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United Learning

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United Learning is a group of English schools that includes both state-funded schools and fee-paying private schools. It operates under the trading name United Learning, formed from two charities: United Church Schools Trust (UCST) and United Learning Trust (ULT). It is one of the UK's 10 largest charities by employee numbers, with central offices in Peterborough, London and Salford, and is run by a board of trustees and an executive team. In 2012, UCST and ULT began using the United Learning name, though they remain legally separate charities.

UCST began as the Church Schools Company in 1883, started to improve education for girls; its first school opened in 1884 (Surbiton High School). By 1885 it ran 10 schools with 653 pupils. ULT was created in 2002 to help develop new state academies. Its first academy, Manchester Academy, opened in 2003 and received an outstanding Ofsted rating in 2009 for helping students make excellent progress from all backgrounds.

In 2012 the two charities joined under the United Learning brand, bringing together state-funded and independent schools. By November 2019 there were 72 United Learning state-funded schools, which are free to attend and open to students of all backgrounds and faiths. The trust provides central services such as policy updates, capital spending and procurement, and United Church Schools Trust also runs fee-paying schools within its network. The group's ethos is Christian, with a particular emphasis on Church of England values.


This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 17:20 (CET).