Lipson Co-operative Academy Review 2026: A community-focused 11 to 18 school with strong progress and a structured sixth form

Values-led schools can feel vague on paper, but Lipson Co-operative Academy puts its language into day-to-day routines. Students are expected to be PERK, Prepared, Engaged, Respectful, and Kind, and that clarity shows up in behaviour systems and tutor time expectations.

Academically, outcomes sit broadly in line with the middle group of secondary schools in England, but with a Progress 8 score of +0.4 suggesting students, on average, achieve better GCSE outcomes than pupils with similar starting points. In FindMySchool’s GCSE outcomes ranking, Lipson is ranked 2,076th in England and 9th in Plymouth. (This is a proprietary FindMySchool ranking based on official data.)

The school is part of the Ted Wragg Trust, having joined in January 2022, which matters for families because trust-wide policy, training, and safeguarding expectations influence daily practice.

Lipson’s public-facing identity is built around community and cooperative values, with People, Quality, Achievement used as headline pillars. The more distinctive feature is how the school turns values into operational expectations. PERK is not presented as a motivational poster, it is positioned as a classroom readiness standard and a behaviour reference point, reinforced through policy and year-group communications.

Leadership is in a planned transition phase. Martin Brook remains the headteacher at the time of writing, and the governing body has communicated that Tom Goodman was appointed as Headteacher Designate from September 2025, with a handover planned as Martin Brook steps down at the end of the 2025 to 26 academic year. For parents, this is relevant in a practical way, it typically brings renewed emphasis on consistency, staff development, and clear routines, especially in schools that already emphasise standards and culture.

Pastoral culture is framed through safeguarding and personal development as much as through academic targets. The school participates in Operation Encompass, which is designed to help schools support children affected by domestic abuse incidents reported to police. The tone across policies is that safety and conduct are treated as preconditions for learning rather than bolt-on initiatives, and the behaviour approach is explicit about consequences, restorative steps, and the aim of keeping learning uninterrupted for the majority.

At GCSE, Lipson is ranked 2,076th in England and 9th in Plymouth for GCSE outcomes (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This performance level sits in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile), which is a helpful shorthand for parents comparing multiple local options.

The 2024 Attainment 8 score is 47.5. Progress 8 is +0.4, a positive score that indicates students, on average, make above-average progress from their starting points across eight GCSE subjects.

On EBacc, the dataset indicates 11.7% of pupils achieved grades 5 or above in the English Baccalaureate measure, with an average EBacc APS of 3.92. This is an area many families will want to explore during open events, particularly if a child is aiming for a strongly academic subject mix at GCSE and beyond.

Post 16 results are best read alongside the sixth form’s structure and support offer. In FindMySchool’s A-level outcomes ranking, Lipson is ranked 1,243rd in England and 5th in Plymouth (FindMySchool ranking based on official data). This again places outcomes in line with the middle 35% of schools in England (25th to 60th percentile).

Grade distribution shows 5% at A*, 13.33% at A, and 50% at A* to B. The England average for A* to B is 47.2%, so Lipson’s A* to B rate is slightly above that benchmark, even while the A* to A profile (A* plus A) is lower than the England average shown. For families, the implication is that the sixth form looks well-suited to students targeting a solid, breadth-of-grades profile at A-level, with outcomes that can support university entry, apprenticeships, and employment routes, rather than being narrowly defined by top-grade concentration.

Parents comparing outcomes locally can use the FindMySchool Local Hub and Comparison Tool to place GCSE rank, A-level rank, and Progress 8 side by side with other Plymouth secondaries.

Lipson presents teaching and learning as a structured craft, with explicit emphasis on literacy and deliberate practice. The English curriculum page describes literacy as a whole-school thread and references initiatives such as a Reading Group and The Brilliant Club emerging from the English faculty. For students, the implication is that reading and writing are treated as cross-curricular tools, not only English outcomes, which tends to benefit those who need clear routines for extended writing, vocabulary acquisition, and exam technique.

At KS4 and KS5, the curriculum mix appears broad, including a range of vocational and applied routes alongside GCSEs and A-levels. Year 11 materials and sixth form documents show an overt focus on independent study, revision structure, and supervised study spaces, including iStudy for sixth form students. This matters because schools with clear independent study norms often suit students who respond well to predictable weekly rhythms and designated places to work, particularly during exam windows.

The school also signals partnerships and real-world links in specific areas, for example media curriculum enrichment referencing workshops connected with Plymouth University, which is more tangible than generic “links with employers” wording.

Lipson does not publish Oxbridge numbers provided, and the school’s public materials that were accessible during research did not present a single definitive “Russell Group percentage” figure, so this section focuses on the official leaver destination picture available.

For the 2023 to 24 leavers cohort (117 students), 26% progressed to university, 12% started apprenticeships, 38% moved into employment, and 3% progressed to further education. Taken together, this points to a sixth form where pathways are mixed and outcomes are not treated as one route only. For families, the implication is that the sixth form should work best when a student’s plan is realistic and supported, whether that is university, an apprenticeship, or entering work with additional training.

Alongside destinations, the school’s sixth form messaging highlights independent study and enrichment expectations, which can be a good indicator of readiness for the step up from Year 11. Students who want structure around study time often benefit from schools that formalise those routines rather than leaving them informal.

Year 7 admissions are coordinated through Plymouth City Council. For September 2026 entry, the council timetable states that applications open on Wednesday 03 September 2025 and close on Friday 31 October 2025, with offers released on Monday 02 March 2026 and the deadline to accept the offer on Monday 10 March 2026.

Lipson’s own admissions page is currently oriented toward policy documentation and consultation timing for future arrangements, which is useful for parents who want detail on oversubscription criteria, but the practical “how and when to apply” is best taken from the local authority admissions timetable for the normal round.

Sixth form admissions are more direct and more flexible. The school’s sixth form application process states that internal applications should be received by Friday 28 November 2025, interviews for internal candidates take place during January, and external interviews are arranged before July 2026, with external applications still accepted up to September 2026. For families, the implication is that sixth form entry is not a single cliff-edge deadline in the same way as Year 7, but earlier application is still beneficial for course planning, guidance interviews, and settling in.

If you are shortlisting based on location, it is sensible to use FindMySchoolMap Search to check travel time options and practical routes, especially if you are comparing schools across different parts of Plymouth.

Safeguarding and personal safety are prominent in the school’s published materials. Ofsted also confirmed that pupils feel safe and understand online safety, including awareness of digital footprint, which is a practical indicator that safeguarding messages are landing with students.

The behaviour approach is framed as clarity plus consistency. The published behaviour policy is explicit about classroom expectations, escalation steps, and the intention to protect learning time for the majority while still aiming to keep students included and learning. It also sets out that detentions and internal exclusion arrangements may extend the school day in specific circumstances, which parents should factor into routines and transport planning.

Support also shows up in targeted, practical measures. Operation Encompass is one example, and year-group materials point to structured revision support and supervised study arrangements during key exam periods. The general implication is that Lipson is likely to suit students who respond well to firm boundaries and a clearly communicated “how we do things here” approach.

Lipson’s extracurricular offer is not presented as a generic list, it is woven into the school’s identity through specialist academies and structured enrichment. Year group messaging references three specialist academies in Music, Sport, and the Performing Arts, plus enrichment opportunities including clubs, residentials, and day trips. For students, the implication is that co-curricular life is treated as part of the school’s model, not an optional add-on for a small minority.

Sport has a concrete timetable and variety. A published clubs document shows lunchtime table tennis, plus after-school activities including rugby, basketball, volleyball, netball, girls’ football, gym and Zumba, and staff-led sessions. The practical benefit is that students can find both participation sport and team representation routes, and parents can plan collection times around predictable club slots.

Academic and skills enrichment is also signposted. The school references The Brilliant Club Scholarship programme in sixth form materials, positioned as a widening participation route with undergraduate-style assignments and a graduation-style ceremony. This is especially relevant for students who are capable but benefit from structured academic extension and confidence-building around higher education culture.

Finally, adventurous activity appears in policy-level references, including Duke of Edinburgh and activities such as climbing and canoeing, which suggests a pipeline of residential and outdoor experience for students who want it.

This is a state school with no tuition fees. Families should still expect normal secondary costs such as uniform, equipment, trips, and optional activities.

Term dates for Spring and Summer 2026, plus the 2026 to 27 academic year framework, are published on the school website, which helps families planning childcare and travel.

A single, clearly stated full “start and finish” time for the main school day was not consistently visible in the accessible pages during research. Parents who need precision for transport planning should confirm current timings directly with the school, particularly because after-school enrichment, detentions, and intervention sessions can extend the day for some students.

• Leadership transition. A planned headship change is underway, with Tom Goodman appointed Headteacher Designate from September 2025 and a handover planned as Martin Brook steps down at the end of the 2025 to 26 academic year. For some families this is reassuring continuity; others will want to watch how priorities evolve.

• Behaviour expectations are explicit. The school publishes detailed behaviour systems, including sanctions that can extend the day in specific circumstances. This clarity suits many students, but it can feel strict for those who struggle with boundaries unless support plans are well coordinated.

• Sixth form requires self-management. iStudy and independent study expectations are prominent. Students who want structure will often do well, but those who need close daily prompting may need careful transition planning.

• Year 7 deadline discipline matters. The local authority timetable for 2026 entry is clear, and late applications carry risk. Families should plan open evenings and application steps early in Year 6.

Lipson Co-operative Academy is a large, mainstream 11 to 18 school with a strong emphasis on values translated into routines, a clear behaviour framework, and a sixth form built around independent study and structured support. Outcomes place it in line with the middle 35% of schools in England, with a positive Progress 8 suggesting above-average progress from similar starting points, and an A-level profile that is broadly competitive.

Best suited to families who want a well-structured school culture, clear expectations, and a mixed set of post-16 pathways, including university, apprenticeships, and employment routes. The key decision points are fit with the behaviour model and confidence in the leadership transition period.