training, and standards support relevant to the trust's operating context.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights2 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MagnificatMac

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries19 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 Our Lady of the Magnificat