Meet our Community Team!
We work for Co-op Academies Trust to help form the Academies community strategy.

We help the academy build strong connections with the local community and support Co-op's goals of:

• Providing access to food
• Supporting mental wellbeing
• Creating opportunities for young people

We're here to make sure the school is a central part of its community, supporting the region with its challenges. We find ways to improve the wellbeing of local residents, families and especially young people!

The Team

At Co-op Academies Trust, we want every pupil to achieve their potential. But we also know that the real test of a school is how it supports those who need it most.

In 2025-26, our focus is clear: poverty-proofing our academies and helping students, families and communities to thrive. We’re not just delivering programmes, we’re measuring the difference they make, so every academy continues to grow as a civic centre of excellence at the heart of its community.

We will deliver this work through four connected priorities.

Empowering communities

We listen first. Through Parent Power, student voice and community forums, we build trusted relationships and shape support around local needs. Our Academy Community Pioneers work alongside staff, partners and volunteers to strengthen connections and make academies welcoming hubs of support.

Ready to Learn

Every child deserves to feel ready for school. We help remove barriers to learning by supporting attendance, access to uniforms, learning resources and technology. And by creating enrichment opportunities that build confidence and aspiration.

Quality of life support

Working with the Co-op and our partners, we provide practical support where it’s needed most - from food provision and hygiene support to wellbeing spaces that help pupils and staff feel safe and supported.

Personal growth

We create opportunities beyond the classroom that build life skills, leadership and confidence. Through student voice, social action, enrichment programmes and real-world partnerships, young people learn how to contribute positively to their communities.

Measuring impact

We measure our success through both data and real stories - tracking the families we support, the resources we secure, and the difference our work makes to attendance, wellbeing and confidence.

By combining data with lived experience, we’ll clearly show how our work helps families feel supported, pupils feel ready to learn, and communities feel stronger.

Because for us, community isn’t a project. It’s how we work, who we support, and how we show we care.

 

Read some of the blog posts about the great work the Community team is involved in.