Join Co-op Academies Trust as a Trustee to help empower teachers and young people across the North of England to work together for a better education and a better community.
* Location: National, with board meetings in Manchester
Who we are
Co-op Academies Trust is a multi-academy trust supporting 38 academies across four regional hubs in the North of England. Our students range from 3-19 years of age and our academies include primary and secondary schools, post-16 previous provision, special schools and SEMH settings.
We are united by our shared ways of being:
* Be yourself, always
* Show you care
* Do what matters most
* Succeed together
As a co-operative, collaboration is central to how we work. Our goal is to improve the lives of young people and communities through a great education. Our sponsor, the Co-op, supports us in doing this and we work closely together to ensure that our students have access to a wide range of support and opportunities.
We’re committed to creating inclusive environments, where the talents and skills of our students are developed to the full and where children feel happy in school. Our curriculum is broad and balanced, covering a wide range of both academic and vocational skills and we have a strong focus on supporting students with SEND, to ensure that every young person can reach their full potential.
About the role
As a Trustee, you will bring your professional expertise and independent judgement to help sustain and strengthen our ‘high-support, high-challenge’ culture. You will play a vital role in holding the executive to account for educational and organisational performance, while providing thoughtful guidance as we continue to pursue excellence for every pupil.
The Board has collective responsibility for the strategic leadership and long-term success of the Trust. Working in close partnership with the executive team, Trustees ensure robust accountability, effective assurance and clarity of direction. Central to this is a shared commitment to ensuring that all pupils within Co-op Academies Trust receive a high-quality education that equips them with the knowledge, skills and character to thrive in life.
Key responsibilities include:
* Working collaboratively to shape, approve and monitor delivery against the Trust’s strategic priorities and improvement objectives.
* Ensuring financial probity, effective stewardship of public funds and long-term financial sustainability.
* Overseeing compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements, including those of the Department for Education, company law and charity law.
* Acting as a critical friend to the CEO and senior leadership team, offering both constructive challenge and informed support.
* Championing and safeguarding the Co-operative ways of being and values, ensuring they are embedded consistently across the Trust’s culture, decision-making and practice.
Through these responsibilities, Trustees contribute to strong governance, ethical leadership and improved outcomes for children and young people across the Trust.
Who we are looking for
We are seeking an individual with a strong understanding of the multi-academy trust landscape and a genuine commitment to effective governance. As a Trustee, you must be able to dedicate sufficient time, energy and intellectual rigour to the role, contributing actively to Board discussions and wider Trust activity.
The successful candidate will be well-positioned to support the next phase of our strategic development as we implement the forthcoming iteration of our plan, centred on striving for excellence across all our Academies.
In particular, we are looking for a Trustee with substantial experience in driving improvement in teaching and learning across a large and complex MAT. You will be able to draw on this expertise to provide informed support and robust challenge to the executive team as we build on our progress and secure even stronger outcomes for children and communities across Co-op Academies Trust.
You may bring experience such as:
* A current or former MAT CEO or executive leader with system-wide responsibility.
* A recognised system leader within education, with a track record of school improvement across multiple settings.
* A senior leader in education policy, with insight into national frameworks and reform.
* An experienced leader in SEND and inclusion, with expertise in improving provision and outcomes for pupils with additional needs.
Above all, we are looking for individuals who combine sector credibility with sound judgement, strategic thinking and a clear commitment to high standards, equity and the Co-operative values that underpin our Trust.
Peridot Partners and Co-op Academies Trust are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and our client expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references before any final offer can be made.
To view the role description and person specification, please go to the ‘How to Apply’ tab above, fill in your details and download the candidate pack.
For further information or to arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:
If you would like to know more about this role please contact Horatio April
Welcome from our Trust Board Chair and CEO
Dear candidate,
I am delighted that you have shown an interest in joining the Board of Co-op Academies Trust. Together with our senior leadership team, the Trust Board has the central role in driving our ambition to improve the life chances of young people through providing a brilliant education shaped by our co-operative values and principles.
We are making great progress, both in those academies that have been part of our Trust for a while as well as those that have joined more recently, but there is still much to do. So your knowledge, insight and challenge as a Trustee will be critical to the ongoing improvements we are seeking.
As a Board, we champion the values we share with our sponsor, the Co-op, and with the millions of co-operators around the world. These should be reflected in our Academies, of course. But they provide the roadmap for how we operate as a Board, in terms of our composition, how we do things and the judgements we make when tackling complex and challenging issues.
We are also a Board which carries great responsibility – for the thousands of students who get one shot at their education, for our many dedicated colleagues who deserve to work in roles which are fulfilling and rewarding and also for the communities served by our Academies; some of whom have never had a good school for their young people.
We are fortunate to have the support of our Academy Community Councils in this most important task, as well as the Co-op, whose backing is unique and makes a real difference. So we are not alone, but the buck stops with us as a Board.
Your energy, commitment and enthusiasm in preparation for, and at, Board meetings and sub-committees, as well as your engagement between formal meetings, will be vital if we are to function effectively and make a real difference.
Thank you again for your interest in joining the Trust Board.
Russell Gill
Chair, Co-op Academies Trust
Dear candidate,
The role of Trustee has significant responsibility but also a great deal of reward and satisfaction as we make a real difference to pupils’ lives, giving them hope and aspiration for their futures.
Every day, I get up in the morning to improve the life chances of our fantastic students and no doubt, this is your motivation in becoming a Trustee. At the same time, we want all our academies to be a great place to work for all our brilliant and committed staff.
Our academies serve communities in the north of England and believe in the key role schools have in transforming their communities, making them a better place to live and work.
We want all our Academies to be very successful, but how we achieve that success is just as important. Our Co-op values give us direction and guidance throughout the whole organisation; they really are our DNA that we follow at all times and reflect the real culture of the Trust.
Over recent times, the Trust has improved in the services it provides to all our Academies within key compliance areas, but also within the school improvement model we offer, both regionally and centrally. We have also found the right balance of autonomy and alignment. There are some areas where innovation isn’t the answer and others where we need local solutions and leadership.
I will look forward to the prospect of working with you as we continue to strive for excellence and make improvements. It is a privilege to be CEO of a Trust that wants to keep making progress and making a difference, but doing it in the right way.
The future looks very encouraging and we can be optimistic as we continue to grow in size, becoming increasingly more sustainable.
I will be delighted to welcome you to the Trust and look forward to you being a key part of its future.
Very best wishes,
Dr Chris Tomlinson
CEO, Co-op Academies Trust
About Co-op Academies Trust
Co-op Academies Trust was established in 2010 with just two academies and has since grown into a family of 38 schools, spanning primary and secondary phases, special schools and a sixth form college. The Trust continues to expand in a considered and values-led way, including the development of a new primary special school in Salford, due to open in 2027.
Our academies are organised across four geographic hubs:
* Manchester and Oldham
* West Yorkshire
* Merseyside and Salford
* Staffordshire
These hubs foster strong local collaboration, shared professional learning and mutual support, while all academies remain united by a common set of Co-operative values and ways of being.
Closely aligned to the Nolan Principles of Public Life, our core values are:
* Self-help: improving ourselves so that we can make a positive contribution to society.
* Self-responsibility: taking ownership of our actions and their impact.
* Democracy: ensuring all voices can be heard in how we run our Trust and academies.
* Equality: valuing every individual and ensuring fair opportunity.
* Equity: striving for fairness by recognising and addressing disadvantage.
* Solidarity: working together for the benefit of all.
Our Co-operative ways of being bring these values to life in practice and our principles have provided clarity and consistency as the Trust has grown over the past 16 years.
Many academies have joined us in challenging circumstances, with over three-quarters joining as sponsored academies. Through sustained focus, strong governance and collective effort, more than 94% of our academies are now judged ‘Good or better’, with a number achieving ‘Outstanding’ for the first time in our history.
We are now entering the next phase of our strategic journey, focused firmly on striving for excellence. Our ambition is to be a leading MAT within the regions we serve, delivering consistently strong outcomes across education, inclusion, personal development and community engagement.
We want every student to feel safe, supported and inspired when they come to school, with full access to the breadth of opportunities available both inside and beyond the classroom.
We are committed to embedding diversity, equity and inclusion across all aspects of our work, ensuring that no group is disproportionately underperforming.
We will continue to deliver exceptional careers education, maintaining levels of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) below the national average. At the same time, we are investing in our colleagues so that every Co-op academy is a place where talented professionals can thrive.
The Trust benefits significantly from the active support of our sponsor, the Co-op. United by shared values and ways of being, the Co-op provides both financial and in-kind support, including breakfast clubs, community fridges and pantries, enhanced careers provision and wider community initiatives that strengthen outcomes for children and families.
In all that we do, we are driven by a clear moral purpose: to ensure that young people from all backgrounds, particularly the most vulnerable, are enabled to fulfil their potential through a great education. If you share that commitment, we would welcome your interest in joining us.
We understand that different members of the community have different access needs and have made some modifications to the way we do business to accommodate people from diverse communities and abilities.
We offer the following amenities:
* Step-free access to the building, all key meeting rooms and bathrooms, and an accessible workstation
* Accessibility dogs are welcome
* Interviews can be held in meeting rooms that support hearing loops
* Papers and materials can be presented in different formats
* A sign language interpreter can be accessed for interview
* Working patterns and locations can be adjusted
To arrange a confidential discussion, please contact our advising consultants at Peridot Partners:
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Timetable
Closing date: 9 a.m. Monday 13th April 2026
Candidates informed of outcome: By Tuesday 21st April 2026
Interviews: w/c Monday 27th April 2026
We are in the process of confirming interview dates. Once confirmed, we will update the site and contact those who have applied.
Peridot and Co-Op Academies Trust are committed to promoting equality and diversity. To help us raise awareness and support a culture that is diverse and recognises and develops the potential of all, we need to appreciate the profile of candidates who apply for positions.We will send you an equality monitoring survey at the point of receiving your application and at the time of placement. This ensures that our processes remain inclusive and equitable throughout and provides us with important data to help us showcase our impact.
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