What Co-op Academies Trust does

Co-op Academies Trust is a non-profit multi-academy trust (MAT) founded in 2010 and sponsored by the Co-op Group, operating approximately 29 state-funded academies across four regions of Northern England: Staffordshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, and West Yorkshire. The trust serves pupils from early years through post-16 across primary, secondary, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and college phases, with a SEND portfolio that includes a distinctive Four Pathways model (Early Years, PMLD, Communication, Cognition) for pupils aged 2-19 with complex needs, executed under Executive Principal & SEND Lead Dominic Wall.

The trust's core "products" are educational services rather than commercial goods: a centralised curriculum platform including the Co-op PSHE Curriculum, 17 research-based principles of instruction, the Maths Excellence Programme (backed by nearly £1 million in funding from the Maths Excellence Fund and Co-op Foundation through 2027), a Professional Development Institute, an in-house Initial Teacher Training programme, and trust-wide enrichment events (Culinary Competition, Eco Conference, GoIT, Spelling Bee, Young Musician of the Year, Time 4 Change). Supporting infrastructure includes Academy Community Councils, Academy Community Pioneers, and the Co-op Young Leaders Programme. Technology stack evidence is limited: core technology is not publicly disclosed; named tools include Clicker writing software (literacy aid), Sparx Maths and Axiom Maths Clubs (online maths learning), with no proprietary platform architecture revealed.

The business model is government-funded rather than commercial. Revenue derives from per-pupil funding allocations routed through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), with no tuition fees charged. Schools join the trust through partnership agreements following a values-alignment process ("high challenge, high support" model) under the oversight of Regional Directors in each of the four regions. Governance is centralised through a Trust Board (chaired by Russell Gill, Head of Co-operative Relations at the Co-op Group) with Audit and Risk, Finance and Resources, Outcomes, and People and Remuneration committees, plus local Academy Community Councils. The trust is not publicly traded, has no shareholders, and does not disclose revenue.

Name

Co-op Academies Trust

Legal name

Co-op Academies Trust

Website

https://coopacademies.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Co-op Academies Trust is a non-profit multi-academy trust founded in 2010 and sponsored by the Co-op Group, operating approximately 29 state-funded primary, secondary, special, and post-16 academies across four regions of Northern England. It is funded by government per-pupil grants and differentiates through co-operative values, a centralised curriculum including a SEND Four Pathways model, and programmes such as the Maths Excellence Programme and Co-op Young Leaders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Education Funding: Co-op Academies Trust operates as a multi-academy trust receiving government funding through the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) for schools budget allocation. Funding covers operational costs of academies including staffing, facilities, and educational programs.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Co-op Academies Trust operates a network of approximately 29 Primary, Secondary, Special, and Post-16 College academies across the North of England (Staffordshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, and West Yorkshire). Founded in 2010 and sponsored by the Co-op Group, the trust delivers state-funded education, centralized curriculum frameworks, Initial Teacher Training, Professional Development, and community engagement programmes underpinned by co-operative values.

Product overview

Co-op Academies Trust operates as a multi-academy trust offering a unified educational platform across Primary, Secondary, Special, and College academies in the North of England. The core product is the academy education network, supported by modules including Initial Teacher Training, Professional Development Institute, centralized Curriculum Services (with specialized SEND Four Pathways model), the Maths Excellence Programme (£1M funded until 2027), Trust-Wide Events Programme, Co-op Young Leaders Programme, Academy Community Pioneers, and Community Development Team. All academies are aligned to Co-op values and Ways of Being Co-op principles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Multi-Academy Education Services
• Maths Excellence Programme
• Co-op Young Leaders Programme
• Academy Community Pioneers

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 submissions received for inaugural Young Musician of the Year Competition from academies across multiple regions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers36 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Bell FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Bell Foundation charity supporting the teaching and learning of pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL). Contact: Shaheen Myers at [email protected]
• Co-op GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Co-op Group is the trust's sponsor, providing co-operative values alignment, brand credibility, and community connections. Russell Gill serves as Head of Co-operative Relations at Co-op Group and chairs the Trust Board. The trust leverages Co-op's infrastructure including Angel Square headquarters and Foodology kitchens for events.
• Royal Horticultural SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Eco Conferences hosting hands-on workshops teaching sustainability and the six Rs (Rethink, Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair).
• BiffaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner supporting Eco Conferences and sustainability initiatives across the trust's academies.
• Fair and FunkyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Eco Conferences providing workshops on sustainability and environmental education for students.
• Barnardo'sminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRuth Welford, Assistant Director with Barnardo's, serves as a trustee bringing expertise in safeguarding and inclusion with 20 years of service at Barnardo's.
• Department for EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple trustees from the Department for Education (ESFA). Mahmood Ahmed is Deputy Director of Education overseeing £60 billion schools budget allocation. Arati Patel-Mistry is Cyber Security Engagement Lead at DfE.
• Education Endowment FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrust references research from the Education Endowment Fund and Sutton Trust directing intervention strategies for pupil progress, particularly for literacy, numeracy, and addressing learning gaps.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Outwood Grange Academies Trust: Outwood Grange is a large Northern England MAT focused on primary and secondary schools. Directly comparable to Co-op Academies Trust in terms of geographic footprint in the North of England (West Yorkshire especially), central-director model, and rapid portfolio growth via school conversions.
• Harris Federation: Harris Federation is one of the largest primary and secondary MATs in the UK, headquartered in Croydon with national reach. Comparable to Co-op Academies Trust in operating a large K-12 portfolio with strong central professional development and school improvement programmes.
• Ark Schools: Ark is one of the UK's largest multi-academy trusts, running primary, secondary and post-16 schools nationally with a strong central curriculum and teacher development infrastructure. Comparable to Co-op Academies Trust in operating a federated K-12 model with shared central services and an initial teacher training pathway.
• REAch2 Academy Trust: REAch2 is one of the UK's largest primary-focused MATs, with a values-led, school-improvement driven operating model. Comparable to Co-op Academies Trust in scaling central services across a primary-heavy portfolio and targeting new school joins.
• Star Academies: Star Academies is a large UK multi-academy trust operating primary and secondary schools, including faith-oriented and specialist provisions, across multiple regions. Directly comparable to Co-op Academies Trust as a similarly structured MAT delivering K-12 education at portfolio scale, with regional director and central curriculum support models.
• Oasis Community Learning: Oasis Community Learning is a values-driven (faith and community-rooted) MAT running primary, secondary and SEND academies across England. Closely comparable to Co-op Academies Trust as a mission-led MAT integrating community engagement, hub schools and pastoral specialism.
• United Learning: United Learning is a large national MAT running state and independent schools with a strong central curriculum and pastoral framework. Comparable to Co-op Academies Trust in operating a federated model with cross-phase (primary through post-16) education and structured school improvement services.
• Greenwood Academies Trust: Greenwood Academies Trust is a multi-academy trust running primary and secondary schools across the East Midlands and surrounding regions. Comparable to Co-op Academies Trust as a mid-sized MAT with central services, school improvement focus, and a values-led community engagement model.
• Academies Enterprise Trust (AET): AET is a national sponsor/academy trust operating primary, secondary and special schools across England. Comparable to Co-op Academies Trust as a large, geographically distributed MAT with central services and a mixed-phase portfolio including SEND provision.

Regional players

• Northern Star Academies Trust: Northern Star is a multi-academy trust operating schools across northern England with a mixed-phase portfolio. Comparable to Co-op Academies Trust in geographic focus on the North of England and central services operating model, while remaining smaller in scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/coopacademies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coopacademies
• Instagraminstagram.com/coopacademies
• Xx.com/CoopAcademies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Co-op Academies Trust