Co-op Academies Trust has been chosen by the Department for Education to run paid Teaching Internships in STEM and Languages across it’s Greater Manchester academies.

Postgraduate teacher recruitment in 2022-23 was 29% below the Government’s target. This was mainly driven by low recruitment for secondary teachers, where only 59% of trainees needed were recruited. 

As part of a renewed drive to encourage graduates to go into teaching, the Government is revamping their approach. 

Teaching Internships were first introduced a number of years ago, but all providers had to reapply for accreditation this year. The subject focus was also widened to include Chemistry and Foreign Languages. 

Co-op Academies Trust was accredited as a new provider in 2022, joining legacy providers across the region. The trust has 38 Teaching Internships across its 6 Greater Manchester Secondary Schools, in Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Computing and MFL

With Teaching Internships, graduates get the opportunity to experience a range of activities to help them get a feel for school life.

The experience provides undergraduates interested in teaching a unique paid teaching experience to help them decide if teaching is the right career choice for them.  

Internships last for 3 weeks and start from Monday 19th June- Friday 7th July 2023.

Internships taking place at:
Co-op Academy Manchester
Co-op Academy North Manchester
Co-op Academy Failsworth
Co-op Academy Belle Vue
Co-op Academy Swinton
Co-op Academy Walkden

Interns are paid £300 per-week whilst they gain new skills and insights into the teaching profession.

Co-op Academies Trust Teacher Training provision was set up to address the shortfall in teacher recruitment as well as retain more practitioners into the profession.

Teaching internships play an important role in preparing future teachers for a fulfilling and successful career in teaching. 

Find out more about our paid Teaching Internships

Co-op Academies Trust works in partnership with University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Salford, Bright Futures SCITT and Associated Merseyside Partnership SCITT.

“At Co-op Academies Trust we are looking to develop outstanding teachers who will deliver the best possible education for all of our pupils and students. The Teaching Internship Programme allows us to introduce potential teachers to the profession whilst they are studying and then support them with their continued ‘Get into Teaching’ journey onto our School Direct ITT Programme.

“Over the 3 weeks, our interns will receive opportunities to immerse themselves within the profession, give them an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of a teacher, provide them with the opportunity to work with and teach students, develop their subject and pedagogical knowledge and guide them on applying for initial teacher training.”- Andy Gibson, Head of Initial Teacher Training, Co-op Academies Trust

The deadline to apply is Friday 10th March 2023.

If you’re thinking of applying, get in touch- https://forms.gle/1LgkvFv2XM8TqaK4A

On Tuesday 6th December pupils performed to the residents of Nazareth House Care Home in Prestwich.

Pupils performed Christmas carols and shared Christmas cards made by our Peer Mentor Groups.

Watch some of the performance here

On Wednesday 30th November, a group of pupils from Years 7 & 8 attended a trip to Manchester’s Opera house to watch the 70th anniversary production of Agatha Christie’s, The Mousetrap.

The performance was amazing and was the first time that some of our pupils had attended a production of this kind. 

Milkas, a Year 8 pupil said: “It was like a mysterious movie. The actor who played the Policeman was amazing. I would love to go on another theatre trip”

Faithfulness, a Year 7 pupil said: “There were some funny moments. I thought the murderer would be the weird guy but it really surprised me in the end”

Shola, a Year 8 pupil said: “The Mousetrap was really good, much better than I expected. I really thought there would have been a mouse in the story!. We’re never allowed to tell anyone WHO DONE IT!, even my Grandma who has seen the play, didn’t tell me”

Claudia, a Year 8 pupil said: “I liked how the characters developed. That part was good and the twist at the end was very interesting”

To run along this, the Year 8 pupils have been chosen to participate in the ‘Young Mystery Writers’ programme’ and will also take part in a ‘Mystery Writing’ workshop in the New Year. This is being rolled out by the National Literacy Trust to celebrate the anniversary of the play and is a great opportunity to inspire the next generation of budding mystery writers!

At the start of September 2022 19 pupils embarked on a journey with Future Sound and the Abram Wilson Charity to focus on skills that wouldn’t normally be offered as part of their in-school music curriculum.

Throughout the project pupils were invited to attend workshops at The Yard where they got to meet and work directly with professional musicians who are part of the thriving UK music scene. The workshops focused on skills including composition, songwriting, performance and recording, with pupils given the invaluable opportunity to really engage with the arts.

On the 28th of September 2022 they attended their first workshop at the Yard and got to experience first hand what life as a professional musician has to offer. They developed and performed their compositions based on their own influences.#

Following the composition day they returned to the academy and continued to work on their projects under the guidance of the team from Future Sound and the Abram Wilson Charity to prepare for their final performance.

On Wednesday 9th November 2022 pupils took part in a live performance at The Yard to showcase their fantastic compositions. The pupils had worked incredibly hard and this performance was a testament to their hard work and commitment throughout the project.

Mr Asher, Head of Performing Arts said:

“This was a fantastic opportunity for our pupils to work with professional musicians. They gained invaluable experience and took part in something they will remember for the rest of their lives” 

One of the pupils involved said:

“I made new friends during the project and got to make music with them. Working with the workshop leaders helped me build my confidence. I also improved my musical skills.”

We were proud to welcome back our Year 11 pupils as they collected their exam results on Thursday 25 August. 

The class of 2022 were the first year group to take the full set of exams after the COVID pandemic. We were extremely proud of our pupils who continued to display the academy’s values of respect, commitment and trust throughout their key stage 4 years to overcome the hurdles put in their way by the lockdowns.

The overall results for the year group were proof that their hard work and dedication had paid off.

Our pupils have achieved the grades they need to unlock the next steps in their journeys. Many pupils are moving on to college courses such as A-Levels, whilst others are planning on taking up apprenticeships. 

Sharon Hands, Principal said:

“Everyday, but especially today, I’m hugely proud of our pupils, their teachers and support staff. 

Together and individually they have produced a strong set of results and we thank them for their commitment to us and trust in us. 

We wish them every happiness and future success, we dedicate the Class of 2022’s achievements to Maryam and Mia, never forgotten.”

In July 2022 pupils got their head in the game and performed two knockout performances of High School Musical JNR.

In this adaption from the 2006 Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical our very own North Manchester Wildcats performed songs including ‘Get’Cha Head in the Game’ ‘Stick to the Status Quo’ and ‘We’re All in This Together’.

The performance included a large cast of pupils from all year groups, as well as behind the scenes supporters made up of staff and pupils who contributed to the set & costume designs.

Academy Principal, Ms Hands was proud to support the show, saying that “At Co-op Academy North Manchester we have the highest aspirations and expectations so that everyone achieves excellence in all that they do. The performing arts have an important role in our broad and balanced curriculum and these kinds of experiences will stay with our pupils for a lifetime. It was a pleasure to watch the performances and welcome the whole community to our academy to enjoy this show.”

Miss Siddiqui, Teacher of Performing Arts said: “Teaching the value of the theatre was paramount throughout the crafting of the show. Challenging pupils in this artistic venture rewarded their courage and enabled the participants to decompress and be free to be themselves. As the show gained momentum, everyone put in hard work and dedicated themselves to this opportunity. I am awestruck by their accomplishments and was proud to share this with the community.”