Ambition Education Trust

UID 16752·Companies House 07523557·Incorporated February 2011·Compare

Schools

10

Flags

18

9 high severity

Finance: 2024/25Ofsted: Jun 2025Performance: 2025/26Workforce: 2025/26Attendance: 2025/26

Total income

£54.7m

7,515 pupils

Avg staff costs

77.6%

of income

Avg reserves

1.0%

of income

Avg absence

6.3%

Persistent: 15.3%

More metrics

Avg FSM

15.8%

free school meals

Capacity

100%

7,515 / 7,551 places

At a glance

Trust-wide reserves at 2.4%below 5% threshold7 of 12 directors appointed in last 2 years5 schools with absence above 8%4 schools with staff costs above 78%2 schools in deficit1 school with declining results4 schools with workforce pressure

Ofsted sub-judgements

Quality of education

Outst. 3Good 4

Behaviour & attitudes

Outst. 3Good 4

Personal development

Outst. 4Good 3

Leadership & management

Outst. 3Good 7

Performance (trust avg)

Key Stage 4

Attainment 8

49.4

+3.2

vs national

Key Stage 2

Expected standard (RWM)

73.3%

+12.3pp

vs national

National averages: 2023/24

Trust details

AddressSandringham School, St Albans, AL4 9NX
Companies House07523557
Incorporated9 February 2011

Trust growth over time

3
10/11
3
11/12
3
12/13
3
13/14
3
14/15
3
15/16
3
16/17
6
17/18
6
18/19
7
19/20
9
20/21
10
21/22
10
22/23
10
23/24
10
24/25

Schools in trust by academic year

YearSchoolsPupilsTotal incomeTotal expenditureAvg staff costs %Avg reserves %
2021/22107,304£43.3m£41.4m73.7%14.7%
2022/23107,435£52.0m£50.0m81.4%1.2%
2023/24107,515£54.7m£51.2m77.6%1.0%
2024/25partial107,473

Central services — 2023/24

Centralisation

1.4%

of total trust spend

CS expenditure

£713,000

CS staff costs

£573,000

CS income

£0

Admin & clerical£456,000
Teaching staff£95,000
ICT£3,000
Premises£0
Legal & professional£46,000
Auditor costs£41,000

Governance

Accounts to Aug 2025Source: Companies House

12 current directors · Average tenure: 3.8 years · 2 changes in last 12 months

Directors / Trustees (12)

Mary Elizabeth Newman

director·1 year

Helen Barton

director·1 year

Rachael Patricia Kenningham

director·1 year

Paul Lerwill

director·1 year

Claire Elizabeth Robins

director·1 year

Richard James Edwards

director·1 year

Paul Oliver Webster

director·1 year

Frances Catherine Mrs. Manning

director·3 years

Duncan Mr. Gibbons

director·3 years

Catherine Jane Mrs. Borel-saladin

director·4 years

Deborah Jane Strazza

director·7 years

Alan Kirby Gray

director·15 years

Company Secretary

Amy Barclay

secretary·2 years
49 former officers most recent departure: Aug 2025

Paul Snook

director·1 year·Resigned Aug 2025

Thomas Robert Mr. Brighton

director·3 years·Resigned Mar 2023

Simon Lascelles

director·3 years·Resigned Jul 2022

James Leslie Mr. Rodea

director·5 years·Resigned Aug 2025

Jonathan William Edward Mr. Sweet

director·5 years·Resigned Aug 2024

Peter Mr. Jones

director·6 years·Resigned Oct 2021

David George Richard Kennedy

director·7 years·Resigned Feb 2022

Richard Kelvin Springall

director·7 years·Resigned Nov 2021

Naresh Chouhan

director·7 years·Resigned Nov 2019

Norman Kennedy Leinster

director·8 years·Resigned Aug 2024

Geoffrey Malcolm Dr Copland

director·8 years·Resigned Feb 2018

Nicholas Joseph Daymond

director·8 years·Resigned Apr 2022

Graham Charles Rev Clarke

director·8 years·Resigned Feb 2018

Jeremy Paul Loukes

director·8 years·Resigned Dec 2024

Flora Lady Letanka

director·8 years·Resigned Feb 2018

Mark Mr. Allday

director·9 years·Resigned Jul 2017

Rachael Peacock

director·9 years·Resigned Jul 2017

Joanna Jones

director·10 years·Resigned Jul 2017

Judith Head

director·10 years·Resigned Jul 2017

Clotilde Dominique Bernadette Chohan

director·10 years·Resigned Jul 2017

Rachel Catherine Houlden

director·11 years·Resigned Jul 2017

Darren Peter Leigh

director·11 years·Resigned Jul 2017

Gregory James Comninos

director·12 years·Resigned Aug 2023

Anne Garland

director·12 years·Resigned Jul 2017

Martin Petersen

director·13 years·Resigned Sept 2015

Sarah Hebb

director·13 years·Resigned Oct 2016

Robert Mark Snelling

director·13 years·Resigned Jul 2017

Anna Cox

director·13 years·Resigned Jul 2017

Verity Lane

director·13 years·Resigned Dec 2012

Christine Page

director·13 years·Resigned Apr 2016

Karen Rose Hay

director·14 years·Resigned Oct 2015

Keith Thomas

director·14 years·Resigned Jun 2014

Mark Anthony Dr Thompson

director·14 years·Resigned Oct 2012

Stephanie Jean Cooper

director·14 years·Resigned Jun 2014

Julia Suzanne Shaw

secretary·14 years·Resigned Mar 2023

Alexander Saul Canfor-dumas

director·15 years·Resigned Oct 2011

Norman Kennedy Leinster

director·15 years·Resigned Nov 2013

Penelope Ann Thei

director·15 years·Resigned Jun 2021

Surinderjit Singh Selhi

director·15 years·Resigned Nov 2012

Ann Elizabeth Irwin

director·15 years·Resigned Aug 2019

Susan Jane Bullen

director·15 years·Resigned May 2012

James Robert Wright

director·15 years·Resigned Jul 2021

Andrew Jeremy Sykes

director·15 years·Resigned Jun 2017

Linda Marion Keen

director·15 years·Resigned May 2024

Warren Leaming

director·15 years·Resigned Sept 2013

Duncan Alan Hugh Gibbons

director·15 years·Resigned Aug 2019

Anne Lyons

director·15 years·Resigned Sept 2011

Richard Mark Oakes Peters

director·15 years·Resigned May 2012

David Leslie Clamp

director·15 years·Resigned Nov 2014

Member schools (10)

10 schools|9 with risk flags|7 high severity
high absencehigh staff costsin year deficitperformance decline
high staff costsworkforce pressure
high absence
workforce pressure
high absence
workforce pressurehigh absence
high absenceworkforce pressure
high staff costsin year deficit