Lipson Co-operative Academy, Plymouth

Ofsted's report card from its 28 April 2026 inspection grades Lipson Co-operative Academy on 7 areas: 3 strong standard and 4 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Inclusion - Strong standard. "Leaders and staff get to know pupils extremely well."

Leadership and governance - Strong standard. "Leaders demonstrate an unwavering commitment to ensuring that every child is safe, happy and successful."

Personal development and wellbeing - Strong standard. "The programme for personal development is extensive, carefully planned and thoughtfully tailored to the needs and context of pupils."

Achievement - Expected standard. "On the whole, pupils achieve well."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Leaders prioritise improving pupils' attendance at school."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of teaching across the school."

Post 16 provision - Expected standard. "The curriculum meets students' needs and supports them to be successful in their future endeavours."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "Leaders should continue to embed their attendance strategy to further improve the overall attendance of all pupils and reduce the numbers of pupils who are regularly absent from school"; "Leaders should ensure that pupils consistently develop detailed knowledge and skills across the curriculum, and for this to be reflected in all published outcomes at key stage 4 and 5"; "Leaders should ensure that teaching consistently supports pupils to communicate effectively through spoken language so that they deepen their understanding across the curriculum".

In its own words: "I am proud to be the headteacher of a school that puts itself at the very heart of our community. My vision for the school is not complicated, it can be summed up in three words: We believe in valuing our people and putting them first. This starts with our students, whose best interests shape every decision we make."

In 2026, pupils at Lipson Co-operative Academy averaged an Attainment 8 score of 44.6, the average grade across their best eight GCSEs. The average state school scored 47.3 in Plymouth and 47 across England.

50% passed English and maths at grade 5 or above, against 49% in Plymouth and 47% in England.

That is up from 43.5 in 2025.

Its most recent Progress 8 score, for 2024, was 0.4: pupils made above average progress compared with pupils nationally who started secondary school at the same level. Progress 8 was not published for 2026.

Disadvantaged pupils averaged an Attainment 8 of 39.6, against 49.2 for other pupils at the school - a gap of 9.6 points.

Pupils sat GCSEs in 21 subjects; after English and maths, the most popular were Combined Science, History and Art and Design.

For September 2026 entry, 230 families put Lipson Co-operative Academy as their first choice and 368 named it as one of their preferences, for 244 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. 1 family who put it first was not offered a place there.

The nearest other state secondary schools to Lipson Co-operative Academy are Plymouth High School for Girls (0.8 miles, selective, Attainment 8 65.7); Eggbuckland Community College (1.3 miles, Requires improvement, Attainment 8 44.5); Devonport High School for Girls (1.6 miles, Good, selective, Attainment 8 74.9); and Millbay Academy (1.7 miles, Good, Attainment 8 37.3).

Lipson Co-operative Academy's 2026 results were higher than 2 of these 4 schools.

Lipson Co-operative Academy is one of 18 schools run by The Ted Wragg Multi Academy Trust, an academy trust.

Across the trust's secondary schools, pupils averaged an Attainment 8 score of 45.6 in 2024/25.

71 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about Lipson Co-operative Academy (as of April 2026): 100% would recommend the school, 99% say their child is happy there and 100% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (100%); the weakest, that pupils behave well (93%).

Of the 171 pupils who finished Year 11 in 2023/24, 82% stayed in education or training for at least two terms, including 36% to a further education college, 4% to an apprenticeship and 5% into work.

Of the 110 students who left the sixth form in 2023/24, 32% went on to university or other higher education, 8% to apprenticeships and 28% into work. 6% went to one of the most selective third of universities.

40.4% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the average state school (25%), according to the 2026 school census.

In 2026, 173 pupils (15.3%) received SEN support and 29 (2.6%) had an education, health and care plan, against 16.2% and 4.6% at the average state school. The most common need among them is social, emotional and mental health needs.

The nearest railway station is Plymouth Rail Station, about 1.1 miles away in a straight line.

14 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is Lipson Vale Park (w-bound), 110 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 571 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, criminal damage and arson and other theft. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Plymouth (196), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, Lipson Co-operative Academy issued 229 suspensions, 20.9 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and 1 permanent exclusion.

The primary schools closest to Lipson Co-operative Academy are Lipson Vale Primary School (under 0.1 miles), Salisbury Road Primary School (0.5 miles), Laira Green Primary School (0.5 miles) and High View School (0.6 miles). Admission does not depend on which primary a child attends unless the school's policy names feeder schools.