Merchant Taylors' Schools, Crosby

What Merchant Taylors' Schools, Crosby does

Merchant Taylors' Schools, Crosby is a fully co-educational independent day school located in Crosby, Merseyside, operating an all-through educational programme from Reception through Sixth Form (ages 4-18). Founded in 1620 by John Harrison of the Merchant Taylors' Company of London, the school is constituted as a registered charity in England and Wales and comprises three phases: Stanfield Preparatory School (ages 4-11), Senior School (ages 11-16 offering GCSEs), and Sixth Form (ages 16-18 offering A Levels). In September 2025, the historically separate boys' and girls' schools merged into a single unified co-educational institution under the leadership of newly appointed Headmaster Phil Dearden, accompanied by the opening of the Mulberry House Welfare and Wellbeing Centre and the publication of a Strategic Plan 2025-2030.

The school generates revenue primarily through tuition fees across its three educational phases, with secondary income from the Merchants+ facility hire and children's activities programme — including Holiday Clubs (£30/day), football camps (£36/day), cricket camps (£36/day), and netball masterclasses. The school is the only institution in the UK to offer the CISI Level 3 Award professional qualification, taken by Economics pupils alongside their A Levels. Academic outcomes are strong: 47% of GCSEs at grades 9-7, 86% achieving Grade 5+ in English and Maths, and 60% of A Levels at AAB or above. The school is ranked #1 in Merseyside in the Times Parent Power Guide 2025 and was commended in the Independent School of the Year Awards 2026 (Regional: North).

Distribution is conducted directly via an admissions team across multiple phone lines and channels (Prep, Senior, Sports Centre), supported by open days, taster sessions, masterclasses for external Year 4-5 primary children, an active Instagram presence, email newsletters, alumni networking events (Old Boys' Association, MTOGA), and community partnerships across Merseyside. The underlying technology stack comprises standard sector tools (iSAMS, Office 365, SharePoint, CPOMS) with no proprietary AI/ML components. The school operates 148 employees across its Crosby campuses.

Name

Merchant Taylors' Schools, Crosby

Legal name

The Merchant Taylors' Schools, Crosby

Website

https://merchanttaylors.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Merchant Taylors' Schools, Crosby is a fully co-educational independent day school in Merseyside, UK, providing all-through education from Reception to Sixth Form (ages 4-18). Founded in 1620, it serves regional families via direct admissions and ancillary holiday and facility-hire programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Single-Sex (Boys/Girls) Private Schools (EDAJABAK)

Keywords

• Independent school education
• Preparatory school programs
• Secondary school education
• Sixth form education
• School holiday camps

Headquarters

HQ city

Crosby, Liverpool

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Primary revenue stream from tuition fees paid by families for their children's education from Reception through Sixth Form.
2. Facility Hire and Holiday Camps: The Merchants+ programme generates revenue through facility hire, holiday clubs, and sports camps including football, cricket, and netball camps.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Merchant Taylors' Schools, Crosby is an independent coeducational day school delivering all-through education from Reception through Sixth Form (ages 4-18). It operates three educational phases (Stanfield Preparatory School, Senior School for GCSEs, and Sixth Form for A Levels) on multiple campuses in Crosby, Merseyside, and supplements core academics with a sports and activities division called Merchants+ offering facility hire, holiday clubs, and sports camps.

Product overview

Merchant Taylors' Schools, Crosby is a fully coeducational independent day school offering an all-through educational program from Reception through to Sixth Form (ages 4-18). The school comprises three distinct educational phases: Stanfield Preparatory School (ages 4-11), Senior School (ages 11-16 offering GCSEs), and Sixth Form (ages 16-18 offering A Levels). In addition to its core academic programs, the school operates Merchants+, a sports and activities division providing facility hire, holiday clubs, and sports camps including football, cricket, and netball programs. The school was formed in September 2025 through the merger of its former boys' and girls' schools, becoming fully coeducational.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Stanfield Prep: Preparatory school for pupils aged 4 to 11
• Merchants+
• Mulberry House

Products and services

• Stanfield Preparatory School

Quantifiable outcome

• Top independent school in Merseyside - Times Parent Power Guide 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Merchant Taylors' Company of LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1620The school was founded in 1620 by John Harrison, a distinguished member of the Merchant Taylors' Company of London - one of the twelve Great Livery Companies of the City of London. The Company continues to play a role in school governance and celebrations, with representatives visiting annually. Brigadier Christopher Coles, Clerk of the Merchant Taylors' Company, attended the opening of Mulberry House in 2025. The Company provided a grant for the Mulberry House refurbishment.
• Local Schools across MerseysideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with local primary and secondary schools through outreach programmes, masterclasses for external children (Years 4-5), and community initiatives. These partnerships support the school's widening access mission and community engagement objectives.
• Monkhouse Schoolwear SpecialistsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchool uniform supplier located at 80a Coronation Road, L23 5RH. Parents can purchase uniform in-store or online through Monkhouse's dedicated Merchant Taylors' page.
• Vital EnergiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for educational visits - Year 4 pupils visited Vital Energi's Mersey Heat project in Liverpool to learn about low-carbon heat production as part of geography curriculum. Each child received a Vital Eco Champion medal.
• Bobby Grant (Marine AFC)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFormer professional footballer and current Marine AFC Manager delivers Summer Holiday Football Camps at the school. UEFA licensed coach providing football coaching for children aged 5-12.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bolton School: One of the largest independent schools in the North West, historically single-sex (boys' and girls' divisions) like Merchant Taylors' until recently. Closely comparable in heritage, regional position, and academic profile, with similar co-curricular breadth.
• Birkenhead School: Independent day school in Birkenhead on the Wirral peninsula, serving the Merseyside market with a strong academic record. Direct regional competitor for prospective families across the Merseyside catchment area.
• King's School, Macclesfield: Independent day school in Cheshire with strong academic reputation and comparable fee positioning. Competes for families in the southern Merseyside and Cheshire corridor.
• Liverpool College: All-through independent day school in Liverpool offering education from early years through Sixth Form. Direct regional competitor to Merchant Taylors' in the same Merseyside catchment, competing for similar families with comparable academic and co-curricular offerings.
• Stonyhurst College: Catholic independent co-educational boarding and day school in Lancashire with comparable heritage and academic profile. Competes for North West families willing to travel, particularly at Sixth Form level.
• Rossall School: Independent co-educational boarding and day school on the Lancashire coast. Similar all-through offering and comparable fee tier, competing for North West families seeking independent education.
• The King's School, Chester: Long-established independent day school in Chester with a strong academic reputation. Similar all-through offering and comparable fee positioning, competing for North West families within travel distance of Merseyside.
• Withington Girls' School: Leading independent girls' day school in Manchester with strong academic outcomes. Direct competitor for high-achieving female pupils in the North West, particularly relevant in the context of Merchant Taylors' new co-educational positioning.
• Manchester Grammar School: Largest boys' independent school in the UK, also historically part of the Merchant Taylors' Company network. Direct competitor for top-performing boys' families in the wider North West, sharing the same historic livery company heritage.

Regional players

• Sedbergh School: Historic co-educational independent boarding and day school in Cumbria. Comparable heritage and academic profile, but primarily serves a different geography (Cumbria/Lake District) and so overlaps only partly with Merchant Taylors' Merseyside catchment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/merchanttaylorsofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/merchant-taylors'-schools-crosby

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Merchant Taylors' Schools, Crosby