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Dixons Pennine Academy

Dixons Academies Trust

At Dixons Academies Trust, we live our mission every day: to challenge educational and social disadvantage in the North. We are driven by a powerful belief: that every child and young person, regardless of their background or postcode, deserves an excellent education and the opportunity to go on to lead a successful and fulfilling life. Our work focuses on improving outcomes for thousands of students in communities where the need is greatest.

Our story began in Bradford in 1990, when Dixons City Technology College was founded by Lord Kalms and Dixons Retail. From that first school, we have built and scaled a trust with a proven track record of transforming education. We now serve students and families across Bradford, Leeds, Liverpool and Greater Manchester, providing exceptional education from primary through to post-16.

We are proud of what our schools and colleges achieve together. We are united by our shared mission and core values - working hard on the things that matter, with humility; being good and kind; and being motivated by mastery, autonomy and purpose. This common purpose is brought to life through three distinctive pillars:

  1. Academic rigour: all children and young people are entitled to a powerful, knowledge-rich curriculum that maximises life chances. This knowledge enables students to understand the world, build upon what they know, make connections - and ultimately, to challenge it.
  2. Talent first: our people are our most valuable resource. We invest in them, develop them, and free them to do their best work.
  3. Aligned autonomy: we find the optimal balance between our shared best practice and the freedom for our schools and colleges to adapt to their community's needs.

This approach means our schools and colleges are more than just places of learning; they are anchor institutions in their communities. We don't just educate students; we power places and help shape the future of our regions.

Today, Dixons educates nearly 20,000 students and continues to grow purposefully, strengthening our impact and investing in the next generation of teaching and leadership to ensure that even more young people benefit from a rigorous, joyful and transformational education.

Find out more here.

Luke Sparkes

School and college trust leader
Dixons Academies Trust