Over 100 CPD Sessions Delivered as Co-op Academies Trust Launches Common INSET Day
On Monday 10 November, colleagues from every Co-op academy came together for our first ever Trust-wide Common INSET Day, a landmark moment in our shared commitment to professional growth and collaboration.
More than one hundred bespoke sessions took place across fourteen locations, connecting colleagues from every role, phase, and region. From teaching and leadership development to business support and operational excellence, each session was designed to strengthen practice, share innovation, and celebrate our collective mission to co-operate for a better education.
“As a Trust we are constantly looking at ways to improve, especially in supporting and developing our fantastic workforce. Professional development for all within education is crucial. This major strategic development really reflects our commitment to every colleague as a valued member of the Trust team.”
Chris also thanked all those who contributed to the success of the day, with special recognition for Rose Harford and Andy Gibson for their leadership and hard work, as well as every colleague for their dedication and commitment to transforming pupils’ lives.
Andy Gibson, Director of the Professional Development Institute, highlighted the scale and purpose of the day, describing it as ”the culmination of months of planning, collaboration, and commitment. A celebration of shared expertise, creativity, and teamwork across our Trust.” He expressed his gratitude to our CPD Event Leads, facilitators, hosting academies, and Business Support teams, whose collective effort ensured the success of the day, and offered particular thanks to Rose Harford, our Trust CPD Coordinator, whose skill and meticulous oversight made the event possible.
The Common INSET Day embodies the Trust’s Framework for Effective CPD; Learn, Explore, Apply. This approach ensures that every professional development opportunity is more than a one-off event; it’s a sustained cycle of reflection, growth, and real-world impact. Colleagues across the Trust engaged in high-quality, role-specific training, deepened understanding through shared exploration, and will now return to their schools and teams ready to apply new knowledge and approaches that benefit students, colleagues, and communities.
As the day drew to a close, colleagues reflected on the power of collaboration and the value of coming together as one Trust family. The Common INSET Day marks an exciting step forward for professional learning across Co-op Academies Trust, demonstrating that when we learn together, we grow stronger together.
