CST membership offers great value for school trusts of all shapes and sizes, as well as for those interested in understanding more about academies.
Details of our membership options are set out below, along with fee details and links to apply online.
From September 2025 we are moving our membership period to align with the academic year. Trusts, individual schools, or associates joining or renewing before then will be charged for a part-year to take their membership up to September, before renewing yearly.
If you wish to discuss any aspect of membership, please do contact our membership team by emailing membership@cstuk.org.uk or call 0115 917 0142.
Trust membership is at the heart of everything we do. Every school trust in England can be a member of CST to benefit from our advocacy, support, and connecting networks. Trust membership covers staff throughout your schools, plus all those involved in governance.
Membership fees for school trusts are calculated in bandings which are based on the number and type of schools in your trust, to help ensure that the benefits of membership are affordable to all types of trust. You can use the calculator below to quickly see the fee for your trust.
Annual trust membership fee: Enter your trust's details above and press the Calculate button to see your membership fee.
School membership is for maintained, independent, and international schools wanting to understand and connect with the school trust sector. It is a valuable resource for those considering forming or joining a trust.
Annual school membership is £170 + VAT for a primary, special, or alternative provision school, or £330 + VAT for a secondary or all-through school.
Affiliate membership is for diocesan and local education authority advisory teams that support schools and school trusts. The annual fee is £900 + VAT and covers membership benefits for up to 10 colleagues in your organisation or team.
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