Co-op Academy Rathbone, Liverpool
Co-op Academy Rathbone is a special school for boys aged 5 to 11 in Liverpool, part of The Co-Operative Academies Trust.
Data last updated 27 Oct 2026
Co-op Academy Rathbone in detail
Co-op Academy Rathbone in its own words
From the headteacher's welcome: "I am honoured to serve as Head of School and proud to be leading a dedicated team committed to building a strong, supportive, and inclusive learning environment. At Co-op Academy Rathbone, our aim is to create a place where every pupil feels safe , is encouraged to be helpful , and is supported to thrive ."
Headteacher's welcome (school website)
Source: The school's own website
Compared with nearby schools
The nearest other special schools to Co-op Academy Rathbone are Sandfield Park School (0.7 miles, Outstanding); Clifford Holroyde Sen College (1.6 miles, Good); St Vincent's School - A Specialist School for Sensory Impairment and Other Needs (1.7 miles, Requires improvement); and Royal School for the Blind (Liverpool) (2 miles, Outstanding).
Sandfield Park SchoolClifford Holroyde Sen CollegeSt Vincent's School - A Specialist School for Sensory Impairment and Other NeedsRoyal School for the Blind (Liverpool)
The trust
Co-op Academy Rathbone is one of 40 schools run by The Co-Operative Academies Trust, an academy trust.
Who goes there
80.6% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, and 0% speak English as an additional language, according to the 2026 school census.
Almost every pupil at Co-op Academy Rathbone has an education, health and care plan (67 of 67 in 2026). The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.
Getting there
The nearest railway station is Wavertree Technology Park Rail Station, about 1.3 miles away in a straight line.
9 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Bankfield Road (adjacent), 210 metres away.
The area around the school
Measured by the 2025 English Indices of Deprivation, the neighbourhood Co-op Academy Rathbone stands in is among the 10% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. This describes where the school is, not where its pupils live.
Sources: DfE school census and special educational needs statistics; NaPTAN (Department for Transport); English Indices of Deprivation 2025 (MHCLG); data.police.uk street-level crime
Key Information
DfE GIASOfsted Rating
Co-op Academy Rathbone has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in July 2025. Before that, as Ernest Cookson School (URN 104744), it was rated Inadequate in June 2024.
At a Glance
80.6%
Free School Meals
No
Boarding
No
Nursery
No
Sixth Form
No
Special Measures
Results at Ernest Cookson School before it took its current form in 2025 (KS2)
Academic year 2024/25Published for Ernest Cookson School (URN 104744), the school Co-op Academy Rathbone replaced. There are no figures for Co-op Academy Rathbone yet, so these are shown separately.
KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)
Reading has remained stable at around 14% (2024 to 2025), while maths has declined from 11% to 5% (2024 to 2025).
How Does This School Compare?
Ranked against 5 nearby schools
Social & online
Keep up with Co-op Academy Rathbone
Before and after school care
Co-op Academy Rathbone is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school. Source: Free breakfast clubs: schools on the programme, Department for Education Free breakfast clubs in Liverpool
Getting There
Bus Stops
Free school transport
Check free transport to Co-op Academy Rathbone from your postcode →
You apply to the council where you live. Co-op Academy Rathbone is in Liverpool; for families living there:
- Liverpool's school travel policy: this document : Home to School Transport Policy 2026-27
- How to apply: Apply for a travel pass
Safety and surroundings
Road collisions within 500 m (2021 to 2025)
- Collisions
- 59
- Fatal
- 0
- Serious
- 11
- Children hurt
- 15
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 59 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 48 slight.
15 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot and 7 in a vehicle or otherwise.
11 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included.
The typical figure for schools in Liverpool is 32 (the median across 193 schools, same distance and years).
Serious and slight counts use the Department for Transport's severity adjustment, which allows for changes in how police forces record injuries; they are estimates, rounded to whole numbers. Distances are in a straight line. Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19), Open Government Licence v3.0.
Commute and house prices
Capacity & Demand
School Occupancy
96%
Near capacity
67 pupils
70 places
3 spare places
as recorded on GIAS
Area Demand Pressure - Liverpool
Based on MHCLG Live Table 122 (2024-25, last 5 years) for Liverpool
Across Liverpool council
Places available
6,108
Applications
5,379
Got 1st preference
68.1%
Got preferred school
89.6%
All secondary applications across Liverpool council (2026/27), not just this school.
SEND & SEN Provision
SEN Overview
0
SEN Support
67
EHC Plans
100.0%
of Total Pupils
2026 academic year
Provision & Specialist Facilities
Pupils by Need Type
Pupil Demographics
Ethnicity
2026 academic year
Key Indicators
67
Total Pupils
67
Boys
0
Girls
2026 academic year
Workforce
9
Teachers
7.4:1
Pupil-teacher ratio
£50,310
Mean salary
2026 data
Absence at Ernest Cookson School before it took its current form in 20252024/25
Published for Ernest Cookson School (URN 104744), the school Co-op Academy Rathbone replaced. There are no figures for Co-op Academy Rathbone yet, so these are shown separately.
11.4%
Overall absence
32.8%
Persistent absence
67
Enrolments
Absence trend
Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.
Linked Schools
Schools linked by geographic proximity
Questions parents ask about Co-op Academy Rathbone
Are there exam results for Co-op Academy Rathbone?
Co-op Academy Rathbone has no published results of its own yet. Before it took its current form in 2025, as Ernest Cookson School (URN 104744), 14% of its Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in reading and 5% in maths in the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessments.
What is Co-op Academy Rathbone's Ofsted rating?
Co-op Academy Rathbone has not been inspected by Ofsted since it took its current form in July 2025. Before that, as Ernest Cookson School (URN 104744), it was rated Inadequate in June 2024.
What is the catchment area for Co-op Academy Rathbone?
No fixed boundary. When Co-op Academy Rathbone is oversubscribed, Liverpool allocates places by its published criteria, usually ending with home-to-school distance.
How many pupils go to Co-op Academy Rathbone?
Co-op Academy Rathbone has around 67 pupils on roll. 81% are eligible for free school meals.
How do I apply to Co-op Academy Rathbone?
Apply through Liverpool's coordinated admissions process, naming Co-op Academy Rathbone on your application. The national closing date in England is 31 October for secondary places and 15 January for primary places, in the year before your child starts.
Does Co-op Academy Rathbone have a breakfast club or after-school club?
Co-op Academy Rathbone is on the Department for Education's free breakfast clubs programme (list updated July 2026), which pays for a free breakfast club for pupils before school.
How many road collisions happen near Co-op Academy Rathbone?
Within 500 m of the school's mapped location, police recorded 59 road collisions in which someone was injured in 2021 to 2025: none fatal, 11 serious and 48 slight. 15 children aged 0 to 15 were hurt: 8 on foot and 7 in a vehicle or otherwise. 11 of the collisions happened on a weekday between 08:00 and 09:30 or 14:45 and 16:30, holidays included. The typical figure for schools in Liverpool is 32 (the median across 193 schools, same distance and years).
Where is Co-op Academy Rathbone?
Co-op Academy Rathbone is at Bankfield Road, West Derby, Liverpool, Merseyside, L13 0BQ.
Source: Department for Transport, Road Safety Data (STATS19)