Connect Academy Trust

UID 16300·Companies House 10192252·Incorporated May 2016·Compare

Schools

Flags

3 high severity

Finance: 2025/26Ofsted: Apr 2025Performance: 2025/26Workforce: 2025/26Attendance: 2025/26

Total income

£22.4m

3,465 pupils

Avg staff costs

79.4%

of income

Avg reserves

0.8%

of income

Avg absence

5.1%

Persistent: 12.7%

More metrics

Avg FSM

21.1%

free school meals

Capacity

94%

3,465 / 3,700 places

At a glance

Trust-wide reserves at 3.5%below 5% threshold7 schools with staff costs above 78%4 schools with workforce pressure2 schools with declining results

Ofsted sub-judgements

Quality of education

Outst. 1Good 3RI 2

Behaviour & attitudes

Outst. 2Good 4

Personal development

Outst. 2Good 4

Leadership & management

Outst. 2Good 6RI 1

Performance (trust avg)

Key Stage 2

Expected standard (RWM)

59.7%

-1.3pp

vs national

National averages: 2023/24

Trust details

AddressLeigham Primary School Cockington Close, Plymouth, PL6 8RF

Companies House10192252

Incorporated20 May 2016

Trust growth over time

10/11

11/12

12/13

13/14

14/15

15/16

16/17

17/18

18/19

19/20

20/21

21/22

22/23

23/24

24/25

Schools in trust by academic year

Year	Schools	Pupils	Total income	Total expenditure	Avg staff costs %	Avg reserves %
2021/22	8	3,423	£17.5m	£16.1m	73.2%	4.8%
2022/23	8	3,316	£20.1m	£18.7m	77.6%	0.0%
2023/24	8	3,253	£20.9m	£20.0m	79.3%	0.0%
2024/25partial	9	3,403	£1.6m	£1.6m	80.3%	6.9%

Central services — 2023/24

Centralisation

6.4%

of total trust spend

Typical MAT centralisation ranges from 3-7% of total trust spend. Figures below 2% may indicate limited central coordination; above 10% warrants review of value for money.

CS expenditure

£1,467,000

CS staff costs

£1,021,000

CS income

£203,000

Admin & clerical£288,000

Teaching staff£414,000

ICT£64,000

Premises£184,000

Legal & professional£103,000

Auditor costs£15,000

Governance

Accounts to Aug 2025Source: Companies House

8 current directors · Average tenure: 5.1 years · 3 changes in last 12 months

Directors / Trustees (8)

Nicholas Panayides

director·< 1 year

April Louise Hopkins

director·2 years

Kate Jill Reeves

director·3 years

Tamsin Carol Lamb

director·3 years

Paul Keith Osborne

director·5 years

Ian Mitchell

director·7 years

Lee Le marquand

director·9 years

Samuel Jones

director·9 years

16 former officers — most recent departure: Mar 2026

Hanne Katrin Dr Knight

director·2 years·Resigned Mar 2026

Giles Francis Lawrence Freathy

director·3 years·Resigned Sept 2025

Vedette Rees

director·5 years·Resigned May 2022

Thomas Lavis

director·5 years·Resigned May 2022

Stuart Bellworthy

director·7 years·Resigned Oct 2024

Christian Jenkins

Member schools (9)

9 schools|8 with risk flags|3 high severity

School	URN	Phase	Risk flags
Cockington Primary School	149222	Primary	—
Eden Park Primary & Nursery School	136892	Primary	high staff costsworkforce pressure
Eggbuckland Vale Primary School	143312	Primary	high staff costs
Haytor View Community Primary School	152174	Primary	ofsted concernhigh staff costsin year deficitperformance decline
Leigham Primary School	143308	Primary	workforce pressureperformance decline
Manadon Vale Primary School	143307	Primary	high staff costs
Preston Primary School	141237	Primary	high staff costsworkforce pressure
Thornbury Primary School	143306	Primary	workforce pressurehigh staff costsofsted concern
Widey Court Primary School	143309	Primary	high staff costs

Cockington Primary SchoolPrimary

Eden Park Primary & Nursery SchoolPrimary

high staff costsworkforce pressure

Eggbuckland Vale Primary SchoolPrimary

high staff costs

Haytor View Community Primary SchoolPrimary

ofsted concernhigh staff costsin year deficitperformance decline

Leigham Primary SchoolPrimary

workforce pressureperformance decline

Manadon Vale Primary SchoolPrimary

high staff costs

Preston Primary SchoolPrimary

high staff costsworkforce pressure

Thornbury Primary SchoolPrimary

workforce pressurehigh staff costsofsted concern

Widey Court Primary SchoolPrimary

high staff costs