Co-op Academy Hillside

Co-op Academy Hillside has shown significant improvements since its establishment three years ago, with notable strengths in early years provision and inclusion practices. The school's leadership is effective at fostering an inclusive environment, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs, ensuring they receive the support they need to excel academically and socially. While reading and mathematics standards are above average, there are areas in writing that require further attention, as well as challenges with overall attendance, particularly among some groups of pupils. Nevertheless, the positive culture and learning environment have made a significant impact on student wellbeing and engagement.

Strengths

• Strong early years provision led by expert leadership and skilled teaching.
• Effective inclusion practices that support pupils with SEND and disadvantaged backgrounds.
• High levels of pupil wellbeing and supportive learning environment.
• Strong progress in reading and mathematics, with many pupils achieving well.
• Skilled teaching that effectively identifies and supports pupils' additional learning needs.

Areas for Improvement

• Writing performance is below average and requires further improvement.
• Persistent absence rates are above average, particularly among some groups.

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 Hillside attended 93.5% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 17.7% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Co-op Academy Hillside 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 Hillside had 11.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 18.7% 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, 26.0% of pupils at Co-op Academy Hillside were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 16.9% 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 Hillside received £9,289 and spent £10,885 for each of its 161 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £244,000 (-£1,516 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 Prenton · Wirral local authority: places and applications

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

• Co-op Academy Portland Birkenhead
• 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 Hillside's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Co-op Academy Hillside is Expected standard, from an inspection in May 2026.

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

Co-op Academy Hillside was last inspected in May 2026.

How many pupils does Co-op Academy Hillside have?

Co-op Academy Hillside has 177 pupils on roll.

What age range does Co-op Academy Hillside cover?

Co-op Academy Hillside for pupils aged 2 to 11.

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

In 2025, 48% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Co-op Academy Hillside?

Co-op Academy Hillside is at Ridgeview Road, Prenton, Merseyside, CH43 9HG.