The Challenge Academy Trust
Registered name: THE CHALLENGE ACADEMY TRUST
The Challenge Academy Trust made £132m revenue and £41.4m profit in the year to 31 Aug 2025.
The Challenge Academy Trust’s revenue grew 66% to £132m in the year to 31 Aug 2025, with £41.4m profit and 1,456 employees. The company is classified under “primary education” and is based in Warrington; we hold 3 years of its filed accounts.
- Status
- Active
- Location
- Warrington, North West
- Age
- 9 yrs · since 2017
- Type
- PRI/LBG/NSC (Private, Limited by guarantee, no share capital, use of 'Limited' exemption)
Non-profit. It is limited by guarantee (typically an association, club or management company), so it isn't run for profit. It is excluded from our opportunity lists.
Key figures
Badges are automated estimates derived from the filed figures — not statements of fact about the company.
Financial history
| Year to | 31 Aug 2023 | 31 Aug 2024 | 31 Aug 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disclosure | Full P&L | Full P&L | Full P&L |
| Profit & loss | |||
| Revenue (turnover) | £61m | £79.4m | £132m |
| Cost of sales | — | £76.2m | £90.5m |
| Operating profit | £1.1m | £3.2m | £41.4m |
| Profit before tax | £1.1m | £3.2m | £41.4m |
| Profit after tax | £3.1m | £2.7m | £41.4m |
| Profit (best available) | £3.1m | £2.7m | £41.4m |
| Employees (average) | 830 | 860 | 1,456 |
| Ratios | |||
| Profit margin | 5% | 3.4% | 31.4% |
| Revenue per employee | £73.5k | £92.3k | £90.6k |
| Profit per employee | £3.7k | £3.2k | £28.4k |
| Growth (year on year) | |||
| Revenue growth | — | ▲30.1% | ▲66.1% |
| Profit growth | — | ▼11.5% | ▲1421% |
| Headcount growth | — | ▲3.6% | ▲69.3% |
| Balance sheet — indirect signals, not revenue | |||
| Net assets | — | — | — |
| Source | Accounts · bulk data Apr 2025 | Accounts · bulk data Apr 2025 | Accounts · bulk data Jan 2026 |
How the business works
- Profit margin
- 31.4%
- Profit ÷ revenue.
- Gross margin
- —
- Gross profit ÷ revenue. High for software and services.
- Revenue per employee
- £90.6k
- Revenue ÷ average employees.
- Profit per employee
- £28.4k
- Profit ÷ average employees.
- Cash conversion
- —
- Cash generated from operations ÷ operating profit. Needs a cash-flow statement.
- Fixed assets ÷ revenue
- —
- Capital intensity. Low = capital-light, cheaper to start.
- Deferred income ÷ revenue
- —
- Customers paying upfront (subscriptions, deposits). Approximate when combined with accruals.
- Debtors ÷ revenue
- —
- Money owed by customers. Low = customers pay quickly.
Balance-sheet signals
Year-on-year changes in filed balance-sheet items. They can hint at momentum (or investment) but are not revenue or profit and must not be read as such.
- Net assets
- —
- Now —
- Cash at bank
- —
- Now —
- Headcount
- ▲69%
- Now 1,456
- Deferred income
- —
- Now —
- Fixed assets
- —
- Now —
Group structure
Subsidiaries (1)
- Tcat Educational Outdoor Services LimitedFigures not disclosed
From the Persons with Significant Control register (corporate controllers only).
Similar profitable businesses
Sources
Latest figures from accounts for the year to 31 Aug 2025 (profit £41.4m), from the Companies House accounts bulk data published Jan 2026. Spotted an error? Request a correction.
Contains public sector information from Companies House licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Data from Companies House, © Crown copyright. View the licence.