Week 1 or 2

11^th October 2021 – Week 2

18^th October 2021 – Week 1

1^st November 2021 – Week 2

8^th November 2021 – Week 1

15^th November 2021 – Week 2

22nd November 2021 – Week 1

Important Notices

Year 9 photos – Monday 11th October 2021

The Year 9 students will be getting their photographs taken on Monday 11th October 2021.

Please send your son/daughter in full academy uniform.

Students shouldn’t wear PE kits.

Students don’t need to bring their PE kit.

Welcome

Dear Parents/Carers,

Welcome to another great edition of the newsletter. It’s wonderful to see the recognition of Year 7 students who have particularly demonstrated our ways of being. Classcharts shows so many students across all years groups being recognised for showing those values too. This is what we are about at Walkden – a community working together co-operatively for the common good.

COVID-19

I am really pleased to see that confirmed cases of COVID-19 amongst students and staff have reduced dramatically this week. We still have a trickle of new cases each day, but the Public Health team in Salford are pleased with the measures we have in place and that cases are reducing. In my review meeting with them this week, they have asked if we would continue with masks across the academy for one more week and then review the situation next week with a view to lifting these additional measures.

The vaccination programme has also been running this week for 12-15 year olds and the health team would like to thank all parents and carers for their support with this.

Open Evening

Last Thursday was our Open Evening – the first one since 2019. We operated the evening with reduced numbers and three different time slots. The system seemed to work well, but as ever we learn from the experience and have plans in place already, for next year’s event. 

The evening went very well and most of all, I want to extend a huge thanks to all of our student helpers who supported our departments, acted as tour guides or shared their experiences of life at Walkden as part of my presentation. I was blown away by their confidence, their commitment and most of all the pride they showed for their school. We were certainly proud of them all!

Sad News

I know that lots of our community will already be aware, but it is important that I share the news that former staff member Mrs Fewster, very sadly passed away just over a week ago. 

Mrs Fewster will be very well known by some of our older students, having left the academy at the end of 2019. Without doubt Mrs Fewster was much loved by staff and students alike, who appreciated her caring, patient approach with everyone in the Academy. 

We send our sincere condolences to her family at this difficult time and know that she will be very much remembered for all that she did for our community.

I hope you all enjoy the newsletter. My best wishes for the weekend ahead.

Matt Hacker

Attendance Matters – Written by Mr Simpson – Attendance Manager

Now that students are settling into the new academic year, we’d like your support in improving punctuality, so that they aren’t missing vital information and learning.

Being ready for learning is important for all children, and being late to form or lessons can be disruptive for the individual student as well as others in the classroom.

We’re conscious that we do suffer issues with frequent traffic congestion around the Academy, but we expect journeys to be planned accordingly to ensure students arrive on time. We can, however, provide some concession for unforeseen circumstances.

The Academy day starts at 8:30 am, and our expectations are that students are in school and ready to learn at 8:25 am. Students arriving after that time affect not only their own learning but disrupt the learning of others. 

Students who are late to the Academy will serve a lunchtime detention that day. The only exception to this is where evidence of an appointment is provided or when public transport has been delayed and the student is able to show their ticket as evidence.

• Arriving 5 minutes late every day adds up to over 3 days lost each year.
• Arriving 15 minutes late every day is the same as being absent for 10 days year.
• Arriving 30 minutes late every day is the same as being absent for 20 days a year.

I hope you can help us support students in maintaining good punctuality to enable them to learn vital skills for life.

Pastoral Focus – Year 7 – Written by Mr Healey – Head of Year 7

The start that the Year 7 students have made has been nothing short of incredible! 309 well-mannered, courteous, and mature students have come through our doors and shown everyone how resilient this generation really can be.

We recently had the ‘Meet the Form Tutor’ evening and barring the occasional technical difficulty, this proved to be a success. I hope that it was beneficial for you to see your child’s Form Tutor in the (electronic) flesh. If you’ve any concerns, please email them to walkden.info@coopacademies.co.uk.

Just a reminder to download MyEd, Google Classroom, and Classcharts. These are all key for communications and information for both inside and outside the classroom.

Academy photos for Year 7 were a roaring success! Again, I have to compliment the behaviour of every student. The only thing that I had to intervene in was the odd crooked tie. Proofs will go to parents/carers via students on Monday 11th October 2021. Parents/Carers can order online until Sunday 31st October 2021 for free delivery back to the academy.

Possibly the toughest thing about being Head of Year 7 is picking students to receive an award. This year’s intake has been phenomenal so far and long may that continue. The four stars of the first half term are:

Be Yourself Always – Ethan, 7RHU – Nominated by Mr Hurst for being his caring and compassionate self.

Show You Care – Amy 7PJO – Nominated by Mr Johnson for her caring nature with visitors during Open Evening.

Succeed Together – Joshua 7LCR – Nominated by Mr Crozier for the incredible job that he did whilst taking parents round on Open Evening.

Do What Matters Most – Georgia 7JDY – Nominated by Mrs Doorey for being an excellent student who is always ready and prepared to learn.

What’s Going On
Macmillan Cake Sale

On Friday 24th September 2021, staff and students took part in a cake sale for Macmillan Cancer Support. 

We were overwhelmed with the generosity of our community donations! 

We want to thank everyone who donated an item for us to sell and all the staff and students who came and bought a cake at break or dinner. 

In total, as a community, we raised £500 for Macmillan Cancer Support. 

It was a fantastic show of Co-op values by the whole community, so thank you!

Build Trip – Year 10. Written by Mr Ward – Year 10 Progress Leader

On Wednesday 22nd September 2021, students from Year 10 went out to celebrate finishing a course run by Bounceback Education and Pursuing Individual Excellence (PIE). On the course, they met weekly to develop their skills in teamwork, communication, and media, as well as having careers talks.

It was a short ride to Trafford Park, where students put their teamwork skills into practice on a small obstacle course. Students demonstrated excellent communication and teamwork, climbing through tyre walls, moving planks along a tricky course, and sliding a huge mat along the floor by throwing themselves onto it.

After the obstacle course, the students went to Nando’s. This part of the trip had been much anticipated since July and a great time was had by all.

Well done Year 10, you’ve shown your co-op values! You succeeded together and did what mattered most in completing the obstacle course and the course as a whole.

Black History Month

In October, we’re celebrate Black History Month. Black History Month was started in 1926. It began as a way of remembering important Black people and events that shaped history. It’s celebrated in America, Canada, the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands. This year’s theme is ‘Proud to be’. 

At Walkden, we’re celebrating Black History month in several ways. You can read more about them here: https://walkden.coopacademies.co.uk/stories/black-history-month/

Important Community Information

Hello, 

I’m Inspector Whelan. I’ve just taken over running the Greater Manchester Police Little Hulton, Walkden, Ellenbrook and Worsley Neighbourhood team; part of my role is adopting a problem-solving approach to issues in our neighbourhood.

It’s been brought to my attention that there has been an increase in anti-social behaviour involving youths in and around the Ellesmere Centre, Walkden. The local community is lucky to have the Ellesmere Centre and all the facilities it brings, but we all share the responsibility to make sure it’s a safe, crime-free place for everyone.

Any anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated, and the team and I are currently putting together a plan with our partners to target this. My team is working to identify those involved in the recent incidents of anti-social behaviour and we’ll take action before the situation worsens.

If you think you know who is causing the trouble, please contact the team via SalfordNorthWest@gmp.police.uk or 0161 856 5035.

If you’re one of the ones causing the trouble, please think about how your behaviour impacts others. You may think that it’s funny, but your behaviour has a seriously negative impact on those around you and those local people who need to use the Ellesmere Centre facilities.

You must understand that the last thing we want to do is criminalise young people, but if we continue to see the behaviour we’ve seen over the past month, it will leave us with no choice. We do have several different options available to us, including a dispersal order. At this moment in time, we’ve chosen not to implement this. But I’ll continually assess the situation and may do so in the future.

I also want to take this opportunity to remind you of some of the activities open for young people in the area. The Den at the Ellesmere Centre recently opened, and there are lots of opportunities for young people there. We also have the new bike track at Peel Park. You may also want to think about joining the volunteer Police Cadets once the unit re-opens, which should be soon. If you wish to find out any more information on the Police Cadets, please go to the Greater Manchester Police website or speak to your local neighbourhood officers or school engagement team who are regularly in school.

Many thanks. Stay safe!

Regards Insp. Whelan

Open Evening 2021

On 30^th September 2021, we welcomed Year 5/6 parents, carers, and students into the Academy for our annual Open Evening.

For safety, we limited numbers to this event, asking people to pre-book, and we sold out in all three time slots! It felt wonderful to be able to do this event in person again and the atmosphere of the Academy was incredible!

Parents, carers, and students followed our Walkden treasure hunt, stopping off at different departments to take part in exciting activities such as:

• Mr Green’s ‘Liquid Nitrogen Show’ in Science
• A tasting session in Food Technology
• Chess matches in Maths
• A pop-up Globe Theatre experience in English

Mr Hacker also addressed our future students and their families, and refreshments were served by our Academy catering company, SPIE.

We’ve had overwhelmingly positive feedback from parents/carers. One parent wrote:

“My son Mackenzie enjoyed your open evening last night. He was a bit quiet at first think the size was a bit overwhelming but once in the science and maths departments (especially the maths) he absolutely loved it. He was playing chess…he even beat a teacher at the beat the button and the memory game too.  The atmosphere was a very friendly one and the students showing people about were very helpful which was lovely.”

We had lots of students from the Academy who volunteered to be departmental helpers or student guides, and we’d like to thank parents/carers and the students for supporting us in doing this. We’re very grateful that our community does what matters most and helps us to succeed together.

Student Success
A focus on our 2021 leavers success

On GCSE results day, we caught up with some of our students to ask them about their time at Walkden and to celebrate their exciting future prospects. We’ll be running profiles of these students in our newsletter over the next couple of editions. First up, we’ve got Abigail and Bradley.

What grades did you get in your GCSEs?

I got all 9s! So, that’s 10 GCSEs at a Grade 9. I’m so pleased!

Wow! Well done Abigail, what’s next for you then?

I’m going to go to Loreto College to study A-levels in Maths, Biology, and Chemistry.

And what’s the plan after college?

I hope to go to university to study medicine or the sciences.

What has been the best bit about being a Co-op Academy Walkden student?

There’ve been lots of educational opportunities, and for that I’m grateful.

Would you recommend Co-op Academy Walkden to others?

Yes, because it’s improving every year! I’d like to thank the staff for supporting me and helping me do the best that I can.

What piece of advice would you give to a student who is starting in Year 7?

Talk to everyone, be kind, and be yourself. You’ll have a great time!

What piece of advice would you give to Year 10 students who are just about to start their GCSEs?

Try your best, revise when your teachers tell you, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself!

Well done on your GCSE results Bradley! What’s next for you?

I’m going to Eccles College and I’m going to study public services. I’m hoping to join the Army!

What has been the best bit about being a Co-op Academy Walkden student?

The memories I’ve made!

Would you recommend Co-op Academy Walkden to others?

110%! It’s a great school and the staff are amazing! I wouldn’t have got the results I did without them. Thank you!

What piece of advice would you give to a student who is starting in Year 7?

Listen to what the staff have to say, even if you don’t want to!

What piece of advice would you give to Year 10 students who are just about to start their GCSEs?

Try your hardest!

Sporting Success – Written by Mr Tobutt – Teacher of PE

It’s been an exciting start to the academic year!

The year started with 50+ students attending Year 7 football trials and another strong turnout for Year 7/8 netball. With all year groups having an A & B football team, competition for places has been fierce and we’re now up and running in the Salford Schools’ Football league and netball fixtures commence after the half-term break.

Our Key Stage 3 Dance Club has also proved popular, with a large number of students attending the afterschool session with Mrs Hughes. 

We’ll also be starting our girls’ football after the half term holiday with a view to having both a Junior (Year 7/8) and Senior (Year 9/10/11) team competing in local competitions. 

It’s been great to get back to competitive sporting fixtures this half term too! The year began with our Year 11 rugby team participating at the Salford Red Devils’ 9’s festival at the AJ Bell Stadium. The boys played 5 games; winning all 5 to preserve their unbeaten schools’ record and finish top of the group, securing maximum points. The next festival is scheduled before the half term break so we’ll be looking to maintain our unbeaten record. 

Our Year 9 rugby team also had their first festival of the year in September and they enjoyed another successful night of action. The boys played 6 games; with 5 wins and a draw, they secured top spot in the group and maximum points before the next festival later in the year. 

The football season has also kicked off with our teams enjoying winning starts! Our Year 9A team defeated All Hallows 7-2 with Kimmins scoring 4 first half goals in a strong team performance. The boys face St Matthews, Moston, in the County Cup next before they play Albion in the Salford Schools’ Cup.

Our Year 8A football team enjoyed a successful first outing with a 7-0 victory against Ellesmere Park – a hat-trick from Clement plus two apiece from McKiernan & Oguname sealed an excellent win.

Both Year 10A and 10B teams have had mixed fortunes in their first fixtures; the B team losing out in an 8-goal thriller against Lowry Academy – Winstanley with a hat-trick in a 5-3 defeat before our A team came from 2-1 down to beat Oasis 4-2 thanks to braces from Holden and Cooney. 

With plenty more fixtures to follow this half term, teams will be selected on a daily basis and displayed on the noticeboard in PE.

Academy Snapshot

Every fortnight, we’ll be giving you a direct insight into what’s happening here and now in the Academy!

On the 30th of September, we closed our Academy to students for staff training.

We pride ourselves, as an Academy, on training our staff to the very highest quality, providing them with excellent opportunities to develop from the most current and best thought leaders in the field of education.

To this end, on our latest training day, we welcomed Tom Bennett, Research Ed founder, author, and DFE Behaviour Advisor, to the Academy.

Here is what two of our staff had to say about the training:

“I really enjoyed the training from Tom Bennett. It was good to revisit the common sense approach to behaviour management. It was good to be reminded that we should focus on delivering excellent teaching and learning and from this, good behaviour will come!”

Mrs Kettle, Food Technology Teacher.

“Tom Bennett gave common sense advice on behaviour management which all staff in the Academy can benefit from.”

Mrs Shannon, Teaching Assistant.

Literacy Corner – Written by Mrs Shannon – Teaching Assistant.

New Books in the LRC 

Some fantastic new books have been added to the Learning Resource Centre recently. Here’s a small selection of non-fiction texts added, which could prove invaluable to your child’s education. All of the books can be borrowed from the LRC.

Britannica All New Children’s Encyclopedia: What We Know And What We Don’t.

Click the link here to find out more.

Word of the Week 

This half term, we’re introducing a further six words to the students via word of the week. We encourage the students to engage with the word of the week by setting activities.

Our words of the week for this fortnight will be:

• Apply – to put something to use; to lay or spread
• Assume – to take something to be true without knowing for certain

We’d encourage parents and carers to talk about these words and encourage their child to use them in conversation and their work.

Maths Puzzle – Provided by Mrs Meah – Maths Teacher

A clock says it is 10:10. 

The minute hand moves 270 degrees. 

How many degrees has the hour hand turned? 

Email your answers to walkden.info@coopacademies.co.uk, and we will give you a shout-out in the following newsletter. 

Well done to everyone who had a go at our first puzzle – especially Connor, in Year 9, who was the first to email his answer to us!

The answer was 27 triangles. 

Celebrate Success

Has your child done something amazing inside or outside the Academy?

Why not get in touch and let us know about it?

We want to feature our students’ successes in the newsletter and let our community celebrate with you.

Email success stories and feedback to walkden.info@coopacademies.co.uk.

Got feedback about the newsletter? Let us know at the same address!

We always appreciate your feedback.

Have a fantastic weekend!