Florence Welcomes Founding Cohort
FOUNDING cohort of Year 7 students start their high school journeys at Co-op Academy Florence MacWilliams, Stoke-on-Trent’s newest academy.
Today, 120 Year 7 students will begin learning inside temporary classroom accommodation while the school’s state-of-the-art building is constructed.
Local residents will start seeing big changes on the site during September as the steelwork is erected and the outline of the new building will become clear. The school will grow year-on-year until it has students aged 11-19 in all year groups by 2030.
The vision at Florence is that colleagues and pupils will work at PACE – ensuring pride, ambition, care and excellence for self, school and city.
For Headteacher Elizabeth Clewlow, this moment has been many years in the making. She said:
“It is a great privilege to be able to create a legacy for future generations that is built in, by, and for Stoke. Contributing to the Florence MacWilliams project from inception and seeing it through to fruition is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
“Florence will be an exceptional academy; our founding pupils will benefit hugely from being part of a growing academy that has the opportunity to establish a strong culture from the very beginning, with our staff getting to know every child and family.”
For parents and carers with secondary-aged children in Meir and the surrounding areas, Florence fills a gap and means children don’t have to take long journeys to access education.
Fenton resident Elizabeth Wilkinson, 37, has a child starting at the academy today, she said:
“We live in an area of the city where options for high schools are limited so we were very happy to have secured a place for our son at Co-op Academy Florence MacWilliams.
“Having heard about the ambitions for the academy from attending a digital ‘Meet the Headteacher’ event, we know this will become a very successful school in Stoke-on-Trent. The ethos and values of the Co-op Academies Trust were also a big draw when deciding where to apply. The school and the Trust have high expectations for students to succeed so we’re excited our son gets to continue his education here.”
From September 2025, the school’s admission number will increase to 180, offering even more places to local children.
Headteacher Liz Clewlow will be hosting a series of webinars in September and October to explain the school’s offer to local families ahead of the October 31st application deadline. Local families are advised to book their place here.