Arete Learning Trust: FCA regulated?

Introducer appointed representative

This firm can only introduce you to its principal, and cannot give financial advice, recommend products, or arrange deals alone.

Appointed for 3 years
Protected through the principal
No FCA actions
Active company since 2015

Responsible principal firm

SME HCI Limited Reference number: 626422 Authorised View firm →

What does this mean?

An introducer appointed representative can only pass your details to its principal firm. It cannot recommend products, give financial advice, or arrange deals on its own.
Arete Learning Trust (FRN 1002656) introduces customers to SME HCI Limited (FRN 626422). Any regulated advice or arranging is done by the principal, not Arete Learning Trust.
Example: if Arete Learning Trust refers you to a financial adviser, the advice should come from the principal firm, not from Arete Learning Trust itself.
Before you proceed, confirm contact details match the official FCA register for both firms. Scammers sometimes clone legitimate AR names and FRNs but use fake phone numbers and websites.

Website, phone number and address

Compare these against whatever you were given. Scammers clone real firm names and reference numbers but use their own phone number and website, so a detail that does not match the register is the clearest warning sign there is.

No website on the FCA register
Phone number

01642 710050
Address

Stokesley School, Station Road, Stokesley, Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, TS9 5AL, United Kingdom

In the full report: 2 background checks

What kind of line 01642 710050 is
Who else gives the postcode TS9 5AL

FCA permissions and consumer protection

Protection through the principal firm
Protection works through SME HCI Limited, the principal firm responsible for this firm's regulated activity. FSCS cover and the Financial Ombudsman Service apply as they would to the principal.
Complaints Ombudsman, free
You can refer a complaint about this firm to the Financial Ombudsman Service for free, whichever activity it relates to.

FCA disciplinary action and complaints

No FCA disciplinary action.

The Financial Ombudsman Service only publishes complaint figures for firms with 30 or more new complaints in six months, so there are none here for this firm.

Companies House record

The company behind the firm: its status, age, registered office and directors.

Company name: ARETÉ LEARNING TRUST
Company number: 09471240 (opens Companies House in a new tab)
Company status: Active
Company type: Private company limited by guarantee
Incorporated: 4 March 2015 (11 years old)
Registered office: Stokesley School, Station Road, Stokesley, North Yorkshire, TS9 5AL
Nature of business: Primary education (SIC 85200)
General secondary education (SIC 85310)

Directors and company secretaries

Name	Role	Born	Appointed	Other companies
David Ian Sharp	Director	Jul 1971	16 Oct 2020	7 other companies
Jon Sykes	Director	Apr 1964	29 Jun 2022	None
Janet Linsley	Director	Aug 1960	20 Jan 2023	1 other company
David Robert Dangerfield	Director	Jul 1966	1 Apr 2024	1 other company
Christopher George Henry Belsom	Director	Apr 1947	1 Apr 2024	2 other companies
Heather Mary White	Director	Dec 1970	1 Apr 2024	2 other companies
Sharon Elizabeth Smith	Director	Mar 1978	1 Jan 2025	1 other company
Kris John Kerr-Morgan	Director	Dec 1984	25 Aug 2026	None
Kellie Augusta Duggan	Director	Dec 1979	25 Aug 2026	1 other company

Other companies run by these 9 directors

A firm is run by people, and their other companies are their track record: what they built, what closed, and anything that failed. It is the check most people never think to make.

other companies: 13
closed down: 5
run together: 1

In the full report: all 13 companies, named

What each company does, and whether it is still trading
Which of these 9 directors sit on each board, and since when
Any that went into liquidation or administration
The 1 company these 9 directors run together
All 26 people who have ever been directors, with their dates

Key dates in its history

Arete Learning Trust’s history from the FCA register and Companies House, newest first.

Key events (2) All events (47)

2023

17 September 2023

Became an introducer appointed representative

FCA register

2015

4 March 2015

Incorporated at Companies House

Companies House

In the full report: all 47 events

All 47 events in its history (2 shown here)
Every director appointment and resignation: 45

Get the full report on Arete Learning Trust

Everything on this page, plus everything locked above, in one dated PDF you can keep, file or send on.

13 other companies its directors have run, named
2 background checks on its contact details
All 47 events in its history

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Frequently asked questions about this firm

Is Arete Learning Trust FCA authorised?

Arete Learning Trust (FRN 1002656) is not directly authorised. It is an appointed representative acting under the responsibility of a directly authorised principal firm.

What does introducer appointed representative mean for Arete Learning Trust?

An introducer appointed representative can only pass your details to its principal firm. It cannot recommend products, give financial advice, or arrange deals on its own. Arete Learning Trust (FRN 1002656) introduces customers to SME HCI Limited (FRN 626422). Any regulated advice or arranging is done by the principal, not Arete Learning Trust. Example: if Arete Learning Trust refers you to a financial adviser, the advice should come from the principal firm, not from Arete Learning Trust itself. Before you proceed, confirm contact details match the official FCA register for both firms. Scammers sometimes clone legitimate AR names and FRNs but use fake phone numbers and websites.

What is Arete Learning Trust’s phone number?

The FCA register lists the phone number 01642 710050 for Arete Learning Trust. If you were given different contact details, use these to check with the firm before going any further.

Is Arete Learning Trust a scam or clone?

Arete Learning Trust is a genuine FCA-listed firm, and the FCA has published no warnings about fake versions of it. Scammers do copy real firms, though, so check that any contact details you were given match the ones on the register.

Is my money safe with Arete Learning Trust?

Protection works through SME HCI Limited, the principal firm responsible for Arete Learning Trust's regulated activity. FSCS cover and the Financial Ombudsman Service apply as they would to the principal.

Who runs Arete Learning Trust?

Companies House lists 9 directors of Arete Learning Trust: David Ian Sharp, Jon Sykes, Janet Linsley, David Robert Dangerfield, Christopher George Henry Belsom, Heather Mary White and 3 more.

How long has Arete Learning Trust been in business?

The company was formed on 4 March 2015.