Education Today Education Today Magazine
Nordoff and Robbins, the UK’s largest music therapy charity, has today announced a new partnership with Co-op Foundation to deliver a music therapy programme supporting young people at risk of suspension or exclusion, to help them remain connected to their education and improve long‑term outcomes.
The three-year partnership starts with a pilot year in 2026 taking place at three Co-op Academy Trust schools in the North West of England, across Greater Manchester and Liverpool. The programme will provide music therapy using the ‘Nordoff Robbins approach’ and will be delivered with support from Co-op Live – the UK’s largest entertainment venue, located in Manchester.
Young people in the UK are facing rising social and emotional challenges amid growing inequality, reduced local youth services and the long-term impacts of the pandemic. Schools are increasingly seeing the impact of this, with the rate of suspension and exclusion still higher than it was pre-pandemic. There is also significant disparity among pupils: young people with special educational needs or disabilities and young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds are much more likely to face exclusion.
This innovative programme brings together the power of music, education and community to support young people with their mental health and wellbeing while in school, so they can engage in education and go on to have access to better opportunities throughout their lives.
Maria Neophytou, CEO, Nordoff and Robbins, said: “We are incredibly grateful to the Co-op Foundation, Co-op Academies Trust and Co-op Live for investing their time, funding and facilities into this unique programme. Together, we know we can make a real difference to a particularly vulnerable group of young people in the North West. Our evidence based music therapy is proven to support a range of health and wellbeing outcomes. This programme aims to increase young people’s engagement with their education, ultimately reducing exclusion from school and improving their long-term outcomes.”
Nick Crofts, Co-op Foundation CEO, said: “It’s tough out there for young people right now. They are calling out for more support with their mental health and we need to listen and act. We’re excited to bring together Nordoff and Robbins’ music therapy expertise with the Co-op Academies Trust’s progressive approach to supporting student wellbeing to deliver something with long-lasting community impact. If we can help these students to build their resilience and stay in school, then their life chances will vastly improve.”
This programme is rooted in Co‑op’s values and long‑standing commitment to fairness, opportunity and strengthening communities, and builds on its social value strategy to help young people thrive. Through the Co‑op Academies Trust, which takes an inclusive and whole‑child approach to education, the programme embeds mental health and wellbeing support directly in schools, focusing on students most at risk of suspension or exclusion. By combining education, community and creative support, the partnership aims to help young people re‑engage with learning, build confidence and resilience, and improve their long‑term life chances.
The programme is being funded through a £225,000 investment from Co-op Foundation over three years. This investment is made possible through Co-op Live’s annual £1m donation to the Co-op Foundation, the venue’s official charity partner. The annual donation is part of Co-op Live’s long-term commitment to using live entertainment as a force for good.
