Co-op Academy Walkden

Co-op Academy Walkden demonstrates a strong overall performance, achieving a rating of 'Good' across all key areas of the inspection. The school creates an inclusive environment where pupils quickly develop positive relationships with both staff and peers. With a culture of high aspirations, leaders set ambitious goals for learning and behavior, fostering a sense of safety and happiness. The curriculum supports a variety of academic and vocational pathways, enabling pupils to engage meaningfully in their education, though some variability exists in curriculum implementation across subjects. However, the school faces challenges related to attendance, particularly among disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs. While most pupils feel adequately supported in their learning, there are concerns over the effectiveness of PSHE and RSE teaching due to a lack of subject expertise among some staff. Addressing these concerns will be crucial for continuing the school’s positive trajectory since its conversion to an academy and its integration into the Co-op Academies Trust.

Strengths

• Positive and respectful relationships between pupils and staff
• High aspirations and expectations for pupil learning and behavior
• Inclusive practices for pupils with SEND
• Ambitious and varied curriculum offering
• Effective support for pupils struggling with reading
• Strong school culture of safeguarding and well-being
• Wide range of extracurricular clubs and activities

Areas for Improvement

• Variability in curriculum implementation among some teachers
• Lack of subject knowledge in teaching PSHE and RSE
• Significant minority of pupils not attending school regularly

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Co-op Academy Walkden attended 90.6% of sessions (the national figure for secondary schools was 91.6%). 28.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 23.4%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 7.9% of pupils at Co-op Academy Walkden were suspended at least once (nationally 7.3%). 2 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Co-op Academy Walkden had 15.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for secondary schools was 16.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.4% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 14.1%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 13.9% of pupils at Co-op Academy Walkden were on SEN support (nationally 14.1%) and 5.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 3.5%).

The school has resourced provision with 32 pupils.

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded secondary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Co-op Academy Walkden received £9,010 and spent £8,389 for each of its 1,480 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £1,097,000 (£741 per pupil).

Across all 40 schools of The Co-Operative Academies Trust, income was £9,737 and spending £9,467 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Manchester · Salford local authority: places and applications

Co-op Academy Walkden is part of The Co-Operative Academies Trust, which runs 40 schools. The nearest others:

• Co-op Academy Swinton Manchester
• Co-op Academy Manchester Manchester
• Co-op Academy New Islington Manchester
• Co-op Academy Medlock Manchester
• Co-op Academy North Manchester Manchester
• Connell Co-Op College Manchester
• Co-op Academy Broadhurst Manchester
• Co-op Academy Belle Vue Manchester
• Co-op Academy Failsworth Manchester
• Co-op Academy Strinesdale Oldham

What is Co-op Academy Walkden's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Co-op Academy Walkden is Good, from an inspection in July 2023.

When was Co-op Academy Walkden last inspected by Ofsted?

Co-op Academy Walkden was last inspected in July 2023.

How many pupils does Co-op Academy Walkden have?

Co-op Academy Walkden has 1,414 pupils on roll.

What age range does Co-op Academy Walkden cover?

Co-op Academy Walkden for pupils aged 11 to 16.

What are Co-op Academy Walkden's GCSE results?

In 2026 its average Attainment 8 score was 47.2, and 41% of pupils achieved grade 5 or above in both English and maths GCSE.

Where is Co-op Academy Walkden?

Co-op Academy Walkden is at Old Clough Lane, Walkden, Worsley, Manchester, M28 7JB.