Our Courses
Co-op Academies Trust Initial Teacher Training (ITT) offers a school‑centred, values‑driven route into primary teaching, combining hands‑on classroom experience from day one with high‑quality, research‑informed training led by expert practitioners. Trainees follow a carefully sequenced curriculum, work closely with expert mentors and benefit from a strong sense of community, collaboration and shared passion for teaching, helping them grow into reflective, resilient teachers who are well-prepared to secure employment and make a real difference in Co-op academies and their communities.
Primary Teacher Training Courses
Primary courses cover age ranges such as 3–7, 5–11 and SEND‑focused routes, enabling you to build strong generalist practice across core subjects as well as wider curriculum areas. Timetabled calendars in the programme show how Primary trainees move through carefully structured sequences of centre‑based training, ITaP days and school placements, with opportunities to experience different key stages and, where relevant, specialist settings.
Primary 3-7
Working with younger primary‑age children is incredibly rewarding, and if you have a particular interest in the early years, this route is designed for you. You will complete placements in Nursery, Reception and Key Stage 1, gaining specialist training in the Early Years Foundation Stage and early primary practice. By the end of the course, you will be confident in delivering the EYFS and Key Stage 1 curriculum, building secure foundations in language, number and personal development. You will help children become confident, independent thinkers with the skills and attitudes they need for the rest of their school years and beyond.
Primary 5-11
Train as a primary teacher with Co-op Academies Trust and make a lasting difference to children at the very start of their education. On our school-centred, values-driven ITT programmes, you will spend most of your time in the classroom, supported by skilled mentors who help you turn theory into practice from day one. You will learn how to create engaging, inclusive lessons across the primary curriculum, build strong relationships with pupils and families, and foster curiosity, independence and a love of learning. With a structured training curriculum, personalised support and clear employment pathways, you will be well prepared to begin a successful teaching career in our primary academies.
Primary SEND
Our Primary course with a SEND specialism focuses on enabling all children to succeed from the very start of their school life. You will train as an inclusive primary teacher, learning how to adapt teaching, remove barriers to learning and work effectively with support staff, specialists and families. Throughout the course, you will build confidence in identifying and meeting a wide range of needs, drawing on current research and best practice in SEND. This specialism not only strengthens your classroom practice but can also be a stepping stone towards roles such as SENDCO or specialist SEND teacher.
Secondary Teacher Training Courses
Secondary routes are offered across a range of subjects, with training that combines subject‑specific pedagogy, classroom management and wider pastoral responsibilities in secondary schools and sixth‑form contexts. The Secondary calendar includes centre‑based sessions on how students learn, effective teaching, diversity and inclusion, and adaptive practice, alongside subject knowledge enhancement opportunities for key shortage subjects.
English
Bring your passion for English to life by inspiring 11–16-year-olds to read, write and think with confidence. In your classroom, you will open up a world of texts – from novels, plays and poetry to non-fiction, media and digital writing – showing students how language shapes the way we see ourselves and others. You will help learners build the fundamentals of reading and writing for everyday life, while stretching them to analyse character, theme and writer’s craft, and to structure their own original responses. Through discussion, debate and performance, you will nurture oracy and critical thinking, helping students find their voice, listen actively and express ideas with clarity.
Maths
Inspiring young people to think mathematically is one of the most important and rewarding careers you can choose. As a maths teacher, you will help students build secure fluency with number, algebra, geometry and data, while deepening their conceptual understanding so they can see the “why”, not just the “how”. Through clear explanations, visual representations and real-life examples, you will bring abstract ideas to life and show how maths underpins everything from managing money to understanding technology and science. By developing logical reasoning, problem solving and resilience, you will give learners the confidence to tackle unfamiliar challenges and apply their skills beyond the classroom.
Biology
Our Biology course sits within a broad science pathway that develops your ability to promote student understanding of the scientific world around them. You will teach all three sciences across the 11–16 age range and gain a critical understanding of current debates and issues in science education. With Biology as your specialism, you will learn how to make topics such as cells, ecology, genetics and human biology meaningful and relevant to diverse learners. You will be supported to stretch and challenge students of all abilities, and financial incentives such as bursaries may be available for eligible applicants.
Chemistry
Our Chemistry course is part of a science pathway that prepares you to develop pupils’ curiosity about how the world works at a molecular and atomic level. You will teach all three sciences across the 11–16 age range and deepen your understanding of contemporary issues in science education. Drawing on your secure Chemistry knowledge, you will learn to bring topics such as reactions, energy changes and materials to life through practical work and clear explanations. You will be equipped to support and challenge learners across the ability range, and eligible applicants may have access to bursaries or scholarships.
Physics
Our Physics course enables you to help students make sense of the physical world, from forces and motion to waves and electricity. As with all our science routes, you will teach all three sciences across the 11–16 age range and engage critically with current questions in science education. You will learn to use demonstrations, experiments and real life applications to make abstract Physics concepts accessible and engaging and develop your ability to support diverse learners to succeed in science. A bursary or scholarship, may be available for those who are eligible.
History
As a History teacher, you will help students make sense of the present by exploring people, events and ideas from the past. You will learn how to design rich enquiries that encourage pupils to weigh evidence, analyse interpretations and construct well‑reasoned arguments. Storytelling, sources and debate will be at the heart of your classroom, bringing the past alive for learners across the 11–16 (or 11–18) age range. Alongside sparking a lasting interest in history, you will equip students with analytical, critical and communication skills that are valued in many future pathways.
Geography
Teaching Geography gives you the chance to help young people understand an ever‑changing world and their place within it. You will explore how physical processes and human actions, past and present, shape environments, societies and futures across the globe. Through enquiry, fieldwork and the use of maps, data and digital resources, you will develop pupils’ ability to investigate questions and draw informed conclusions. Your students will gain a diverse set of transferable skills, opening up routes into areas such as conservation, planning, policy and international development; bursaries may be available for eligible applicants.
R.E
Our RE course prepares you to raise cross‑cultural awareness and foster empathy, enquiry and critical thinking in pupils aged 11–16. You will deepen your understanding of world religions and worldviews and explore how RE can promote interfaith dialogue and community cohesion. The programme will strengthen your pedagogical knowledge so you can plan thoughtful, inclusive lessons that encourage respectful discussion of belief, identity and ethics. You will support students to reflect on their own values and those of others, and bursaries may be available to successful applicants who meet the eligibility criteria.
Design and Technology
Design and Technology gives young people the chance to tackle real problems through creative design and making. On this course, you will explore how to teach across areas such as food, textiles and product design, drawing on a range of materials, tools and processes. You will learn to guide students through the full design cycle: investigating needs, generating ideas, modelling solutions and evaluating outcomes. By developing innovative and inclusive teaching approaches, you will help learners build technical skills, creativity and resilience; bursaries may be available for those who meet eligibility criteria.
Art and Design
Our Art and Design course prepares you to teach across disciplines such as drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture and digital media. You will learn to plan exciting projects that encourage experimentation, risk‑taking and personal expression using a wide range of materials and techniques. In the classroom, you will use demonstrations, discussion, critique and gallery style activities to help students develop both technical skill and visual literacy. You may be asked to submit a portfolio of your own work as part of the selection process which can be done in a form that suits you.
Computing
Our Computing course will equip you to teach the full breadth of modern computing in secondary schools. You will develop the subject and pedagogical knowledge needed to teach computer science, digital literacy and information technology confidently. Working with the latest software, hardware and online tools, you will learn how to design engaging, future‑focused lessons that reflect how technology is used in the real world. You will help students become safe, creative and critical users of technology, and eligible applicants may be able to access bursaries or scholarships.
French
Our French course focusses on developing both your linguistic proficiency and your ability to teach French in motivating, inclusive ways. You will learn how to build pupils’ skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing, using a wide variety of activities, resources and real‑world contexts. The programme emphasises culture as well as language, helping you introduce learners to the rich histories, societies and identities of the Francophone world. You will train to teach French across the 11–16 age range, leading to a postgraduate qualification and recommendation for QTS, with bursaries potentially available to eligible applicants.
Spanish
Our Spanish course is designed to develop your language expertise and your confidence in teaching engaging, communicative lessons. You will explore creative approaches to grammar, vocabulary, listening, speaking, reading and writing so that learners experience Spanish as a living language. Cultural immersion is central to the programme: you will draw on film, music, literature and authentic resources to help students understand the diverse cultures of the Spanish speaking world. You will train to teach Spanish across the 11–16 age range, working towards a postgraduate qualification and recommendation for QTS, and bursaries may be available for those who are eligible.