education

We’re putting co-operative values at the heart of school-life. And, whether visiting a Co-operative farm, or seeing renewable energy in action, we’re helping young people to discover a passion for the environment
 
 

The Co-operative Schools

We believe that when co-operative values, such as self-responsibility, democracy and solidarity, are embraced at the heart of school life, it creates a culture that benefits all those involved with the school, from pupils to the local community. With this aim, we’re working in partnership with The Co-operative College to create a network of Co-operative Trust schools; and sponsoring 10 Business & Enterprise Colleges and two academies.  

Find out more about The Co-operative Schools.

Green Schools Revolution

Green Schools Revolution is an inspiring UK sustainability education programme from The Co-operative. This free programme provides an easy and rewarding way to implement three key sustainability themes into the classroom: energy, water and healthy living. This programme brings together teachers, parents, young people and local communities with projects that encourage creative thinking about the environment, sustainability and climate change.

As part of this project, schools are being supported with extra learning activities and school visits.  These supported activities include The Co-operatives Walking bus scheme and our From Farm to Fork project, where young people have the opportunity to visit one of our Farms and learn about where their food comes from.

Find out more and register your school for Green Schools Revolution now.

Green Energy for Schools

We’ve kitted out 185 schools with renewable energy installations, helping almost 90,000 children to learn about their carbon footprint.

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From Farm to Fork

More than 45,000 children have visited our farms around the country to learn about where their food comes from, and another 20,000 are set to visit this year.

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Walking Buses

More than 2,000 children walk to school in a Co-operative Walking Bus, saving around 180,000 car journeys and 75 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.

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Energy Works The education programme at our Coldham wind farm has inspired over 3,000 young people to help combat climate change. read more

Sustainable Tourism Young people are finding out how they can make their holidays more sustainable, through a pilot project with The Co-operative Travel. read more

Skills4Schools

The Co-operative Financial Services’ Skills4Schools programme comprises a range of education initiatives focusing on money management, responsible driving and future employability. Through Skills4Schools, colleagues visit schools in their local area to deliver interactive workshops, covering topics such as interview skills, financial jargon and numeracy.

Background

At The Co-operative, we’re led by our values and principles, which include a commitment to education. Our founders, The Rochdale Pioneers, had a vision of a fairer society, and saw education as a vital tool in enabling people to lift themselves out of poverty. Five of the Pioneers were themselves aged 25 or under. By the 1860s, the Pioneers had installed reading rooms in all our food stores, where members could learn languages, arts and sciences.