Salford Councillors visit Co-op Academies Walkden and Swinton
Councillors Bill Hinds, Executive Support Member for Education, Learning and School Improvement, and Jim Cammell, Lead Member for Children’s and Young People’s Services at Salford City Council, recently visited Co-op Academy Swinton and Co-op Academy Walkden to celebrate the schools’ journeys of improvement.
Both academies, now officially rated as Good schools, have become shining examples of progress in education within Salford and both academies play a pivotal role in the Trust’s Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and Early Career Framework (ECF) programmes.
Offering highly sought-after placements for aspiring teachers, both Swinton and Walkden have been champions of the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF) programme since its inception. From investing in academy leaders to help design curriculum frameworks, to supporting non-teaching staff in transitioning to teacher training, the academies have demonstrated a strong focus on nurturing and retaining talent.
The Trust’s “Train to Retain” model has seen remarkable success, with 80% of trainees choosing to stay within Co-op Academies after completing their training.
Councillor Jim Cammell praised the schools’ dual focus on student achievement and staff development. He said: "We are always very pleased to hear about the success of Salford schools. They play a vital role in helping children to have happy and healthy lives and positive futures, and support our work to become a child friendly city.
Fantastic to meet the excellent students and staff at @swintoncoop. The students were extremely well behaved and focused on their learning. A really friendly and positive atmosphere in the school. Great to see @CoopAcademies really investing in their trainee teachers too. https://t.co/IFdP056wR1
— jim (@Cammell4Swinton) November 27, 2024
“It’s inspiring to see how Co-op Academy Swinton and Co-op Academy Walkden have transformed into schools where both students and staff thrive. The support they provide to early career teachers ensures that young people benefit from highly skilled and passionate educators."
Councillor Bill Hinds added: "The journey of improvement at these academies is remarkable. Their commitment to nurturing new talent in teaching not only benefits their schools but also strengthens the broader education system in Salford."
Andy Gibson, Head of ITTECF at Co-op Academies Trust, said: “The journeys Co-op Academy Swinton and Co-op Academy Walkden have been on over recent years are to be commended. The dedication from all staff at both academies to change the lives of the young people they serve and strive for better outcomes was recognised in their most recent Ofsted inspections and something to be celebrated and shared with Councillors Cammell and Hinds.
“The dedication of staff from both academies can also be seen in their unwavering support of the Co-op Academies Trust Initial Teacher Training programme. With the aim of producing high quality teachers for the Trust and educational workforce, Head Teachers, Zarina Ali at Swinton and Matt Hacker at Walkden, have been champions from day one.
“Our Trust is continually moving towards a more secure workforce, during a crisis of teacher retention and recruitment, which creates a more stable, consistent and effective learning environment for the fantastic students of Salford.”
“It was a pleasure to welcome both Councillors Hinds and Cammell to our academy and discuss our school’s unique context and progress journey. Both have strong ties to the school and were pleased to chat to our cohort of initial and early career teachers to gain a deeper understanding of how we develop and support both our staff and students.”
“We value community ties and were delighted to welcome both Councillors to our school recently. We spoke about creating opportunities for all and how this extends to both our staff and student body.”
