Welcome to United Learning

We are a group of schools which aims to provide excellent education to children and young people across the country. We seek to improve the life chances of all the children and young people we serve and make it our mission to bring out 'the best in everyone' – pupils, staff, parents and the wider community. Uniquely, our Group includes significant numbers of schools in both the public and the private sectors, working together for mutual benefit.

We provide a broad education, which prepares children and young people to progress in learning and to make a success of their lives. We focus sharply on the evidence of what makes it more likely that children and young people will progress and succeed, apply that to our practice and continue to learn and develop our schools. We make it a priority to provide teachers with excellent professional support and development, so that every child receives an excellent experience.

Sir Jon Coles
Chief Executive

Our Ethos and Values

United Learning is a group of schools committed to providing excellent education through which all pupils are able to progress, achieve and go on to succeed in life.

Our approach is underpinned by a sense of moral purpose and commitment to doing what is right for our pupils, supporting colleagues to achieve excellence and acting with integrity in all our dealings within and beyond the organisation, in the interests of children and young people everywhere. We summarise this ethos as ‘the best in everyone’.

This ethos is our expression of our Christian roots, in schools which are fully inclusive and both welcome and respect students and staff of all faiths and none.

We seek to bring together the best of independent and state sectors, respecting both traditions and learning from each. We believe that each of our schools is and should be distinctive – each is committed to developing its own strengths and identity while sharing our core values.

Our ethos underpins those core values, which were selected in consultation with United Learning pupils and staff across the country.

Ambition

to achieve the best for ourselves and others

Confidence

to have the courage of our convictions and to take risks in the right cause

Creativity

to imagine possibilities and make them real

Respect

for ourselves and others in all that we do

Enthusiasm

to seek opportunity, find what is good and pursue talents and interests

Determination

to overcome obstacles and reach success

The Framework for Excellence

The Framework for Excellence sets out the principles which all our schools work to. These represent our distinctive approach to education and the characteristics which lead to excellence when exemplified in the right way. The Framework is also the way we set standards for ourselves and assess our progress.

Find out more

The best from everyone

Powerful knowledge

Education with character

Leadership in every role

Continuous improvement

United Thinking

28 June 2024

Supporting Schools: How school inspection could be improved

This paper sets out some principles for the design of a good system of school inspection and views on how to improve the current approach, based on direct experience of around 150 Ofsted inspections of schools and training in United Learning over a decade.

21 June 2024

Supporting schools: how government can do a better job

This paper outlines what government’s role should be in relation to education – and how to do government better in education.

18 August 2023

Our broken regulatory system disadvantages English pupils

The discrepancies between grades for English pupils and their Welsh and Northern Irish couterparts are indefensible, says Jon Coles.

Key Stage 2 (Primary)

Our academies’ performance in reading, writing and maths improved by more than the national average between 2022 and 2023

GCSE - Academies

Our academies exceeded national average performance in all headline measures in 2023. 49% of our pupils achieved at least a grade 5 in both English and maths, compared to 45% nationally

A Level - Academies

Academies: 53% of A Level entries across our academies were graded at A*-B in 2023, matching the national average

GCSE - Independent Schools

All subjects achieved positive value-added across our independent schools in 2023

A Level – Independent Schools

75% of A Level entries across our independent schools were graded at A*-B in 2023