Link Academy Trust

UID 16074·Companies House 10049068·Incorporated March 2016·Compare

Schools

Flags

28 high severity

Finance: 2025/26Ofsted: Feb 2026Performance: 2025/26Workforce: 2026/27Attendance: 2025/26

Total income

£15.5m

1,752 pupils

Avg staff costs

68.6%

of income

Avg reserves

0.0%

of income

Avg absence

More metrics

Avg FSM

21.1%

free school meals

Capacity

75%

1,752 / 2,330 places

Total admin cost

£1.0m

£589 per pupil

Trust overview

2 of 21 schools report staff costs above the DfE's 78% review point. Staffing ratios reflect phase mix, curriculum and local context as much as efficiency.

1 of 21 schools report negative revenue reserves at year-end. A year-end snapshot can reflect planned spend-down, in-trust transfers or timing; the trust's audited accounts give the fuller picture.

Trust-average reserves have fallen about 8 percentage points over two years of published returns.

Absence is at or below the national average in 19 of 23 schools.

19 of 23 inspected schools meet the expected standard or above.

1 of these inspections used the new Report Card framework; its scale is not directly comparable with legacy grades.

Generated from published DfE and Ofsted data — year-end snapshots that cannot show in-year plans, restructuring or local context. Reference points are DfE review thresholds, not judgements.

Ofsted & results

Ofsted

83%meeting standard or above

Across 23 graded schools, including 1 under the new Report Card framework. The two frameworks are not directly comparable.

Sub-judgements — earlier framework

Quality of education

50% Good+

Good 5RI 3Inad. 2

Behaviour & attitudes

70% Good+

Outst. 2Good 5RI 2Inad. 1

Personal development

70% Good+

Outst. 1Good 6RI 3

Leadership & management

78% Good+

Outst. 1Good 17RI 3Inad. 2

Performance (trust avg)

Key Stage 2

Expected standard (RWM)

54.5%

-6.5pp

vs national

National averages: 2023/24

Trust details

AddressLandscove School House, Nr Ashburton, TQ13 7LY

Companies House10049068

Incorporated8 March 2016

Report Card inspections (new framework)

About these grades

Grade distribution across 1 schoolinspected under Ofsted's 5-point scale (from November 2025). Not directly comparable with the earlier 1–4 sub-judgements above.

Curriculum & teaching

Expected standard 1

Achievement

Expected standard 1

Inclusion

Expected standard 1

Attendance & behaviour

Expected standard 1

Personal development

Year	Schools	Pupils	Total income	Total expenditure	Avg staff costs %	Avg reserves %
2021/22	17	1,494	£9.1m	£7.6m	65.3%	24.3%
2022/23	18	1,688	£11.6m	£10.5m	65.8%	-0.2%
2023/24	23	1,972	£13.8m	£12.5m	73.5%	0.1%
2024/25partial	23	1,752	£15.5m	£12.9m	68.6%	0.0%
2025/26	23	1,686	—	—	—	—

Central services

2024/25

Centralisation

21.6%

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

£3,560,000

CS staff costs

£1,889,000

CS income

£617,000

Admin & clerical£654,000

Teaching staff£1,151,000

ICT£41,000

Premises£190,000

Legal & professional£102,000

Auditor costs£35,000

Governance

Source: Companies House

Board of trustees

Accounts to Aug 2025

11 current directors · Average tenure: 3.7 years · 4 changes in last 12 months

Directors / Trustees (11)

Thomas Parkin

director·< 1 year

Jill Larcombe

director·< 1 year

Rachael Sharpe

director·< 1 year

Max Thomas

director·1 year

Christine Cottle

director·2 years

Benjamin John Thorne

director·4 years

Katherine Ann Evans

director·4 years

Graeme Alexander Scott

director·4 years

Paul Baillie Waterworth

director·5 years

Dominic Anthony Course

director·6 years

Cheryl Diane Mathieson

director·8 years

Company Secretary

Mark Matthew

secretary·6 years

17 former officers — most recent departure: Sept 2025

Christopher James Norman

director·4 years·Resigned Mar 2025

Sarah Cox

director·5 years·Resigned Dec 2024

Jane Alison Collings

director·6 years·Resigned Dec 2021

Michael Andrew Fisher

director·7 years·Resigned Jul 2021

Tracey Cleverly

director·7 years·Resigned May 2019

Jason Myles Hayward-jones

Member schools (23)

23 schools|23 with risk flags|23 high severity

School	URN	Phase	Risk flags
Bearnes Voluntary Primary School	142649	Primary	in year deficithigh staff costsworkforce pressureofsted concernhigh absence
Branscombe Church of England Primary School	151001	Primary	in year deficitworkforce pressurehigh absencehigh staff costs
Broadhembury Church of England Primary School	151002	Primary	high absenceworkforce pressureofsted concern
Broadhempston Village Primary School	147493	Primary	workforce pressure
Cheriton Bishop Community Primary School	145397	Primary	ofsted concernworkforce pressure
Diptford Parochial Church of England Primary School	142652	Primary	workforce pressurein year deficithigh staff costs
Drake's Church of England Primary School	147495	Primary	workforce pressure
Farway Church of England Primary School	151003	Primary	high absenceworkforce pressureofsted concern
Harbertonford Church of England Primary School	142707	Primary	workforce pressure
Hennock Community Primary School	142709	Primary	in year deficithigh staff costsworkforce pressure
Ilsington Church of England Primary School	136919	Primary	workforce pressurehigh staff costs
Landscove Church of England Primary School	142641	Primary	workforce pressure
Littleham Church of England Primary School	150836	Primary	in year deficithigh staff costshigh absenceworkforce pressureofsted concern
Morchard Bishop Church of England Primary School	148743	Primary	performance declineworkforce pressure
Moretonhampstead Primary School	141285	Primary	workforce pressure
Otterton Church of England Primary School	147496	Primary	workforce pressureperformance decline
Sparkwell All Saints Primary School	139795	Primary	workforce pressure
Stoke Gabriel Primary School	142639	Primary	workforce pressure
Tedburn St Mary School	145345	Primary	workforce pressureperformance decline
Widecombe-in-the-Moor Primary	136563	Primary	in year deficitworkforce pressurehigh staff costs