vine school trust (air it)

What vine school trust (air it) does

Vine Schools Trust, legally 'The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust', is a charitable company limited by guarantee (company number 8709542) that operates as a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) for Church of England primary and junior schools in Essex and the East of England. Founded in 2020 and headquartered at 53 New Street, Chelmsford, the trust currently supports 21 member schools serving over 4,100 pupils and employing more than 600 staff. The trust is governed by a board of trustees and operates under the umbrella of the Diocese of Chelmsford, which appoints three of its four members and a Diocesan Advisor to each school.

The trust's core offering is centralized governance, school improvement support, professional development, and shared resources for member schools, delivered through an experienced School Improvement Team using a documented 'hub' model of school-to-school support. Member schools retain their own identities and local enrollment while benefiting from collaborative professional development, financial oversight, and shared best practices rooted in a Christian values framework. As a non-profit, the trust does not sell products or technology; rather, it is funded by the UK Government's Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) based on pupil numbers under Academy Funding Agreements, with no tuition fees charged to families.

The trust's go-to-market is effectively a direct outreach / partnership motion aimed at recruiting additional Church of England schools into the MAT, supplemented by organic social media presence (LinkedIn, X, Facebook) and a content website. The organization is GDPR compliant, has issued dedicated privacy notices including one for Artificial Intelligence, and publishes a Gender Pay Gap Policy as required by UK regulation. Its growth since 2020 reflects a deliberate consolidation of Church of England primary education in the region, formalized through its 2025-2028 Strategic Plan.

Name

vine school trust (air it)

Legal name

The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust

Website

https://dcvst.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Vine Schools Trust is a non-profit Multi-Academy Trust operating 21 Church of England primary and junior schools in Essex and the East of England, serving 4,100+ pupils with 600+ staff under the Diocese of Chelmsford, funded by UK Government ESFA grants per pupil.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Primary Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Religious Organizations (8131), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis) (BPAGAJAD)

Keywords

• Multi-academy trust
• Primary education services
• School governance support
• School improvement services
• Academy trust membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Chelmsford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Education Funding: As a Multi-Academy Trust operating state-funded schools, Vine Schools Trust receives funding from the UK Government's Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). Funding is based on pupil numbers and allocated per Academy Funding Agreement.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Diocese of Chelmsford Vine Schools Trust is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) that operates and supports 21 Church of England primary and junior schools across Essex and the East of England. It provides centralized governance, school improvement support, professional development, and shared resources to member schools while preserving each school's individual identity and Christian ethos. The trust educates over 4,100 children and employs more than 600 staff across its family of schools.

Product overview

Vine Schools Trust is a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) providing educational services to 21 primary schools across Essex and the East of England. As an educational organization rather than a technology product company, they do not offer technology products, platforms, or SaaS services. Their offering consists of school governance, educational support services, and administrative functions for member schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Multi-Academy Trust Membership A membership programme for primary and junior schools to join the Vine Schools Trust, gaining access to a collaborative network, centralized governance, financial oversight, and shared resources while retaining each school's individual identity.
• School Improvement Services Specialised support, resources, and collaborative professional development delivered by the trust's experienced School Improvement Team to help member schools improve academic performance and outcomes.
• School-to-School Hub Support An effective 'hub' model of school-to-school support developed by the CEO that creates collaborative improvement networks among member schools, leading to significant academic and operational improvements.

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Diocese of ChelmsfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Diocese of Chelmsford is the founding organization behind Vine Schools Trust. It provides three of the trust's four members and appoints Diocesan Advisors to each school to support schools with religious character built on a Church of England foundation. The trust is part of the Diocese of Chelmsford's educational mission.
• Church of EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVine Schools Trust operates Church of England primary schools. The trust develops Christian Character in students and operates within the Church of England educational framework, maintaining the religious character of member schools.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• LDST (Loughborough Diocesan MAT equivalent): Faith-rooted diocesan trust structure provides an analogous governance template for CofE primary schools, though operating in a different region.

Direct peers

• REAch2 Academy Trust: One of the largest primary-focused Multi-Academy Trusts in England, operating a comparable network of primary schools under a similar school-improvement and hub-style operating model.
• Oasis Community Learning: Large MAT running primary and secondary academies across England with a values-led ethos, structurally analogous to a faith-rooted MAT serving state-funded schools.
• United Learning: National MAT operating both primary and secondary state-funded schools with a faith-linked heritage, offering a directly comparable group structure and school-improvement model.
• Academy Transformation Trust: Multi-Academy Trust running primary and secondary schools across the Midlands and East of England with comparable shared-services and school-improvement infrastructure.
• St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Diocesan MAT: Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust for Church of England schools in Suffolk - directly comparable structure, CofE foundation, and regional East-of-England footprint.
• Diocese of Ely Academy Trust: Another CofE diocesan Multi-Academy Trust running primary schools in the East of England, sharing the same diocesan-led governance and Christian ethos framework.

Broad incumbents

• Academies Enterprise Trust (AET): One of the largest and longest-established academy sponsors in England, operating a much larger and broader portfolio of schools but with a comparable central-support operating model (also referenced in Vine's chair's prior experience).

Regional players

• NET Academies Trust: East of England-focused MAT running a network of primary schools in the same region, overlapping geographically and demographically with Vine's catchment.
• Catalyst Academies Trust: Mid-sized Multi-Academy Trust operating primary schools in the East of England with a comparable school-improvement and shared-services operating model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VineSchools
• Facebookfacebook.com/VineSchools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-diocese-of-chelmsford-vine-schools-trust

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 vine school trust (air it)