Co-op Academy Portland

Co-op Academy Portland is a welcoming, inclusive primary school where pupils feel safe and cared for and where staff have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The school has responded effectively since its previous inspection, including through new leadership and trust support, and the curriculum is now building pupils’ knowledge and skills well. Early years provision gives children a strong start, reading is taught effectively, behaviour is typically good, and pupils’ wider development is a notable strength. Published 2024 outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics were significantly below national averages, but inspectors accepted that this reflected high pupil mobility and weaker previous curriculums rather than the current offer. The main remaining areas for improvement are inconsistent use of assessment to check prior knowledge and address gaps, and ensuring all pupils secure basic writing skills such as transcription, spelling and punctuation before tackling more demanding written work. Safeguarding is effective.

Strengths

• Welcoming and inclusive community where pupils feel safe and cared for
• High expectations for all pupils, including those with SEND
• School and trust have taken effective action to improve provision
• Curriculum builds pupils’ knowledge and skills and prepares them for future success
• Engaging lessons motivate pupils and help them meet curriculum goals
• Early years provides a solid foundation and supports good behaviour
• Effective early reading and phonics teaching with timely support
• Pupils read books matched to their reading stage and build fluency
• SEND are identified quickly and pupils receive effective support
• Pupils are courteous, respectful and typically behave well
• Attendance has improved through effective support and strong relationships
• Personal development is excellent, with rich enrichment and community opportunities
• Staff value training and support from school and trust leaders
• Governance is effective and safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• Assessment strategies are inconsistent in some subjects and do not always check prior knowledge well enough
• In some subjects, including mathematics, pupils do not make strong connections between current and previous learning
• Some pupils do not gain a secure grasp of basic writing skills such as transcription, spelling and punctuation
• Some pupils struggle to complete written tasks accurately because they have not mastered basic writing skills
• Published 2024 attainment in reading, writing and mathematics was significantly below the national average

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 Portland attended 94.0% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 16.1% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

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, 3.0% of pupils at Co-op Academy Portland were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No 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 Portland had 18.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 27.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

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, 24.7% of pupils at Co-op Academy Portland were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.8% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

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 primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Co-op Academy Portland received £7,990 and spent £8,860 for each of its 202 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £94,000 (£465 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 Birkenhead · Wirral local authority: places and applications

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

• Co-op Academy Hillside Prenton
• Co-op Academy Oldershaw Wallasey
• Co-op Academy Bebington Wirral
• Co-op Academy Woodslee Wirral
• Co-op Academy Rathbone Liverpool
• Co-op Academy Walkden Manchester
• Co-op Academy Swinton Manchester
• Co-op Academy Medlock Manchester
• Co-op Academy New Islington Manchester
• Co-op Academy Manchester Manchester

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

The latest Ofsted rating for Co-op Academy Portland is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

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

Co-op Academy Portland was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Co-op Academy Portland have?

Co-op Academy Portland has 227 pupils on roll.

What age range does Co-op Academy Portland cover?

Co-op Academy Portland for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Co-op Academy Portland's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 45% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Co-op Academy Portland?

Co-op Academy Portland is at Laird Street, Claughton, Birkenhead, Merseyside, CH41 0AB.