Pontefract Academies Trust and Ark plan merger to form northern hub
The boards said the proposed merger reflected their ‘alignment, shared ambition for greater impact, and complementary strengths’
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Pontefract Academies Trust and Ark have announced plans to merge, with Pontefract set to become the founding base of a new northern hub for Ark.
Pontefract Academies Trust has recorded improvements in secondary and primary performance under chief executive Julian Appleyard. One secondary school moved from special measures to good in 12 months, while the trust’s primary schools are now ranked among the top three multi-academy trusts for outcomes, up from one of the lowest performing nationally.
The Pontefract board said it had been exploring options to extend its impact in Pontefract and South Kirkby and concluded that joining a “like-minded trust” offered the best way forward.
Ark, which runs 39 schools across Birmingham, Hastings, London and Portsmouth, supports nearly 30,000 pupils. It is regarded as one of the country’s highest-performing education trusts and has been considering expansion into new regions.
The boards said the proposed merger reflected their “alignment, shared ambition for greater impact, and complementary strengths”.
Stakeholders including staff and parents will be invited to comment in the coming weeks. If approved by the Department for Education, the merger would take effect on 1 September 2026.
Both trusts said the plan would strengthen outcomes, improve efficiencies and support investment in staff development.