Former special measures school to join the Co-op Academies Trust

A Greater Manchester secondary school is joining the Co-operative Academies Trust (CAT), members of which are all sponsored by The Co-operative Group.

Failsworth School is based in Oldham – which is working to obtain the co-operative borough status – and has Co-operative Trust School status.

The move comes after the Co-operative Academy of Manchester (CAM) and Manchester Creative and Media Academy (MCMA) have both made rapid progress since joining the Trust.

CAM, which joined the Trust in 2010, is now the best performing school in North Manchester while MCMA enjoyed its best ever GCSE results in August and is the most improved school in the city after becoming a co-operative academy earlier this year.

The Co-operative Academies Trust is made up of eight academy schools in the North of England and aims to improve standards in learning and teaching.

Frank Norris, director of the Co-operative Academies Trust, said: “I am very proud of what all the academies within the Trust are doing and how they are delivering the highest standards of education based on co-operative values and principles. We have recently had an incredible set of GCSE results against a national backdrop of decline.

“We feel privileged that Failsworth School is joining us because I know that, like us, the staff and governors are committed to creating an outstanding learning community where all students can achieve their maximum potential.”

Headteacher Phill Quirk said: “I am convinced that with the support of the Co-operative Academies Trust we can complete the transformation journey which we have already begun. This is an exciting opportunity for the school to join a successful Trust.

“The latest Ofsted report recognised the progress the school has been making but I am sure these improvements will accelerate from now on.”

Failsworth was removed from special measures – where it was placed following a previous ‘inadequate’ classification – by Ofsted in May, when inspectors judged it to be ‘improving’. The pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development was marked as particularly good.

“Failsworth has a strong tradition of co-operative values and I am confident the school will build on recent progress as part of the Co-operative Academies Trust,” added David Heyes, chair of the school’s Interim Executive Board.

The Trust is sponsored by the Co-op Group, one of the world’s largest consumer co-ops, with interests across food, funerals, insurance, electrical and legal services.

Other sponsored schools include the Co-operative Academy of Stoke-on-Trent, the Co-operative Academy of Leeds, Brownhill Co-operative Academy, Nightingale Primary Academy, Woodlands Co-operative Academy and Oakwood Primary Academy. 

It is expected that Failsworth will join the Trust in early 2017.