birmingham diocesan multi-academy trust

What birmingham diocesan multi-academy trust does

Birmingham Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust (BDMAT) is a Church of England multi-academy trust operating 19 schools — 18 primary and 1 secondary — across Birmingham, Solihull and Warwickshire in the West Midlands of England, serving over 4,000 pupils. Founded in September 2017 by the Church of England, Birmingham and structured as a company limited by guarantee (company number 10729883), BDMAT operates under a Christian ethos articulated through defined values and a 'life in its fullness' mission. Its flagship St Michael's CE Primary Academy, Handsworth has been rated Outstanding by Ofsted and hosts an innovative community ecosystem including The Orchard Community Hub, an inner-city school farm, free breakfast provision via Magic Breakfast, and SEND and pastoral support services.

The trust's core product is the network of schools itself, supplemented by an expanding portfolio of wraparound services: the BDMAT ITT Pathway (a school-based teacher training programme in partnership with Ark Teacher Training that guarantees a permanent teaching post upon completion), The Orchard Community Hub (advocacy, cooking classes, English lessons, food pantry), SEND and inclusion services including The Nest nurture room and specialist interventions, before/after-school clubs, and Chartwells-provided school dining. Underlying technology consists of standard web infrastructure (WordPress, Wistia, WooCommerce, Google services) and the Arbor parent portal/payment platform.

BDMAT's revenue model is dominated by government education funding under standard UK per-pupil allocations routed through the trust, with secondary income from catering (Chartwells), facility hire, and small fees associated with teacher training. Pricing is non-existent in the commercial sense — all state-funded education is free at point of use, with universal infant free school meals and means-tested free meals for older pupils. Go-to-market is hybrid: admissions are processed through Birmingham City Council's coordinated system with oversubscription criteria, while teacher recruitment and community engagement rely on direct outreach, open days, partnerships with charities, and high-profile government visits that generate earned media. Customer segments include pupils and families (primary), aspiring and current teachers (secondary), and surrounding local communities in deprived urban areas (tertiary).

Name

birmingham diocesan multi-academy trust

Legal name

Birmingham Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust

Website

https://bdmatschools.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Birmingham Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust is a Church of England multi-academy trust operating 19 schools across Birmingham, Solihull and Warwickshire, serving over 4,000 pupils with education, teacher training and community support services under a Christian ethos.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC)

Keywords

• Primary school education
• Secondary school education
• Multi-academy trust
• Church of england schools
• State-funded education

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Education Funding: Core funding from government for running academies within the multi-academy trust structure. Revenue supports educational operations across 19 schools.
2. Pupil Meals and Catering: Revenue from school meals provided through partnership with Chartwells catering. Parents pay for meals or receive free school meals based on eligibility.
3. Teacher Training Programme: School-based teacher training through partnership with Ark Teacher Training. Salaried and non-salaried routes available, with the trust offering guaranteed teaching positions.
4. Facility Hire and Lettings: The trust offers facilities for community hire including the Community Hub and school facilities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Birmingham Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust delivers primary and secondary school education through its network of 19 Church of England academies (18 primary and 1 secondary), serving more than 4,000 pupils across Birmingham, Solihull, and Warwickshire. The trust provides wraparound services including free school meals, a free breakfast club, and wider community engagement, supported by partnerships for teacher training and catering.

Product overview

BDMAT is a multi-academy trust operating 19 Church of England schools (18 primary and 1 secondary) across Birmingham, Solihull, and Warwickshire, serving over 4,000 pupils. The core offering is the school network itself, which provides education within a Christian ethos. The trust supplements this with support services including teacher training (BDMAT ITT Pathway via Ark Teacher Training), community outreach (The Orchard Community Hub), SEND support (The Nest and specialist interventions), pastoral care, before/after school clubs, and school dining via Chartwells. The trust also operates St Michael's Farm as an innovative animal therapy initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,000+ pupils educated across 19 schools
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, major and minor.

• UK Government - Department for EducationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 November 2024Secretary of State for Education Bridget Philipson visited St Michael's CE Primary Academy to witness school transformation and community impact.
• Ark Teacher TrainingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for delivering teacher training programme. BDMAT offers two routes (salaried and non-salaried) through Ark Teacher Training, both leading to guaranteed teaching positions. Summer school and ongoing CPD support provided.
• Chartwells SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool catering provider offering nutritious, balanced meals. Manages special diets, allergies, and medical dietary requirements. Partners on sustainability initiatives like Stop Food Waste Day.
• TarakimajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal charity supporting the Orchard Community Hub at St Michael's. Provided funding and support for hub operations.
• HumanifymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal charity providing grants for Community Hub development at St Michael's Handsworth.
• Newbigin Community TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing animals and support for the school farm programme at St Michael's.
• Southfields FarmmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner working with school to provide animals for the urban farm programme.
• North Edgbaston Sports ClubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organisation providing volunteers and support for school farm and community initiatives.
• Magic BreakfastcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational charity providing free breakfast club programme for all St Michael's pupils, ensuring no child starts the day hungry.
• Birmingham City Council Educational ServicescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal authority partner for school admissions, safeguarding partnerships, and educational psychologist services.
• Health AssuredmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployee Assistance Programme provider offering professional counselling and wellbeing services to BDMAT staff.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• St Chad's Academies Trust: Diocesan multi-academy trust operating Church of England schools in the West Midlands region; directly comparable diocesan model with similar geographic concentration.
• Archdiocese of Birmingham Multi-Academy Trust: Catholic diocesan MAT operating across the same Birmingham geography as BDMAT; same regional footprint, similar diocesan sponsorship model and primary-secondary school mix.
• Coventry Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust: Neighbouring Church of England diocesan MAT operating schools in the West Midlands region; shares faith-based sponsorship model and academisation structure with BDMAT.
• Diocese of Lichfield Multi-Academy Trust: Another Church of England diocesan multi-academy trust operating multiple primary and secondary schools across the West Midlands and Staffordshire, directly comparable in mission, structure, and geographic overlap.

Broad incumbents

• REAch2 Academy Trust: Large primary-focused multi-academy trust operating 60+ schools across England; comparable as a scaled primary-led MAT operator.
• Harris Federation: Large London-headquartered MAT running 50+ primary and secondary academies with strong Ofsted performance; comparable as a scaled-up multi-academy trust operator.
• Oasis Community Learning: One of the largest MATs in England operating 50+ academies nationally with a faith-inspired ethos and significant community hub model; comparable in scale ambition and integrated services approach.
• Academies Enterprise Trust: One of the UK's largest academy sponsors running 60+ schools including primaries and secondaries; comparable as a national non-diocesan MAT with mixed faith/secular ethos.
• Star Academies: National faith-inspired MAT operating primary and secondary schools across England; comparable as a multi-academy trust operator with faith-based ethos and strong performance track record.

Emerging players

• Ark Schools: Education charity running academies and teacher training programmes; BDMAT partners with Ark Teacher Training, and Ark operates comparable school and ITT models.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCBwcCiEV1v_Y
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/birmingham-diocesan-multi-academy-trust

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 →

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