Acorn Education Trust

UID 2070·Companies House 07654902·Incorporated June 2011

Schools

21

Flags

36

11 high severity

Total income

£39.7m

5,657 pupils

Avg staff costs

73.8%

of income

Avg reserves

1.8%

of income

Avg absence

5.6%

Persistent: 12.7%

More metrics

Avg FSM

19.1%

free school meals

Capacity

73%

5,657 / 7,720 places

At a glance

Trust-wide reserves at 50.8%above 20%10 schools with workforce pressure7 schools with declining results4 schools with absence above 8%6 schools with staff costs above 78%2 schools with Ofsted concerns

Ofsted sub-judgements

Quality of education

Good 14RI 2

Behaviour & attitudes

Good 16

Personal development

Outst. 1Good 15

Leadership & management

Good 19RI 2

Performance (trust avg)

Key Stage 4

Attainment 8

39.1

-7.1

vs national

Key Stage 2

Expected standard (RWM)

54.3%

-6.8pp

vs national

National averages: 2023/24

Trust details

AddressKingdown School, Warminster, BA12 9DR
Companies House07654902
Incorporated1 June 2011

Trust growth over time

1
10/11
2
11/12
4
12/13
6
13/14
7
14/15
11
15/16
16
16/17
17
17/18
18
18/19
18
19/20
18
20/21
18
21/22
19
22/23
20
23/24
21
24/25

Schools in trust by academic year

YearSchoolsPupilsTotal incomeTotal expenditureAvg staff costs %Avg reserves %
2021/22185,281£28.6m£27.5m74.0%0.1%
2022/23195,328£36.6m£32.7m71.3%-0.3%
2023/24205,629£39.0m£38.2m73.7%1.9%
2024/25partial215,389£743k£740k76.5%0.8%

Central services — 2023/24

Centralisation

53.4%

of total trust spend

CS expenditure

£44,610,000

CS staff costs

£24,066,000

CS income

£-2,182,000

Admin & clerical£17,583,000
Teaching staff£2,509,000
ICT£0
Premises£9,105,000
Legal & professional£290,000
Auditor costs£99,000

Governance

Accounts to Aug 2025Source: Companies House

13 current directors · Average tenure: 5.3 years · 6 changes in last 12 months

Directors / Trustees (13)

Gillian Mary Maddocks

director·< 1 year

Nicholas Anthony Taylor

director·< 1 year

Richard Marsh

director·1 year

Susan Daphne Bale

director·1 year

Gillian Claire Gosling

director·2 years

Olivia Jane Evans

director·3 years

Susan Whitehead-whiting

director·4 years

Alan John Sedgley

director·6 years

Allen Rev Edwards

director·7 years

Thomas Morgan

director·7 years

Richard Ward Hendrickse

director·7 years

David George Middleton

director·11 years

Andrew James Armstrong

director·14 years

Company Secretary

Fiona Simpson

secretary·7 years
17 former officers most recent departure: Aug 2025

Sarah Anne Vodden

director·4 years·Resigned Jul 2025

Heather Cowan

director·7 years·Resigned Jul 2022

John Cowan

director·7 years·Resigned Jul 2025

David Gordon Johnson

director·8 years·Resigned Jul 2025

Gillian Claire Gosling

director·8 years·Resigned Jul 2023

Richard Anthony Crow

director·9 years·Resigned Nov 2019

Sandra Louise George

secretary·10 years·Resigned Dec 2018

Terence Wesley Hillier

director·11 years·Resigned Jun 2016

Judith Anne Finney

director·11 years·Resigned Jun 2015

Linda Ann Weare

director·11 years·Resigned Jun 2016

Kevin Dr Robinson

director·11 years·Resigned Jun 2019

Jennifer Emily Hampson

director·11 years·Resigned Jul 2018

Sally Michele Bonnell

director·13 years·Resigned Aug 2015

Heather Margaret Cowan

secretary·13 years·Resigned Nov 2015

Peter Dr Biggs

director·14 years·Resigned Mar 2014

Sara Jeane Edwards

director·14 years·Resigned Aug 2025

Jack Michael May

director·14 years·Resigned Sept 2012

Member schools (21)

21 schools|18 with risk flags|10 high severity
high absenceworkforce pressure
ofsted concernworkforce pressure
high staff costs
performance decline
high absencehigh staff costs
performance declineworkforce pressure
ofsted concernhigh absence
performance decline
workforce pressurehigh staff costsperformance decline
high staff costsperformance decline
high absence
workforce pressurehigh staff costsperformance decline
workforce pressurehigh staff costs