Aim High Academy Trust

UID 2082·Companies House 08842629·Incorporated January 2014

Schools

3

Flags

2

2 high severity

Total income

£6.1m

978 pupils

Avg staff costs

65.4%

of income

Avg reserves

37.0%

of income

Avg absence

5.8%

Persistent: 18.3%

More metrics

Avg FSM

35.8%

free school meals

Capacity

99%

978 / 990 places

At a glance

Trust-wide reserves at 21.8%above 20%1 school with absence above 8%1 school with declining results

Ofsted sub-judgements

Quality of education

Outst. 1

Behaviour & attitudes

Outst. 1

Personal development

Good 1

Leadership & management

Outst. 1Good 2

Performance (trust avg)

Key Stage 2

Expected standard (RWM)

48.7%

-12.3pp

vs national

National averages: 2023/24

Trust details

AddressNewbottle Primary Academy Houghton Road, Houghton-Le-Spring, DH4 4EE
Companies House08842629
Incorporated13 January 2014

Trust growth over time

1
13/14
1
14/15
3
15/16
3
16/17
3
17/18
3
18/19
3
19/20
3
20/21
3
21/22
3
22/23
3
23/24
3
24/25

Schools in trust by academic year

YearSchoolsPupilsTotal incomeTotal expenditureAvg staff costs %Avg reserves %
2021/223992£5.5m£1.2m0.3%0.0%
2022/233990£6.1m£5.4m66.2%40.0%
2023/243978£6.1m£5.6m65.4%37.0%
2024/25partial31,014

Central services — 2023/24

Centralisation

12.4%

of total trust spend

CS expenditure

£794,000

CS staff costs

£695,000

CS income

£257,000

Admin & clerical£152,000
Teaching staff£291,000
ICT£0
Premises£-24,000
Legal & professional£-3,000
Auditor costs£22,000

Governance

Accounts to Aug 2025Source: Companies House

7 current directors · Average tenure: 5.8 years · 3 changes in last 12 months

Directors / Trustees (7)

Lee Kirtley

director·< 1 year

Alison Lazenby

director·< 1 year

Paul Hickman

director·3 years

Philip Gilmore

director·4 years

Neil Macknight

director·6 years

Graham Roger Stephenson

director·12 years

Patricia Dutton

director·12 years
13 former officers most recent departure: Apr 2025

Richard James Craig Gill

director·3 years·Resigned Apr 2025

Clare Alice Seccombe

director·5 years·Resigned Dec 2024

Andrew David Wake

director·6 years·Resigned Nov 2022

Janet Foster

director·7 years·Resigned May 2022

Dawn Shearsmith

director·8 years·Resigned Oct 2017

Julie Milner

director·9 years·Resigned Jul 2022

Sarah Jane Morrison

director·9 years·Resigned Jan 2018

John Walvin

director·9 years·Resigned Nov 2018

Jacqueline Moran

director·12 years·Resigned Jan 2018

John Calaghan Thompson

director·12 years·Resigned Jan 2018

Susan Morgan

director·12 years·Resigned May 2017

Richard James Craig Gill

director·12 years·Resigned Jun 2016

James Crawford Westwater

director·12 years·Resigned Jun 2020

Member schools (3)

3 schools|1 with risk flags|2 high severity
high absenceperformance decline