Cumbria
Working together to help every child thrive
Co-op Academies Trust is coming to Cumbria.
In January, six Cumbrian schools will join our family of academies.
We're looking forward to getting to know their pupils, colleagues, families and communities — and to beginning a new chapter together.
We're a family of primary, secondary and special schools across the North of England. We work together, share expertise and create opportunities, while making sure every academy remains firmly rooted in the community it serves.
Why Co-op Academies Trust?
Stronger together
Being part of a wider Trust means schools don't have to work alone.
More opportunities for children
We create opportunities for pupils to learn, lead, compete, collaborate, try new things and discover what they're good at.
Expertise and support for schools
Our academies can draw on specialist expertise, shared resources and support across areas including school improvement, leadership, governance, finance, HR and IT.
Opportunities for colleagues
Being part of a wider family creates more opportunities for colleagues to collaborate, develop their skills, share great practice and grow their careers.
Stronger communities
Our academies are part of the communities they serve. We want our schools to make a difference not only inside the classroom, but beyond the school gates too.
The impact of working together
Making a difference across our Trust
95.7% of our 2025–26 leavers progressed into positive destinations including education, employment and training, compared with 92% nationally.
670+ pieces of internal professional development delivered for colleagues last year.
3 new-build schools delivered in the last five years, with two further major projects underway or in development.
Leading the way in careers education
In 2025–26, Co-op Academies Trust was the highest-rated large Multi-Academy Trust nationally for meeting the Gatsby Benchmarks, with an average score of 5.20 compared with 3.21 nationally.
More opportunities for children
A great education starts in the classroom. But we believe some of the experiences children remember most happen beyond it.
Across our Trust, pupils have opportunities to meet other young people, discover new interests, develop confidence and think differently about what they can achieve.
That includes experiences such as Co-op Young Leaders, Trust-wide events and activities, Maths Olympics, our Eco Conference, enrichment opportunities, careers and aspiration programmes, and leadership and community activities.
We want every child to have opportunities to discover what they're good at, build their confidence and see what's possible for their future.
See more about pupil experiences
Supporting schools to thrive
Our academies are part of one Trust, but they aren't all expected to be the same.
We believe the people who know a school and its community best should remain at the heart of it.
What the Trust brings is the strength of a wider family around them.
Academies can share expertise and ideas, learn from one another and access specialist support in areas including leadership, governance, finance, HR, IT and professional development.
It's about collaboration and support — helping schools build on what they already do well and giving them additional capacity where they need it.
Supporting our colleagues to grow
Great schools are built by great people.
Being part of a larger Trust gives colleagues more opportunities to work with others, develop new skills and learn from great practice across our academies.
Last year alone, more than 615 pieces of internal CPD were delivered across the Trust for teachers, support colleagues, leaders and specialist teams.
Because investing in our people ultimately means creating better opportunities for our pupils.
Proud to be Co-op
Our relationship with Co-op goes much further than our name
Co-op Academies Trust is sponsored by Co-op.
That relationship brings together educational expertise, business expertise and shared co-operative principles.
- Community.
- Co-operation.
- Fairness.
- Opportunity.
- Social responsibility.
It's about being part of something bigger and using the strength of that partnership to help schools, young people and communities thrive.
What makes us Co-op?
Our four Ways of Being Co-op guide how we work across our Trust.
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Do What Matters Most
- We focus our time and energy on the things that make the biggest difference to pupils, colleagues and communities.
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Be Yourself, Always
- We celebrate difference and want people to feel valued, confident and able to be themselves.
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Show You Care
- We listen, support one another and take responsibility for making things better.
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Succeed Together
- Co-operation makes us stronger. We share ideas, expertise and successes across our Trust.
A new chapter in Cumbria
Six Cumbrian schools will become part of the Co-op Academies Trust family.
We're excited about what we can learn from one another.
Joining the Trust isn't about taking away what makes a school special. It's about building on those strengths and giving schools access to the support, expertise and opportunities that come from being part of a wider family.
For pupils, that means more opportunities.
For colleagues, more people to learn from and work alongside.
For schools, more expertise and support to draw upon.
And for communities, schools that remain rooted in the places they serve.
Find out more about us
Want to understand more about Co-op Academies Trust?
Our Yearbook
Meet our academies, pupils and colleagues and see some of what we've achieved together.
Our Strategic Plan
Read more about our ambitions for pupil experiences, classroom experiences, inclusion, careers, colleagues and communities.
Working together to help every child thrive
We're looking forward to welcoming our new Cumbria academies and getting to know the pupils, colleagues, families and communities that make them special.