Admissions
Admissions consultation
Why we’re consulting
The Co-op Academies Trust is the admission authority for Co-op Academy Swinton. In accordance with the Department for Education's Admission Code 2021, we must undertake a public consultation on our admission arrangements every seven years - even if there are no changes - or when a change to the arrangements is proposed. This is a legal requirement. It gives parents, carers and the wider community a chance to comment.
We are not proposing any changes to the admissions criteria. We continue to follow the terms of the admissions criteria set out by Salford City Council. However, we are proposing to reduce the number of Year 7 places (also known as the Published Admission Number or PAN) at Co-op Academy Swinton from September 2027.
Why we’re reducing Year 7 places
By law, every child living in Salford must be offered a school place. We work with the Department for Education and Local Authority to make sure there are enough places.
The government says we should add places when more children need them and reduce places when fewer children need them.
There are a surplus of school places in the local Pupil Planning Area (Area 101) in Salford. For this reason, we propose to reduce the number of Year 7 places as follows:
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Co-op Academy Swinton - Reduce Year 7 places from 215 to 180 from September 2027.
Our forecasts show that our local Pupil Planning Area will have more school places than needed over the coming years. So, we are suggesting reducing the number of places in our Year 7 cohort. Children already at the academy will not be affected.
High vacancy levels can negatively affect an academy’s sustainability. Reducing the number of Year 7 places will help our academy:
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Plan for the future
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Use its resources more efficiently
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Continue to offer high-quality education
How you can take part in the consultation
This consultation must run for at least six weeks. It will take place from Monday 15 December 2025 to Monday 26 January 2026.
When submitting your response, please clearly state that it relates to “Co-op Academy Swinton”.
You can find the proposed admissions policy for 2027/8 here.
You can send a response by email to this email address: admissions.consultations@coopacademies.co.uk
At Co-op Academy Swinton we operate a fully-inclusive admissions policy, meaning we accept students irrespective of faith or ability.
Each student will be consulted regarding their needs and supported accordingly.
Home/School Partnership
Co-op Academy Swinton is a very popular school in the wider Salford area and nationally acknowledged as being one of the most improved schools in the country. Salford Local Authority publish a set of criteria which are used to determine which children have priority if places at a school are limited.
We have established links with our primary schools and many of the children in Year 6 will already have met some of our staff who liaise closely with the primary schools. In addition, many of you and your children will have visited us on our Open Evening or to make use of the sports facilities. In their final term at primary school we invite all Year 6 children into the Academy on a number of occasions to help introduce them to us.
Similarly, all ‘new’ intake parents are encouraged to attend our Primary Intake Parents’ Evening, held each July, when we discuss the school, its work and any problems which we anticipate.
Admissions during the academy year
Parents can apply for a place for their child at any school in Salford by making an application through Salford local authority. Visit: salford.gov.uk/applyforschool to access the information you need.
If you live in Salford but wish to apply for a school in another local authority you should contact the local authority where the school is.
Students leaving during the Academy year
If you are about to move out of our area and wish to transfer your child to another school you should;
Give written confirmation to your child’s Pupil Progress Coordinator that he/she is leaving. Include in your letter the date of leaving and, if possible, the name of your child’s new school. It is essential that you give us the above information because, if you do not, your child’s name will remain on our school roll.
Admission Arrangements: SEPTEMBER 2025
For the school year commencing September 2025 the published admission number is 215.
Where Co-op Academy Swinton receives more applications than places available, the following over-subscription criteria will be applied once places have first been allocated to children who have an Education Health and Care Plan (previously known as a statement of Special Educational Need) which names Co-op Academy Swinton.
See our full Admission Arrangements for 2025 in the PDF link below:
Admissions arrangements for previous years
Appeals
Admissions Appeals must be made via Salford City Council by the following dates:
- Appeals to be submitted by: 1 April 2025
- Appeals submitted by 1 April to be heard: 6 May to 13 June 2025
Appeals for late applications will be heard within 40 school days of the appeal being lodged. Where an appeal in this category would have to be heard before an appeal received on time, the appeal will be heard at the same time or after the other appeal otherwise an injustice could occur and could be unfair.
To place an appeal all information can be found here:
https://www.salford.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools-admissions/appeals/